The power of reading | April Qu | TEDxYouth@Suzhou

Why not surround yourself with books, sit down quietly and enjoy the words, the pictures, and how they fit together so beautifully? Learn from a 11 years old girl about reading.

Born in Beijing and growing up in Su Zhou, Shang Qu is an avid reader who has read hundreds of books about science, history, literature...... She is a creative thinker who always gets excited when facing challenging problems; she is a lover of classical music who can play the piano and has just started studying the violin; She is also a sports amateur who loves tennis the best and is now working to improve her tennis skills. In general, she is a dreamer who has the passion to explore and discover the world around her.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

[Music playing]

Good afternoon everybody. I'm a pro. Eight

years ago I got the biggest and best

present ever of my life. After reading

books every night since I was about two,

my mom opened a children's book store. I

still remember the day I stepped into

the warm, lovely place. Sunshine glowing

on the bookshelves, and I smelled the

scent of books, and I still remember the

happy moment my mom held me in her arms

and read me a book. In an old house in

Paris that was covered with vines lived

twelve little girls

in two straight lines. Time passed and

I grew from a little kid who was often

mistaken for a boy, to a big girl

standing in front of you on this stage.

However, the love of reading has been

kept unchanged, except that I don't suck

my fingers anymore while I'm reading.

Having the freedom to read and the

freedom to choose, is one of the best

gifts my mom ever gave me. Also, running a

bookstore is not always a good choice

for making money.

Mom never regret quitting her high

salary job and devoting herself to the

small bookstore. She is very proud of her

work that brings a passion for reading

to me, and other children. Surrounded by

books, I am enthusiastic about reading. I

bring a book with me

wherever I go. I read in

restaurants while I'm waiting for a meal.

I read in the Metro on my way to school.

I read every night before I go to sleep.

To read is it to voyage through time to

visit places you will never otherwise

know, to experience the world of

imagination, adventure, and discovery.

Take Alice in Wonderland as an example.

When I read that book, I felt as if

I was Alice into a Wonderland.

It's so weird,

so visual. There, rabbits can talk.

Playing cards can walk, and cats can

vanish at will. After I read that book,

my mind kept wanting to return to

Wonderland and experience all those

nonsense again. So, I drew this picture. I

drew the Cheshire Cat, the caterpillar on

the giant mushroom, and the girl. I don't

know if the girl is Alice or myself. I was

too young when I drew that picture, but I

really wish that I could have lived

inside that book. So you can see, in the

book, Alice followed

a rabbit and tumbled down in

Wonderland, whereas in the real world a

book can always lead you to escape the

boredom of everyday life, and enter a

magic world. For example, we can take the

Magic School Bus to explore the human

body, or we can escape into nature by

reading fabrice book of insects. We can

even travel back to ancient Greece or

Rome in the series of Horrible History.

With a book, we can go anywhere and be

anything. Really it's also a good way for

us to connect with others. It's amazing

how when you're reading a book on a train,

a stranger next to you says "hey I love

that book" - this is a true story between

me and Yoyo. We then immediately started a

discussion about characters in that book.

Yoyo's mom and my mom also found that

they had a lot in common.

Last year, our families took a trip to

Singapore together. This is our

first day in Singapore. We went to a big

bookstore and spent half a day there.

This is not the only story. We would

share fun "Did You Know" books facts

with my friends, or help other readers my

age find a book that's just right for

them. We build up relationships and get

to know each other better. Also, I believe

that when parents read to their children,

it brings back good memories from their

own childhood. This is a strong

relationship that can get rid of gaps in-

between generations. Another amazing

thing about reading is when you

are reading, in a way, you're engaging

in a conversation with the author.

One of the authors I admire very much is

Bill Bryson. He was humorous and witty.

When reading his great book, a short

story of nearly everything, I feel like

I'm accompanying the author as he

travels through space and time, from the

Big Bang to the rise of civilization. His

deep curiosity of the world we live in,

and the encyclopedia knowledge of his

topics impressed and touched me. Another

beloved author is

Roald Dahl whose hilarious,

breathtaking books are so attractive

that I don't even want the story to end. I

have read all of his books for children.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The

Witches, BFG, and many others. When asked

in an interview about how do you get

your story ideas, the author answered, "it

always starts with a little seed of idea,

a little germ. Every time I get a great

idea I will pull out a notebook and

write it down, or else it would disappear

like a dream". These tips helped me a lot

when I first started writing. I use my

idea notebook to write down my seeds of

ideas, and in the story of Memphis, Roald

Dahl told us "watch with glittering eyes

the whole world around you because the

greatest secrets are always hidden in

the most unlikely places". I was inspired

when I read this.

I'd taken advice not only from a

great author, but also from a wise man who

had a keen insight into our world. Just

like Roald Dahl's character the BFG, Big

Friendly Giant, whose job was to collect

and blow pleasantries to small children.

Roald Dahl, Bill Bryson, Sheldon Ellis

Silberstein, Dr. Seuss, and other writers

did blow big dreams to me and every

other reader. I dream that one day I can

make magic of my own as an author for

myself, my friends, my kids, and other

children. Here, I want to share a poem

I wrote on a kite I made in art

class. Soaring above us like a bird, is

a big, amazing kite, the wind is howling,

making it dance what a beautiful sight".

Yes what a beautiful sight, but I know

making this dream come true will be a

very long and slow process. I will keep

on reading and writing every day and

above all, keep watching with glittering

eyes the whole world around me just like

Roald Dahl. And there's one thing I know

for sure. Reading will be a lifelong love

for me. I read because one life

is just not enough. Today I stand here to

share my reading stories with you because

I believe that reading can light up the

whole world.

So, why not surround yourself with books.

Sit down quietly and enjoy the words, the

pictures, and how they fit together so

beautifully. At the end of my speech, I

would like to recite one of my favorite

poems.

No one believes the whole book to ever

come from something as simple as

butterflies that don't even live that

long, but on paper, sayings can live

forever, on paper, a butterfly never dies.

Thank you.