The QR Code Reader
Once there was a boy who didn’t care for reading. Why would he? Everything he wanted to know was on his phone videos, podcasts, games, and AI to answer every question. Reading, he thought, was something for the past. To him, books were dusty things for people without Wi-Fi. He even said it out loud in class: "Why should I learn to read when I can just watch, listen, or ask?" His teacher smiled but said nothing. The next day, she handed him a small card. No book. No assignment. Just a QR code and a quiet, challenging voice: "I dare you. There’s a book that might just change your mind. It’s not an ordinary book. And you may only read it if you truly dare." He frowned. Was this just another trick to get him to read? But something in her eyes made him curious.
And he had never read a book that started with a QR code... Maybe he could just take a look? He walked to the library, scanned the code, and waited. The librarian looked at the screen, her eyes widening. “Oh…” she whispered. She looked around cautiously and said, “This book can’t be checked out. You have to read it here... in a secret place.”
Before he knew it, he was following her down a narrow hallway, past shelves he had never noticed before. Finally, they stopped at an old wooden door. She scanned the code, and a soft click echoed. “Inside lies the book. When you're done, press the button. I’ll let you out.”She nodded, and the door closed behind him. Inside, it was quiet not uncomfortably so, but peaceful.
No screens, no notifications, no distractions. In the center of the room was a large, ancient book on a wooden table. The letters on the cover seemed to glow, though no lamp was visible. He opened it. And then something happened. The words seemed to reach out to him. As if the book was reading him instead of the other way around. The sentences flowed through his mind like music. He didn’t stumble. He didn’t guess. He read.
And with every page, something awakened something powerful. He lost track of time. After seven hours, he turned the final page. It read:
10 Reasons to Read
- For fun
- To explore the world
- To make better choices
- To understand people
- To imagine freely
- To learn from the past
- To change your future
- To grow your knowledge
- To stay informed
- Because you can
He smiled. Everything he thought he didn’t need, he had just found in one book. He pressed the button.The librarian was waiting, even though the library had long since closed.
“You finished.”
He nodded.
“And?”
“I want to read more,” he said without hesitation.
“Not because I have to. Because I want to.”
She smiled, as if she already knew.From that day on, the boy was different. Not suddenly a bookworm or someone who never touched a screen again. But he had found a key. A world full of stories, knowledge, ideas, and dreams. And he wanted to explore that world page by page.
Food for thought
Technology can give you answers. But reading gives you understanding. The right story at the right time can open doors you didn’t even know existed. Sometimes, you don’t need a screen just a page and a little curiosity.