• It is mandatory for all students of Alchemy 2025 - 26 batch to take part in this festival (Except Grade 1 Junior & Senior)
• The festival will commence on 21st August 2025 and culminate on 24th August 2025
• The Read-On festival is not a competition
• The events are divided into 4 categories
• Juniors – 4 to 7 years
• Seniors – 8 to 14 years
• Seniors – 15 to 20 years
• Parents
• Under each category a list of topics are mentioned from which the participants may choose to perform under one topic
• It is not mandatory for parents to participate. However it will be a great encouragement & motivation for children to see their parents participating.
• The planned events will take place between 21st August 2025 and 24th August 2025 as per schedule published
• The participants can choose to perform online / onsite
• The event will go live on our YouTube channel. Click on the link given below to watch the same:

alchemykids - YouTube
Remember to press the 👍 button to subscribe & the 🔔 button to get a reminder when we go live

• The performers from each event will perform during their respective date & time slot based on the event schedule
• The list of authors, poets and playwrights for all the categories are mentioned clearly with the details of the respective events.
• The students have to choose their contents only from the prescribed list of authors, poets and playwrights for that category
• Each event will have a specific time duration for presentation by participants. We request all participants to stick to that framework
• All the decisions taken by the Read On panel will be final and no further discussions will be entertained
• All participants will be awarded a participation certificate
• The rules for each event are as given below

All events listed below are for solo (individual ) participation

• The events for the Juniors (4 to 7 years) are:
• Poetry Rendition
• Storytelling
• Act It Out - Performance of characters from books
• The events for Seniors (8 to 14 years) are:
• Poetry Rendition
• Storytelling (or) Performing Prose
• Performing Monologue
• The events for Youth (15 to 20 years) are:
• Poetry Rendition
• Storytelling (or) Performing Prose
• Performing Monologue
• The events for Parents are:
• On Stage: Poetry Rendition / Storytelling / Performing Monologue

The participants have to choose their poem from any of the following

Paul Fleischman

Grasshoppers, Water Striders, Mayflies, Fireflies, Book Lice, Digger Wasp, Cicadas, Honeybees, Whirligig Beetles, Requiem, Crickets, House Crickets, Walking Stick, Moth's Serenade, Flamingo, Woodpecker, Hummingbird, Condor, Owl, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Pigeon, Ostrich, Penguin, Bowerbird, Loon, Phoenix, The Quiet One, The Boast, School, Carnival, Thunder, Big Talk, Scarf, Doors, Machine, Bread

Kenn Nesbitt

I Ate a Spicy Pepper, My Teacher Took My iPod, I Bought a New Banana Suit, My Dog Does My Homework, My Puppy Plays Piano, My Dog Is Not the Smartest Dog, My Kitty Likes My Goldfish Bowl, My Ferret’s Always Fighting, I Let My Turtle Play Football, I Took My Dog to School, I Have to Write a Poem, My Goldfish Took up Tennis, I Didn’t Do My Homework, My Teacher Likes Minecraft, Homework Stew, My Brother Ate My Smartphone, My Computer Ate My Homework, I Love to Do My Homework, When Larry Made Lasagna, My Sister’s Pretty Picky, I Lost My Head in School Today, My Hippo Has the Hiccups, I’m Told by My Snail, The Armpit of Doom, My Elephant Thinks I’m Wonderful, I Fell Into a Rabbit Hole, Today I Wrote this Poem, A Hippo Is Bounding Around on My Head, I Rode a Rainbow Unicorn, I Think My Dad Is Dracula, Please Don’t Read This Poem, I Tried to Take a Selfie, I Think My Dad Is a Spy, Our Teacher’s a Football Fanatic, The Showdown, I Made a Meme this Morning, Computer Cat, Our Magic Toilet, My Dog Likes to Disco, Switch Switch, My Cat Knows Karate, The Games in My Room, Good Morning, Dear Students, Our Holiday Shopping, I Bought a Maserati.

Edward Lear

The Owl and the Pussy‑Cat, How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear, The Pobble Who Has No Toes, The Jumblies, The Dong with a Luminous Nose, The Quangle Wangle’s Hat, The Akond of Swat, The Nonsense Alphabet, Twenty‑Six Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures, The Duck and the Kangaroo, Calico Pie

Douglas Florian

What Friends Are For, I Like You, The Fabulous Five, Friendship Is a Flower, You Lied to Me, Billy the Bully, Moved, Old Friends, I’m Better, Opposites, Open‑Minded, Love Potion, Spring Does Handsprings, Nature Walk, Hi‑bear‑nation, Plump Pumpkin, The Rattlesnake, The Bullfrog, The Whirligig Beetle, The Comet, The Moon, The Sun, The Meteor, The Star.

Regional Poetry

The duration for the poetry rendition is 2 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 3 mins

If the participant exceeds the time limit of 3 mins, the participant will be requested to stop

The students will have to focus on the following rubrics for their Poetry Rendition:

Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation

Expressions

Body Language

Eye Contact

Presentation

The students should be appropriately dressed for the performance

The participants have to choose their story from any of the following:

Aesop's Fables

Stories of Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Very Busy Spider, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Very Quiet Cricket, Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, The Mixed-Up Chameleon, From Head to Toe

Stories of Maurice Sandek

Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, Chicken Soup with Rice, Pierre: A Cautionary Tale , Alligators All Around, One Was Johnny

Stories of Sandhya Rao

My Friend, the Sea, Thinker’s Dog, Ekki Dokki, Aana and Chena, The Story and the Song, Dream Writer

Regional Stories

The duration for the story rendition is 3 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 4 mins

If the participant exceeds the time limit of 4 mins, he/she will be requested to stop

The students will have to focus on the following rubrics for their Story Rendition:

• Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation
• Expressions
• Body Language
• Eye Contact
• Presentation

The participants should be appropriately dressed for the performance

The participants have to choose a character from stories and perform like the character by delivering monologue / dialogues spoken by the character in the story. They can also combine a few portions of the character’s talk in the story to present the same like a monologue. The collection of stories from which they have to choose are:

Aesop's Fables

Stories of Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Very Busy Spider, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Very Quiet Cricket, Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, The Mixed-Up Chameleon, From Head to Toe

Stories of Maurice Sandek

Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, Chicken Soup with Rice, Pierre: A Cautionary Tale , Alligators All Around, One Was Johnny

Stories of Sandhya Rao

My Friend, the Sea, Thinker’s Dog, Ekki Dokki, Aana and Chena, The Story and the Song, Dream Writer

Regional Stories

The duration for Act It Out is 3 mins. The performance should not exceed beyond 4 mins

If the participant exceeds the time limit of 4 mins, he/she will be requested to stop

The participants can use props and costumes

• The participants will have to focus on the following rubrics for Act It Out:
• Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation
• Expressions
• Body Language
• Characterisation
• Costume, Props & Creativity

The participants have to choose their poem from any of the following

Judith Viorist

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move, Alexander, Who's Trying His Best to Be the Best Boy Ever, The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, I'll Fix Anthony, Sunday Morning, Try It Again, Sam: Safety When You Walk, Rosy Cole’s Great American Guilt Club, If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries, Sad Underwear and Other Complications, What Are You Glad About? What Are You Mad About?

Emily Dickenson

A Bird Came Down the Walk, The Grass so little has to do, The Bee is not afraid of me, A Light Exists in Spring, The Daisy follows soft the Sun, Who has seen the Wind?, Hope is the thing with feathers, I’m Nobody! Who are you?, The Spider holds a Silver Ball, A Narrow Fellow in the Grass, There is no Frigate like a Book, The Moon was but a Chin of Gold, I'm glad the sky is painted blue, If I can stop one heart from breaking

Maya Angelou

And Still I Rise, Phenomenal Woman, Our Grandmothers, Weekend Glory, Mom & Me & Mom , All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas

Toru Dutt

Sita, Lakshman, The Lotus, The Royal Ascetic and the Hind, Buttoo

Sara Teasdale

There Will Come Soft Rains, Barter, Stars, Night, Spring Night, Twilight, I Am Not Yours, Let It Be Forgotten, The Look, The Light Comes and the Light Goes, The Wind, In a Restaurant, Alone, Stars, There Will Come Soft Rains, Barter, Spring Night, Let It Be Forgotten, Twilight

Regional Poetry

• The duration for the Poetry Rendition is 3 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 4 mins
• If the participant exceeds the time limit of 4 mins, he/she will be requested to stop

The participants will have to focus on the following rubrics for the Poetry Rendition:

• Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation
• Expressions
• Body Language
• Eye Contact
• Connect with the content rendered

The students should be appropriately dressed for the performance

The participants have to choose their stories/extracts from:

• Excerpts from Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton
• Excerpts from Stories of Jack London
The Call of the Wild, White Fang
• Excerpts from R. K. Narayanan's Malgudi Days
• Excerpts from the Rick Riordon's - Heroes of Olympus series
• Excerpts from Ernest Hemmingway's - The Old Man and the Sea
• Excerpts from Gary Paulsen's - Hatchet
• Excerpts from Scott O'Dell - Island of the Blue Dolphins

Regional Prose

The duration for the Storytelling / Prose Rendition is 4 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 5 mins

If the participant exceeds the time limit of 5 mins, he/she will be requested to stop their performance

The participants will have to focus on the following rubrics for the Storytelling/Prose Rendition:

• Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation
• Expressions
• Body Language
• Eye Contact
• Pausing & Phrasing
• Sequencing & Characterization

The participant should be appropriately dressed for the performance

The participants have to choose their monologues from the following options:

• Monologues from Charlie and the Chocolate factory by Roald Dahl
• Monologues from Moss Hart and George. S. Kaufman's works - You can't take it with you
• Monologue from Anne of Green Gables - Stage adaptation of L. M. Montgomery's Novel
• Monologue from Our Town by Thornton Wilder
• Monologue from The Dairy of Anne Frank (adapted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett)
• Monologue from The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis
• Monologues from R. L. Stevenson's Treasure Island
• Regional Monologues
• Monologues from Shakespeare's - Comedy of Errors and Midsummer Nights dream
  The duration for the monologue rendition is 3 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 4 mins If the participant exceeds the time limit of 4 mins, he/she will be requested to stop The participants can use props and costumes.
• The participants will have to focus on the following rubrics for the Monologue Presentation:
  • Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation
  • Expressions
  • Body Language
  • Eye Contact
  • Characterisation

The participants have to choose their poems written by any of the following poets:

Emily Dickenson

A Bird Came Down the Walk, The Grass so little has to do, The Bee is not afraid of me, A Light Exists in Spring, The Daisy follows soft the Sun, Who has seen the Wind?, Hope is the thing with feathers, I’m Nobody! Who are you?, The Spider holds a Silver Ball, A Narrow Fellow in the Grass, There is no Frigate like a Book, The Moon was but a Chin of Gold, I'm glad the sky is painted blue, If I can stop one heart from breaking

Poems of Rabindranath Tagore

Maya Angelou

And Still I Rise, Phenomenal Woman, Our Grandmothers, Weekend Glory, Mom & Me & Mom , All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas

W. H. Auden

Doggerel by a Senior Citizen, The More Loving One, The Shield of Achilles, The Unknown Citizen, A New year Greeting, Academic Graffiti, After Reading A Child's Guide to Modern Physics, Christmas Oratio, Nocturne

Toru Dutt

Sita, Lakshman, The Lotus, The Royal Ascetic and the Hind, Buttoo

Sara Teasdale

There Will Come Soft Rains, Barter, Stars, Night, Spring Night, Twilight, I Am Not Yours, Let It Be Forgotten, The Look, The Light Comes and the Light Goes, The Wind, In a Restaurant, Alone, Stars, There Will Come Soft Rains, Barter, Spring Night, Let It Be Forgotten, Twilight

Regional Poetry

The duration for the Poetry Rendition is 3 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 4 mins If the participant exceeds the time limit of 4 mins, he/she will be requested to stop

The participants will have to focus on the following rubrics for the Poetry Rendition:

• Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation
• Expressions
• Body Language
• Eye Contact
• Connect with the content rendered

The students should be appropriately dressed for the performance

The participants have to choose their stories/extracts from:

• Excerpts from Stories of J. R. R. Tolkien
  The Father Christmas Letters, The Hobbit, The Book of Lost Tales, Mr. Bliss, Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham, Smith of Wootton Major
• Excerpts from Stories of Jack London
  The Call of the Wild, White Fang
• Excerpts from R. K. Narayanan's Malgudi Days
• Excerpts from the Rick Riordon's - Heroes of Olympus series
• Excerpts from Ernest Hemmingway's - The Old Man and the Sea
• Excerpts from Gary Paulsen's - Hatchet
• Excerpts from Scott O'Dell - Island of the Blue Dolphins
• Excerpts from stories of Christopher James Paolini Eragon, The Fork, The Witch and The Worm.
• Regional Prose
  The duration for the Storytelling / Prose Rendition is 4 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 5 mins If the participant exceeds the time limit of 5 mins, he/she will be requested to stop their performance
• The participants will have to focus on the following rubrics for the Storytelling/Prose Rendition:
  
  • Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation
  • Expressions
  • Body Language
  • Eye Contact
  • Pausing & Phrasing
  • Sequencing & Characterization

The participant should be appropriately dressed for the performance

The participants have to choose their monologues from the following options:

• Monologues from Shakespeare's - Comedy of Errors and Midsummer Nights dream
• Monologues form the Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• Monologues from You can't take it with you by Moss Hart and George. S. Kaufman
• Monologue from Anne of Green Gables - Stage adaptation of L. M. Montgomery's Novel
• Monologue from Our Town by Thornton Wilder
• Monologue from The Dairy of Anne Frank (adapted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett)
• Monologue from The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis
• Monologues from Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Regional Monologues
  The duration for the monologue rendition is 3 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 4 mins If the participant exceeds the time limit of 4 mins, he/she will be requested to stop The participants can use props and costumes
• The participants will have to focus on the following rubrics for the Monologue Presentation:
  
  • Voice - Volume, Pace of delivery & Modulation
  • Expressions
  • Body Language
  • Eye Contact
  • Characterisation

• Parents can perform any poem, story, monologue of their choice
• The language of performance is open to English, Hindi, Tamil or any other Indian regional language
• The duration for the presentation is 4 mins, which can be extended to a maximum of 5 mins
• If the parent exceeds the time limit of 5 mins, he/she will be requested to stop their performance
• The participant should be appropriately dressed for the performance

The participant should perform in front of a plain backdrop / wall

The options for Juniors (4 to 7 years) are

• Poetry Rendition
• Storytelling
• Act It Out - Performance of characters from books

The options for Seniors (8 to 14 years) and Youth (15 to 20 years) are

• Poetry Rendition
• Storytelling (or) Performing Prose
• Performing Monologue

• The performer should be clearly seen in the frame. The camera should be placed appropriately and recording must be done in the landscape format
• Ensure that there is complete silence when you are recording. The fans and A/c also need to be turned off
• The video will have to be uploaded in the participants drive and link of the same needs to be pasted in the registration form
• Ensure that the link has the access activated as Anyone with the link
• All decisions taken by the Read On committee will be considered final and no discussions whatsoever will be entertained

For any queries kindly call 9841327673