1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:24,575 [Music playing] 2 00:00:24,575 --> 00:00:29,015 Good afternoon everybody. I'm a pro. Eight 3 00:00:29,015 --> 00:00:31,865 years ago I got the biggest and best 4 00:00:31,865 --> 00:00:34,736 present ever of my life. After reading 5 00:00:34,736 --> 00:00:38,495 books every night since I was about two, 6 00:00:38,495 --> 00:00:41,705 my mom opened a children's book store. I 7 00:00:41,705 --> 00:00:44,066 still remember the day I stepped into 8 00:00:44,066 --> 00:00:47,136 the warm, lovely place. Sunshine glowing 9 00:00:47,136 --> 00:00:49,836 on the bookshelves, and I smelled the 10 00:00:49,836 --> 00:00:52,367 scent of books, and I still remember the 11 00:00:52,367 --> 00:00:55,677 happy moment my mom held me in her arms 12 00:00:55,677 --> 00:01:00,298 and read me a book. In an old house in 13 00:01:00,298 --> 00:01:03,149 Paris that was covered with vines lived 14 00:01:03,149 --> 00:01:05,079 twelve little girls 15 00:01:05,079 --> 00:01:09,568 in two straight lines. Time passed and 16 00:01:09,568 --> 00:01:11,998 I grew from a little kid who was often 17 00:01:11,998 --> 00:01:14,249 mistaken for a boy, to a big girl 18 00:01:14,249 --> 00:01:16,579 standing in front of you on this stage. 19 00:01:16,579 --> 00:01:19,162 However, the love of reading has been 20 00:01:19,162 --> 00:01:21,532 kept unchanged, except that I don't suck 21 00:01:21,532 --> 00:01:24,320 my fingers anymore while I'm reading. 22 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:27,360 Having the freedom to read and the 23 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,650 freedom to choose, is one of the best 24 00:01:29,650 --> 00:01:32,219 gifts my mom ever gave me. Also, running a 25 00:01:32,219 --> 00:01:34,991 bookstore is not always a good choice 26 00:01:34,991 --> 00:01:36,452 for making money. 27 00:01:36,452 --> 00:01:38,720 Mom never regret quitting her high 28 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:40,895 salary job and devoting herself to the 29 00:01:40,895 --> 00:01:43,089 small bookstore. She is very proud of her 30 00:01:43,089 --> 00:01:45,561 work that brings a passion for reading 31 00:01:45,561 --> 00:01:47,972 to me, and other children. Surrounded by 32 00:01:47,972 --> 00:01:50,762 books, I am enthusiastic about reading. I 33 00:01:50,762 --> 00:01:52,851 bring a book with me 34 00:01:52,851 --> 00:01:54,472 wherever I go. I read in 35 00:01:54,472 --> 00:01:57,282 restaurants while I'm waiting for a meal. 36 00:01:57,282 --> 00:02:00,431 I read in the Metro on my way to school. 37 00:02:00,431 --> 00:02:03,192 I read every night before I go to sleep. 38 00:02:03,192 --> 00:02:07,362 To read is it to voyage through time to 39 00:02:07,362 --> 00:02:09,573 visit places you will never otherwise 40 00:02:09,573 --> 00:02:11,933 know, to experience the world of 41 00:02:11,933 --> 00:02:14,423 imagination, adventure, and discovery. 42 00:02:14,423 --> 00:02:17,053 Take Alice in Wonderland as an example. 43 00:02:17,053 --> 00:02:18,763 When I read that book, I felt as if 44 00:02:18,763 --> 00:02:20,204 I was Alice into a Wonderland. 45 00:02:20,204 --> 00:02:22,545 It's so weird, 46 00:02:22,545 --> 00:02:26,663 so visual. There, rabbits can talk. 47 00:02:26,663 --> 00:02:29,764 Playing cards can walk, and cats can 48 00:02:29,764 --> 00:02:32,654 vanish at will. After I read that book, 49 00:02:32,654 --> 00:02:34,894 my mind kept wanting to return to 50 00:02:34,894 --> 00:02:37,645 Wonderland and experience all those 51 00:02:37,645 --> 00:02:40,925 nonsense again. So, I drew this picture. I 52 00:02:40,925 --> 00:02:45,235 drew the Cheshire Cat, the caterpillar on 53 00:02:45,235 --> 00:02:48,104 the giant mushroom, and the girl. I don't 54 00:02:48,104 --> 00:02:50,965 know if the girl is Alice or myself. I was 55 00:02:50,965 --> 00:02:53,506 too young when I drew that picture, but I 56 00:02:53,506 --> 00:02:55,866 really wish that I could have lived 57 00:02:55,866 --> 00:02:59,386 inside that book. So you can see, in the 58 00:02:59,386 --> 00:03:01,715 book, Alice followed 59 00:03:01,715 --> 00:03:04,007 a rabbit and tumbled down in 60 00:03:04,007 --> 00:03:06,896 Wonderland, whereas in the real world a 61 00:03:06,896 --> 00:03:09,297 book can always lead you to escape the 62 00:03:09,297 --> 00:03:11,597 boredom of everyday life, and enter a 63 00:03:11,597 --> 00:03:14,627 magic world. For example, we can take the 64 00:03:14,627 --> 00:03:17,092 Magic School Bus to explore the human 65 00:03:17,092 --> 00:03:19,697 body, or we can escape into nature by 66 00:03:19,697 --> 00:03:21,897 reading fabrice book of insects. We can 67 00:03:21,897 --> 00:03:24,938 even travel back to ancient Greece or 68 00:03:24,938 --> 00:03:27,715 Rome in the series of Horrible History. 69 00:03:27,715 --> 00:03:34,256 With a book, we can go anywhere and be 70 00:03:34,256 --> 00:03:38,257 anything. Really it's also a good way for 71 00:03:38,257 --> 00:03:40,980 us to connect with others. It's amazing 72 00:03:40,980 --> 00:03:43,249 how when you're reading a book on a train, 73 00:03:43,249 --> 00:03:45,498 a stranger next to you says "hey I love 74 00:03:45,498 --> 00:03:47,849 that book" - this is a true story between 75 00:03:47,849 --> 00:03:50,890 me and Yoyo. We then immediately started a 76 00:03:50,890 --> 00:03:53,509 discussion about characters in that book. 77 00:03:53,509 --> 00:03:56,682 Yoyo's mom and my mom also found that 78 00:03:56,682 --> 00:03:58,771 they had a lot in common. 79 00:03:58,771 --> 00:04:01,072 Last year, our families took a trip to 80 00:04:01,072 --> 00:04:03,582 Singapore together. This is our 81 00:04:03,582 --> 00:04:07,241 first day in Singapore. We went to a big 82 00:04:07,241 --> 00:04:09,401 bookstore and spent half a day there. 83 00:04:09,401 --> 00:04:11,681 This is not the only story. We would 84 00:04:11,681 --> 00:04:13,822 share fun "Did You Know" books facts 85 00:04:13,822 --> 00:04:16,231 with my friends, or help other readers my 86 00:04:16,231 --> 00:04:19,352 age find a book that's just right for 87 00:04:19,352 --> 00:04:22,602 them. We build up relationships and get 88 00:04:22,602 --> 00:04:25,502 to know each other better. Also, I believe 89 00:04:25,502 --> 00:04:27,903 that when parents read to their children, 90 00:04:27,903 --> 00:04:30,252 it brings back good memories from their 91 00:04:30,252 --> 00:04:32,144 own childhood. This is a strong 92 00:04:32,144 --> 00:04:34,554 relationship that can get rid of gaps in- 93 00:04:34,554 --> 00:04:37,733 between generations. Another amazing 94 00:04:37,733 --> 00:04:40,534 thing about reading is when you 95 00:04:40,534 --> 00:04:42,842 are reading, in a way, you're engaging 96 00:04:42,842 --> 00:04:45,433 in a conversation with the author. 97 00:04:45,433 --> 00:04:47,624 One of the authors I admire very much is 98 00:04:47,624 --> 00:04:49,723 Bill Bryson. He was humorous and witty. 99 00:04:49,723 --> 00:04:51,493 When reading his great book, a short 100 00:04:51,493 --> 00:04:53,663 story of nearly everything, I feel like 101 00:04:53,663 --> 00:04:58,114 I'm accompanying the author as he 102 00:04:58,114 --> 00:05:01,098 travels through space and time, from the 103 00:05:01,098 --> 00:05:04,005 Big Bang to the rise of civilization. His 104 00:05:04,005 --> 00:05:06,685 deep curiosity of the world we live in, 105 00:05:06,685 --> 00:05:09,188 and the encyclopedia knowledge of his 106 00:05:09,188 --> 00:05:12,276 topics impressed and touched me. Another 107 00:05:12,276 --> 00:05:13,476 beloved author is 108 00:05:13,476 --> 00:05:15,495 Roald Dahl whose hilarious, 109 00:05:15,495 --> 00:05:17,756 breathtaking books are so attractive 110 00:05:17,756 --> 00:05:20,557 that I don't even want the story to end. I 111 00:05:20,557 --> 00:05:23,347 have read all of his books for children. 112 00:05:23,347 --> 00:05:25,938 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The 113 00:05:25,938 --> 00:05:29,998 Witches, BFG, and many others. When asked 114 00:05:29,998 --> 00:05:32,418 in an interview about how do you get 115 00:05:32,418 --> 00:05:35,427 your story ideas, the author answered, "it 116 00:05:35,427 --> 00:05:38,008 always starts with a little seed of idea, 117 00:05:38,008 --> 00:05:40,589 a little germ. Every time I get a great 118 00:05:40,589 --> 00:05:42,999 idea I will pull out a notebook and 119 00:05:42,999 --> 00:05:45,189 write it down, or else it would disappear 120 00:05:45,189 --> 00:05:47,759 like a dream". These tips helped me a lot 121 00:05:47,759 --> 00:05:50,149 when I first started writing. I use my 122 00:05:50,149 --> 00:05:52,338 idea notebook to write down my seeds of 123 00:05:52,338 --> 00:05:56,010 ideas, and in the story of Memphis, Roald 124 00:05:56,010 --> 00:05:58,670 Dahl told us "watch with glittering eyes 125 00:05:58,670 --> 00:06:01,920 the whole world around you because the 126 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:04,170 greatest secrets are always hidden in 127 00:06:04,170 --> 00:06:06,660 the most unlikely places". I was inspired 128 00:06:06,660 --> 00:06:07,850 when I read this. 129 00:06:07,850 --> 00:06:10,540 I'd taken advice not only from a 130 00:06:10,540 --> 00:06:13,576 great author, but also from a wise man who 131 00:06:13,576 --> 00:06:16,561 had a keen insight into our world. Just 132 00:06:16,561 --> 00:06:21,911 like Roald Dahl's character the BFG, Big 133 00:06:21,911 --> 00:06:24,611 Friendly Giant, whose job was to collect 134 00:06:24,611 --> 00:06:26,891 and blow pleasantries to small children. 135 00:06:26,891 --> 00:06:29,671 Roald Dahl, Bill Bryson, Sheldon Ellis 136 00:06:29,671 --> 00:06:33,242 Silberstein, Dr. Seuss, and other writers 137 00:06:33,242 --> 00:06:36,092 did blow big dreams to me and every 138 00:06:36,092 --> 00:06:39,385 other reader. I dream that one day I can 139 00:06:39,385 --> 00:06:42,185 make magic of my own as an author for 140 00:06:42,185 --> 00:06:45,582 myself, my friends, my kids, and other 141 00:06:45,582 --> 00:06:48,143 children. Here, I want to share a poem 142 00:06:48,143 --> 00:06:50,573 I wrote on a kite I made in art 143 00:06:50,573 --> 00:06:54,843 class. Soaring above us like a bird, is 144 00:06:54,843 --> 00:06:58,503 a big, amazing kite, the wind is howling, 145 00:06:58,503 --> 00:07:01,385 making it dance what a beautiful sight". 146 00:07:01,385 --> 00:07:04,404 Yes what a beautiful sight, but I know 147 00:07:04,404 --> 00:07:07,294 making this dream come true will be a 148 00:07:07,294 --> 00:07:10,345 very long and slow process. I will keep 149 00:07:10,345 --> 00:07:12,905 on reading and writing every day and 150 00:07:12,905 --> 00:07:15,556 above all, keep watching with glittering 151 00:07:15,556 --> 00:07:18,056 eyes the whole world around me just like 152 00:07:18,056 --> 00:07:20,837 Roald Dahl. And there's one thing I know 153 00:07:20,837 --> 00:07:23,536 for sure. Reading will be a lifelong love 154 00:07:23,536 --> 00:07:25,846 for me. I read because one life 155 00:07:25,846 --> 00:07:29,556 is just not enough. Today I stand here to 156 00:07:29,556 --> 00:07:32,716 share my reading stories with you because 157 00:07:32,716 --> 00:07:35,377 I believe that reading can light up the 158 00:07:35,377 --> 00:07:37,117 whole world. 159 00:07:37,117 --> 00:07:40,097 So, why not surround yourself with books. 160 00:07:40,097 --> 00:07:42,967 Sit down quietly and enjoy the words, the 161 00:07:42,967 --> 00:07:45,696 pictures, and how they fit together so 162 00:07:45,696 --> 00:07:49,513 beautifully. At the end of my speech, I 163 00:07:49,513 --> 00:07:51,918 would like to recite one of my favorite 164 00:07:51,918 --> 00:07:52,977 poems. 165 00:07:52,977 --> 00:07:56,418 No one believes the whole book to ever 166 00:07:56,418 --> 00:07:59,028 come from something as simple as 167 00:07:59,028 --> 00:08:01,947 butterflies that don't even live that 168 00:08:01,947 --> 00:08:05,499 long, but on paper, sayings can live 169 00:08:05,499 --> 00:08:10,839 forever, on paper, a butterfly never dies. 170 00:08:10,839 --> 00:08:14,939 Thank you.