WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:24.575 [Music playing] 00:00:24.575 --> 00:00:29.015 Good afternoon everybody. I'm a pro. Eight 00:00:29.015 --> 00:00:31.865 years ago I got the biggest and best 00:00:31.865 --> 00:00:34.736 present ever of my life. After reading 00:00:34.736 --> 00:00:38.495 books every night since I was about two, 00:00:38.495 --> 00:00:41.705 my mom opened a children's book store. I 00:00:41.705 --> 00:00:44.066 still remember the day I stepped into 00:00:44.066 --> 00:00:47.136 the warm, lovely place. Sunshine glowing 00:00:47.136 --> 00:00:49.836 on the bookshelves, and I smelled the 00:00:49.836 --> 00:00:52.367 scent of books, and I still remember the 00:00:52.367 --> 00:00:55.677 happy moment my mom held me in her arms 00:00:55.677 --> 00:01:00.298 and read me a book. In an old house in 00:01:00.298 --> 00:01:03.149 Paris that was covered with vines lived 00:01:03.149 --> 00:01:05.079 twelve little girls 00:01:05.079 --> 00:01:09.568 in two straight lines. Time passed and 00:01:09.568 --> 00:01:11.998 I grew from a little kid who was often 00:01:11.998 --> 00:01:14.249 mistaken for a boy, to a big girl 00:01:14.249 --> 00:01:16.579 standing in front of you on this stage. 00:01:16.579 --> 00:01:19.162 However, the love of reading has been 00:01:19.162 --> 00:01:21.532 kept unchanged, except that I don't suck 00:01:21.532 --> 00:01:24.320 my fingers anymore while I'm reading. 00:01:24.320 --> 00:01:27.360 Having the freedom to read and the 00:01:27.360 --> 00:01:29.650 freedom to choose, is one of the best 00:01:29.650 --> 00:01:32.219 gifts my mom ever gave me. Also, running a 00:01:32.219 --> 00:01:34.991 bookstore is not always a good choice 00:01:34.991 --> 00:01:36.452 for making money. 00:01:36.452 --> 00:01:38.720 Mom never regret quitting her high 00:01:38.720 --> 00:01:40.895 salary job and devoting herself to the 00:01:40.895 --> 00:01:43.089 small bookstore. She is very proud of her 00:01:43.089 --> 00:01:45.561 work that brings a passion for reading 00:01:45.561 --> 00:01:47.972 to me, and other children. Surrounded by 00:01:47.972 --> 00:01:50.762 books, I am enthusiastic about reading. I 00:01:50.762 --> 00:01:52.851 bring a book with me 00:01:52.851 --> 00:01:54.472 wherever I go. I read in 00:01:54.472 --> 00:01:57.282 restaurants while I'm waiting for a meal. 00:01:57.282 --> 00:02:00.431 I read in the Metro on my way to school. 00:02:00.431 --> 00:02:03.192 I read every night before I go to sleep. 00:02:03.192 --> 00:02:07.362 To read is it to voyage through time to 00:02:07.362 --> 00:02:09.573 visit places you will never otherwise 00:02:09.573 --> 00:02:11.933 know, to experience the world of 00:02:11.933 --> 00:02:14.423 imagination, adventure, and discovery. 00:02:14.423 --> 00:02:17.053 Take Alice in Wonderland as an example. 00:02:17.053 --> 00:02:18.763 When I read that book, I felt as if 00:02:18.763 --> 00:02:20.204 I was Alice into a Wonderland. 00:02:20.204 --> 00:02:22.545 It's so weird, 00:02:22.545 --> 00:02:26.663 so visual. There, rabbits can talk. 00:02:26.663 --> 00:02:29.764 Playing cards can walk, and cats can 00:02:29.764 --> 00:02:32.654 vanish at will. After I read that book, 00:02:32.654 --> 00:02:34.894 my mind kept wanting to return to 00:02:34.894 --> 00:02:37.645 Wonderland and experience all those 00:02:37.645 --> 00:02:40.925 nonsense again. So, I drew this picture. I 00:02:40.925 --> 00:02:45.235 drew the Cheshire Cat, the caterpillar on 00:02:45.235 --> 00:02:48.104 the giant mushroom, and the girl. I don't 00:02:48.104 --> 00:02:50.965 know if the girl is Alice or myself. I was 00:02:50.965 --> 00:02:53.506 too young when I drew that picture, but I 00:02:53.506 --> 00:02:55.866 really wish that I could have lived 00:02:55.866 --> 00:02:59.386 inside that book. So you can see, in the 00:02:59.386 --> 00:03:01.715 book, Alice followed 00:03:01.715 --> 00:03:04.007 a rabbit and tumbled down in 00:03:04.007 --> 00:03:06.896 Wonderland, whereas in the real world a 00:03:06.896 --> 00:03:09.297 book can always lead you to escape the 00:03:09.297 --> 00:03:11.597 boredom of everyday life, and enter a 00:03:11.597 --> 00:03:14.627 magic world. For example, we can take the 00:03:14.627 --> 00:03:17.092 Magic School Bus to explore the human 00:03:17.092 --> 00:03:19.697 body, or we can escape into nature by 00:03:19.697 --> 00:03:21.897 reading fabrice book of insects. We can 00:03:21.897 --> 00:03:24.938 even travel back to ancient Greece or 00:03:24.938 --> 00:03:27.715 Rome in the series of Horrible History. 00:03:27.715 --> 00:03:34.256 With a book, we can go anywhere and be 00:03:34.256 --> 00:03:38.257 anything. Really it's also a good way for 00:03:38.257 --> 00:03:40.980 us to connect with others. It's amazing 00:03:40.980 --> 00:03:43.249 how when you're reading a book on a train, 00:03:43.249 --> 00:03:45.498 a stranger next to you says "hey I love 00:03:45.498 --> 00:03:47.849 that book" - this is a true story between 00:03:47.849 --> 00:03:50.890 me and Yoyo. We then immediately started a 00:03:50.890 --> 00:03:53.509 discussion about characters in that book. 00:03:53.509 --> 00:03:56.682 Yoyo's mom and my mom also found that 00:03:56.682 --> 00:03:58.771 they had a lot in common. 00:03:58.771 --> 00:04:01.072 Last year, our families took a trip to 00:04:01.072 --> 00:04:03.582 Singapore together. This is our 00:04:03.582 --> 00:04:07.241 first day in Singapore. We went to a big 00:04:07.241 --> 00:04:09.401 bookstore and spent half a day there. 00:04:09.401 --> 00:04:11.681 This is not the only story. We would 00:04:11.681 --> 00:04:13.822 share fun "Did You Know" books facts 00:04:13.822 --> 00:04:16.231 with my friends, or help other readers my 00:04:16.231 --> 00:04:19.352 age find a book that's just right for 00:04:19.352 --> 00:04:22.602 them. We build up relationships and get 00:04:22.602 --> 00:04:25.502 to know each other better. Also, I believe 00:04:25.502 --> 00:04:27.903 that when parents read to their children, 00:04:27.903 --> 00:04:30.252 it brings back good memories from their 00:04:30.252 --> 00:04:32.144 own childhood. This is a strong 00:04:32.144 --> 00:04:34.554 relationship that can get rid of gaps in- 00:04:34.554 --> 00:04:37.733 between generations. Another amazing 00:04:37.733 --> 00:04:40.534 thing about reading is when you 00:04:40.534 --> 00:04:42.842 are reading, in a way, you're engaging 00:04:42.842 --> 00:04:45.433 in a conversation with the author. 00:04:45.433 --> 00:04:47.624 One of the authors I admire very much is 00:04:47.624 --> 00:04:49.723 Bill Bryson. He was humorous and witty. 00:04:49.723 --> 00:04:51.493 When reading his great book, a short 00:04:51.493 --> 00:04:53.663 story of nearly everything, I feel like 00:04:53.663 --> 00:04:58.114 I'm accompanying the author as he 00:04:58.114 --> 00:05:01.098 travels through space and time, from the 00:05:01.098 --> 00:05:04.005 Big Bang to the rise of civilization. His 00:05:04.005 --> 00:05:06.685 deep curiosity of the world we live in, 00:05:06.685 --> 00:05:09.188 and the encyclopedia knowledge of his 00:05:09.188 --> 00:05:12.276 topics impressed and touched me. Another 00:05:12.276 --> 00:05:13.476 beloved author is 00:05:13.476 --> 00:05:15.495 Roald Dahl whose hilarious, 00:05:15.495 --> 00:05:17.756 breathtaking books are so attractive 00:05:17.756 --> 00:05:20.557 that I don't even want the story to end. I 00:05:20.557 --> 00:05:23.347 have read all of his books for children. 00:05:23.347 --> 00:05:25.938 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The 00:05:25.938 --> 00:05:29.998 Witches, BFG, and many others. When asked 00:05:29.998 --> 00:05:32.418 in an interview about how do you get 00:05:32.418 --> 00:05:35.427 your story ideas, the author answered, "it 00:05:35.427 --> 00:05:38.008 always starts with a little seed of idea, 00:05:38.008 --> 00:05:40.589 a little germ. Every time I get a great 00:05:40.589 --> 00:05:42.999 idea I will pull out a notebook and 00:05:42.999 --> 00:05:45.189 write it down, or else it would disappear 00:05:45.189 --> 00:05:47.759 like a dream". These tips helped me a lot 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.149 when I first started writing. I use my 00:05:50.149 --> 00:05:52.338 idea notebook to write down my seeds of 00:05:52.338 --> 00:05:56.010 ideas, and in the story of Memphis, Roald 00:05:56.010 --> 00:05:58.670 Dahl told us "watch with glittering eyes 00:05:58.670 --> 00:06:01.920 the whole world around you because the 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:04.170 greatest secrets are always hidden in 00:06:04.170 --> 00:06:06.660 the most unlikely places". I was inspired 00:06:06.660 --> 00:06:07.850 when I read this. 00:06:07.850 --> 00:06:10.540 I'd taken advice not only from a 00:06:10.540 --> 00:06:13.576 great author, but also from a wise man who 00:06:13.576 --> 00:06:16.561 had a keen insight into our world. Just 00:06:16.561 --> 00:06:21.911 like Roald Dahl's character the BFG, Big 00:06:21.911 --> 00:06:24.611 Friendly Giant, whose job was to collect 00:06:24.611 --> 00:06:26.891 and blow pleasantries to small children. 00:06:26.891 --> 00:06:29.671 Roald Dahl, Bill Bryson, Sheldon Ellis 00:06:29.671 --> 00:06:33.242 Silberstein, Dr. Seuss, and other writers 00:06:33.242 --> 00:06:36.092 did blow big dreams to me and every 00:06:36.092 --> 00:06:39.385 other reader. I dream that one day I can 00:06:39.385 --> 00:06:42.185 make magic of my own as an author for 00:06:42.185 --> 00:06:45.582 myself, my friends, my kids, and other 00:06:45.582 --> 00:06:48.143 children. Here, I want to share a poem 00:06:48.143 --> 00:06:50.573 I wrote on a kite I made in art 00:06:50.573 --> 00:06:54.843 class. Soaring above us like a bird, is 00:06:54.843 --> 00:06:58.503 a big, amazing kite, the wind is howling, 00:06:58.503 --> 00:07:01.385 making it dance what a beautiful sight". 00:07:01.385 --> 00:07:04.404 Yes what a beautiful sight, but I know 00:07:04.404 --> 00:07:07.294 making this dream come true will be a 00:07:07.294 --> 00:07:10.345 very long and slow process. I will keep 00:07:10.345 --> 00:07:12.905 on reading and writing every day and 00:07:12.905 --> 00:07:15.556 above all, keep watching with glittering 00:07:15.556 --> 00:07:18.056 eyes the whole world around me just like 00:07:18.056 --> 00:07:20.837 Roald Dahl. And there's one thing I know 00:07:20.837 --> 00:07:23.536 for sure. Reading will be a lifelong love 00:07:23.536 --> 00:07:25.846 for me. I read because one life 00:07:25.846 --> 00:07:29.556 is just not enough. Today I stand here to 00:07:29.556 --> 00:07:32.716 share my reading stories with you because 00:07:32.716 --> 00:07:35.377 I believe that reading can light up the 00:07:35.377 --> 00:07:37.117 whole world. 00:07:37.117 --> 00:07:40.097 So, why not surround yourself with books. 00:07:40.097 --> 00:07:42.967 Sit down quietly and enjoy the words, the 00:07:42.967 --> 00:07:45.696 pictures, and how they fit together so 00:07:45.696 --> 00:07:49.513 beautifully. At the end of my speech, I 00:07:49.513 --> 00:07:51.918 would like to recite one of my favorite 00:07:51.918 --> 00:07:52.977 poems. 00:07:52.977 --> 00:07:56.418 No one believes the whole book to ever 00:07:56.418 --> 00:07:59.028 come from something as simple as 00:07:59.028 --> 00:08:01.947 butterflies that don't even live that 00:08:01.947 --> 00:08:05.499 long, but on paper, sayings can live 00:08:05.499 --> 00:08:10.839 forever, on paper, a butterfly never dies. 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:14.939 Thank you.