By Xinhua writer Wu Liming

    BERLIN, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tjark Nentwig, a 14-year-old boy, might be the only boy in the whole of Germany who has read "On Practice," a well-known article written by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

    Reading Mao's works was not, by any means, an outburst of fever for Tjark.

    Actually, his affection for reading has been cultivated by his family. Tjark's father, Ingo Nentwig, is a Sinologist and ethnologist with rich expertise on Chinese ethnic groups. His mother, Mareile Flitsch, is a professor at Zurich University in Switzerland. Both speak Mandarin fluently.

    However, this choice of reading is still very rare for a 14-year-old boy. Tjark, who spends four to eight hours a day reading, is a reading boy in the true sense of the word.

    Tjark and his family live in Roedinghausen, a small village near the northern German city of Hanover. During most of the week, Tjark's parents are out of town working while Tjark stays with his grandparents.

    The three-storey house of Tjark's family is like a library. In each bedroom, sitting room, and in the study, of course, there are huge book shelves. The shelves were made by Tjark's grandfather, a self-taught carpenter.

    However, the family has more books than the shelves can accommodate. So quite a lot of books have to be kept in corners or in storage rooms.

    The majority of the books belong to Tjark's father, and most of them are about China or were published in China.

    "It's a pity I can't read most of them," Tjark sighed. In his own bedroom, there are two shelves full of books for juveniles.

    Tjark said his favorite was "The Dwarves" by German writer Markus Heitz. The book series has been a major success in Germany and has long been a bestseller in the German-speaking world. In 2006, Heitz won a German prize for fantasy literature.

    Tjark told Xinhua he used to love reading "The Lord of the Rings," adding that he regarded "The Dwarves" as a continuation of "The Lord of the Rings" since both tell exciting stories about the fantasy world.

    But a big surprise was waiting on Tjark's desk: The German editions of "On Practice," "On Contradiction" and "On the Correct Handling of Contradiction Among the People," three renowned articles written by Mao Zedong.

    Tjark said his father, who started to read Mao's works at the age of 16, had asked him to try to read Mao's articles.

    Although Tjark just read a few pages of "On Practice," he said that the article tells people "not to rashly trust what is writtenin books; a written theory has to be proven by practice."

    When he said these words, Tjark sounded like an adult. But he admitted that he did not fully understand the articles. "I want to try; I believe one day I will read through them."

    Tjark has cultivated a habit of reading at least one hour before going to sleep. He even spends four to eight hours reading when he is free.

    "Of course it depends on my mood. Sometimes when I am free for a whole day and in no mood for computer, I often read for a whole day," he said.

    When asked would he play computer or read a book if he had one-hour free time, Tjark said: "That would depend on my mood again. Sometimes I would dwell on the computer when I get a new game. But if there is nothing new, I would prefer reading."

    Looking back, Tjark recalled he was drawn to Harry Potter when he was seven years old. Since then, he had been "addicted" to the fantasy series.

    To Tjark, a book is the best vehicle to tell stories.

    "Reading is the best way to make you feel on the scene of the story," he said.

Special report: Global News Day for Children