Heidi Dong, Head of Libraries at King’s College International School, Bangkok
Consilium Education library specialist, Sal Flint continues her column ‘School Readers’, in which she talks to educators about their favourite books. This month’s reader is Heidi Dong, Head Librarian at King’s College International School, Bangkok.
Why ‘School Readers?’
We all urge kids to read, but how has reading shaped our own personal and professional lives? I want to know which four books have most influenced the people I talk to: an unforgettable children’s book, a novel, a work of non-fiction and a ‘go-to’ book about education.
I met my friend, Heidi Dong, at King’s College International School Bangkok when I was consulting there. Our professional conversations naturally grew into a friendship, and I immediately admired how open she was to learning and refining her practice, qualities librarians hold in high regard. Heidi serves as the school’s Head Librarian.
Before joining King’s College, Heidi worked in South Korea at Cheongna Dalton School, managing two libraries and supporting students from early readers to seasoned researchers.
Her international career began in Beijing at Tsinghua International School, where she taught Research Skills and organised community events such as author visits and book fairs.
With an MLIS from the University of Washington and a BA in English from Western Washington University, she has built a career centred on one goal: creating library spaces where students connect, explore and grow. It was a pleasure to interview Heidi about her four books for my School Readers’ column.
Heidi Dong’s ‘four books’
(Click the book cover to follow the link to Amazon)
Jane Austen: Sense and Sensibility
I absolutely love the two protagonists of this timeless story, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. I feel a special connection with Marianne—I believe we’re kindred spirits. It was refreshing to read about a character who isn’t afraid to be imperfect. Marianne knows she is both sensitive and hopelessly romantic, qualities that often lead to painful consequences. This novel beautifully explores the balance between hope and reason, showing how hope can be both uplifting and dangerous, and how true growth comes from acknowledging our faults and learning from them. I can confidently say that this is a book I will treasure for the rest of my life.
What it’s about:
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen is a classic novel, first published in 1811, that follows the Dashwood sisters as they find their way through a world shaped by social expectation, limited opportunities and uncertain love. The story introduces Elinor, who depends on calm judgement, and Marianne, who follows her feelings, as they deal with financial upheaval and tangled relationships. Austen shows the pressures placed on women in Regency society with a mix of insight, warmth and sharp humour, offering an honest look at love, loyalty and the need to adapt.
Michelle Zauner: Crying in H Mart: A Memoir
This is a book that truly resonated with me because the author and I are both Korean American. It’s a touching story about Zauner coping with her mother’s cancer diagnosis, when she begins learning the art of Korean cooking at H Mart, a popular Korean supermarket chain. After her mother’s passing, she continues to cook as a way to cherish and relive the special memories they shared through the power of food.
I couldn’t help but feel a deep connection to this story, as my family are also frequent shoppers at H Mart. Michelle writes honestly about the challenges of fitting in as an Asian in America—a struggle I understand well as a child of immigrants. This book beautifully represents my heritage, and it’s comforting to know that readers around the world can gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be Korean, to grow up between two cultures, and to honor family through tradition.
Fun fact: The H in H Mart stands for “Han Ah Reum (한아름)” which means “one armful of groceries.”
What it’s about:
Crying in H Mart is Michelle Zauner’s heartfelt memoir about family, identity and the comfort of food. She writes openly about growing up Korean American, trying to meet her mother’s expectations and often feeling caught between two cultures. Some of her strongest memories come from visiting her grandmother in Seoul and sharing late-night meals with her mother.
As she gets older, her Korean identity feels more distant, yet grief draws her back to the traditions she once struggled to hold on to. It is a gentle and honest look at how food keeps memories alive and how we stay connected to those we love.
Barbara Cooney: Miss Rumphius Story and Pictures
If I had to choose a book idol, it would undoubtedly be Alice Rumphius. I’ve adored this story since childhood, and I truly believe Miss Rumphius deserves some credit for shaping the person I am today. The book begins with Alice as a young girl wondering how she can make the world more beautiful. As she grows older, she becomes a librarian and travels the world, scattering lupine seeds wherever she goes—eventually earning the name “the Lupine Lady.” In her later years, she settles into a quiet house by the sea, sharing her stories and wisdom with the neighbourhood children. The illustrations are stunning, and I love them so much that I even have a tattoo of the lupines from the very same storybook image. Now that I work as a librarian and travel myself, I can’t help but hope that one day I’ll also have a little house by the sea.
What it’s about:
Miss Rumphius is a gentle and beautifully illustrated story about Alice Rumphius, a girl who grows up determined to do three things in her life: travel the world, live by the sea and find a way to make the world more beautiful. As she grows older, she becomes a librarian, explores faraway places and eventually settles in a small house by the coast. Her answer to making the world more beautiful comes in the simple act of planting lupine seeds, filling the landscape with colour and leaving a legacy of kindness and beauty for future generations. It is a warm and inspiring book that encourages readers to think about how they too can add something lovely to the world.
Dodie Smith: I Capture the Castle
I have cheated here and have chosen a children’s fiction book for my education book choice. I feel it is valid because over the years I’ve got such concrete examples of how children’s literature can quietly become one of the most powerful educational tools we have as teachers, helping us understand how young readers build empathy, resilience, and imagination long before they ever encounter formal lessons. When I chose this, I didn’t know that I Capture the Castle was actually listed on Amazon as a ‘teacher’s pick’.
Anyway, even if you’re not convinced by my breaking the rules, I had to include it as I absolutely love the main character, Cassandra Mortmain! Despite her family’s poverty and their life in a crumbling old castle, she manages to stay optimistic, pouring her hopes and dreams into her journal as she aspires to become a writer. I felt such a strong connection to her because I once dreamed of being an author too, and during the 2008 recession in America, my family also struggled financially—I remember trying to make small adjustments on my own, just like Cassandra. My favourite scene is when she finally gets to enjoy a warm bubble bath while eating a chocolate bar. It sounds so simple, yet so wonderfully luxurious!
What it’s about:
I Capture the Castle follows Cassandra Mortmain, a bright and observant teenager who lives with her eccentric family in a crumbling old castle in the middle of nowhere. She keeps a detailed journal of her everyday life, writing about her dreamy sister Rose, her unconventional stepmother Topaz and her father, a once successful writer who can no longer bring himself to work. Their quiet, slightly chaotic world changes when the new American heirs to the castle arrive, bringing excitement, possibility and, for Cassandra, the confusing thrill of first love. The story is warm, funny and full of charm, and it captures that feeling of growing up and trying to understand your own heart while everything around you is shifting.
What Heidi is reading at the moment:
Fiction: When We Were Friends Paperback – 27 Sept. 2022 by Holly Bourne (Author)
Non-fiction: Becoming: The intimate, inspiring and award-winning memoir from the bestselling author and former First Lady Paperback – 2 Mar. 2021 by Michelle Obama (Author)
Sal Flint is a Senior Consultant specialising in school library development at Consilium Education.
If you would like to share your four School Readers, write to ITM on: https://consiliumeducation.com/itm/contact-us/.
FEATURE IMAGE: by Lubos Houska from Pixabay
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