TASTE BEAUTY OF LIFE

    Natalia, a 14-year-old Moscow girl, loves Russian literature, especially the works of Nikolai Gogol, Mikhail Lermontov, and Anton Chekhov.

    "When I was 100 percent focused on reading, it was fantastic, like you have traveled to another world, where you can picture out stories in the book as if you were actually there," the ninth grader told Xinhua during a morning class-break.

    "You can also imagine what the protagonists would be wearing, how would they be like, and things like that. The books are miracles!" she said.

    A Disneyland cartoon series accounts for the largest proportion of the collection of eight-year-old Tabuchi, who has a special interest in the stories of Cinderella.

    "Each picture is exquisite and the characters have interesting countenances," the Japanese girl said, adding that she "has a sense of dreaming and feels like a member of Cinderella's world" while reading the books.

    The fairy tales' fantastic world directed Tabuchi into love and benevolence.

    "I want to treat others in amiable ways and maintain beauty just as Cinderella does. In this feeling, I find life beautiful," Tabuchi said.

    Horkina is also fond of Russian folk fairy tales. She used to be addicted to the fantastic lives of the princesses and princes, the profound friendships, and pure love contained in the stories.

    "I have long wanted a little magic power to occur in our everyday life," she said. "How good that is!"

    READING HABIT INDISPENSABLE

    Modernization has brought change to lifestyles and types of access to information, disturbing or even destroying people's reading habits.

    Reading has become more of an amusement to youngsters with novel-based movies and TV series enjoying popularity to the detriment of classic masterpieces.

    We used to say, "love books, because they are the best gifts," said Horkina. In her memory, reading was very popular in the past, but it's regrettable that books have been squeezed out by TV and the Internet.

    "I understand the youth's interest in the latest electronic products. But I hope that kids will read more books, and parents and teachers should take due responsibility in this regard," she said.

    She said books can help people find ways to solve problems, improve their language abilities and enrich their minds.

    Internet reading is more of a "superficial reading," so it can't replace the traditional reading of books, which deliver more mental satisfaction, systematic thinking and broader imagination, said Chen Jianxiang, a professor at Beijing Normal University.

    "Reading is quite a special thing, because you must read with your own imagination and your own mind to taste the stories. But when you watch TV, you don't need to use your brain because everything has been thought out for you. That's so boring," said Natalia, who was sure that she would never become a "couch potato."

    "When you have books, you will never complain 'nothing to do'... reading is for you at anytime you want. It's wonderful, and all you need to do is to open the book and unfold your imagination," said Menahimm, a 13-year-old Israeli boy.

    In a fast-paced world, people have to spend some time reading for themselves and their hearts, said Horkina.

    "Adults, please read for children, and read and discuss together with children," she said.

Special Report: Global News Day for Children