SINGAPORE, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In support of the inaugural National Reading Month, independent children’s publisher Read With You is bringing five new titles to young readers, including Beyond the Mountains and Seas, an English adaptation of the Chinese children’s series Xiao Xiao Shan Hai Jing.
These new titles come at a timely moment for the country’s reading landscape. While Singapore’s children continue to perform strongly in reading literacy – Primary 4 students ranked first globally in reading literacy in the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) – the proportion of students who said they "enjoy reading a lot" fell from 60% to 51% over the past 10 years.
More recent findings from NLB’s 2024 National Reading Habits Study suggest that reading remains a part of young people’s lives, with 91% of teenagers aged 13 to 19 having read at least one book in the previous 12 months. 7 in 10 also agreed that reading is pleasurable, while 85% said reading can broaden their worldview.
"We want children to see books as something they choose because they are curious, not simply because someone has told them they need to read. A good story can take a child somewhere they have never been, introduce them to a culture they may not know much about and help them see the world a little differently. That is what we hope these five titles can offer," said Lina Xiao, Head of Read With You Asia.
The five titles being introduced in Singapore are part of Read With You’s Beyond the Mountains and Seas series: The Southern Mountains, The Western Mountains, The Western Frontiers, The Northern Mountains and The Eastern Mountains.
Inspired by The Classic of Mountains and Seas, one of China’s oldest surviving texts, the series introduces young readers to legendary creatures, cultures and traditions through modern, playful storytelling. The original Chinese edition was written by Dong Zheng, illustrated by Xu Qing Sen and published by Guangxi Normal University Press, while Lina Xiao initiated the international adaptation and wrote the English edition.
The books will also be featured in a Meet the Artist workshop at the National Library on 13 September, as part of NLB’s Read for Good initiative. Supported by Read With You, the programme will introduce children aged 5 to 12 to art and creativity through stories, art exploration and hands-on activities, giving them the opportunity to learn about famous artworks and artists before creating their own works inspired by different artistic styles.
Read With You is also supporting NLB’s wider efforts to make reading materials more accessible to children. Through its Buy-One-Donate-One programme, the publisher will donate 2,700 sets of Beyond the Mountains and Seas, comprising 13,500 books, to NLB’s Read for Good initiative to support children who may have less access to books.
Jennifer Ho, Librarian, Adults & Seniors, National Library Board, said, "Read With You has been an invaluable partner in bringing the joy of reading to children. We are grateful for the generous donation to NLB’s Read For Good initiative, which raises funds and book donations for charity through reading sessions. We look forward to sharing these special new titles with our beneficiaries."
For more information about Read With You and the Beyond the Mountains and Seas series, please visit https://www.readwithyou.com/.
About Read With You
Read With You is an independent children’s book publisher founded in 2010, specialising in high-quality content for readers aged 0 to 12. Its catalogue includes more than 2,000 illustrated trade storybooks and educational series across language arts, STEAM, science, art and other areas of learning. The company works with linguists, illustrators, storytellers and educators to develop content that makes education and reading fun, easy and accessible.
Read With You’s mission is to strengthen a love for reading and make quality educational content more accessible to children around the world. The company also operates a Buy One, Donate One programme through which one book is donated to a child in need for every book purchased. For details, please visit https://www.readwithyou.com/.
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