Thank you, iro 2023 & Food4Thought Foundation

Greetings from Sandeep Dutt at The English Book Depot, the bookshop that won the Award for Best Book Store of the Year Category in IRO 2023. Getting the prestigious Award in our 100th year of service at the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2023 is a big honour for us. Thank you, F4TF, for conducting IRO 2023 and recognising individuals and organisations promoting reading habits. I also thank all Sponsors, Aurobindo Pharma Foundation, Amadeus Labs, Odessa Technologies, Signode India Limited and Greengold Animation Pvt Ltd, for supporting F4TF and helping in organising IRO and, most important, identifying people from PAN India and appreciate their work. india reading olympiad® is a platform which enables, encourages, and endorses an ecosystem which creates functional reading spaces & joy for Reading and appreciates the efforts towards igniting a reading revolution across 13 categories, i.e. Life Time Achievement, Reading 4 Pleasure-School, Reading 4 Pleasure- NGO, Reading 4 Pleasure-Institute, Innovative Library Format, Innovation 4 Reading, Best Reading Club, Best Book Store of the Year, iambond Under 18, iambond Above 18, Joy of Reflection(Students), Best Library (F4TF) and Caught Reading. The three broad objectives of the india reading olympiad® are Encourage Reading habits and enable Joy of Reading at large, Encourage and appreciate individuals, groups and institutions which promote Reading and Inspire citizens to become lifelong readers & book lovers.

Friendship - Advita Chauhan

Friends, I will tell you my experiences of friendship. My first friend and my best friend in my class is Anika. Now with her help , everyone has become my friend. Today I will tell you about Anika and my experience. We became friends online via our laptops.

One day at 7o'clock we planned to meet on google, then I said – "Anika, today I want to play something new. My mother made a game of money. Let's play that." Then Anika said, "Ok, Advita, let's play your game." We started playing this game.

Do you know how we play this game?

I took a paper, then I became a shopkeeper, Anika became a customer, and we exchanged money. We learn new things with each other by exchanging our ideas and thoughts.

We talk to each other, and we like each other's company. I am happy that I have a friend like Anika. 

Now I will share a poem with you:

 The beginning of a beautiful friendship

One day while I was playing, a knock came on the door. 

I saw a little girl peeping from the hole. 

She said take me in your game,

And make me your friend. 

I will listen to everything,

Just make me your friend. 

I said, come in, no need to worry. 

We are your friend, don't cry, my buddy.

Then we both played, 

And our friendship stayed,

That's how our beautiful company was made!!

Advita Chauhan

Grade III

Gyanshree School