A Note from the Chief Editor

No prize for guessing who is the chief editor for this blog.  As with most published materials, the posts in this blog will also go through editing before they are deemed suitable for publication.  The objective of setting up this blog, other than to encourage my children to read more selectively and reflect on the books they have read more purposefully, is to give them a semblance of what 'real' writing is.

In schools, students are required to write within a box (don't be fooled by the term 'creative writing').  For some strange reasons, school teachers like to have dumbfounded character who stood rooted to ground like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car after witnessing another character bled profusely under an azure blue sky with sun rays streaming through the fluffy white clouds.  Seriously! How many of us are required to write like that in our work or in our daily correspondence?  Till date, I am still wondering why do schools teach students to write in such manner.

When Daniel wanted to publish the Chinese book review he had written with his Chinese tutor, I thought that's a great idea.  So, I got myself a co-editor in charge of the Chinese books my children read.

The kids with 刘老师

刘老师 has been the kids' tutor ever since they were in kindergarten.  Every once a week, she will spend an hour with each kid, reading storybooks to them.  During the 1 hour, other than reading, she will also get the kid to discuss the story elements with her.  This year, she has started the kids on writing their 读后感 after they have finished a book.  So, don't be surprised if you find more Chinese book reviews than English ones here.

「我的幸运一天」

故事里，有一只狐狸很饿，正准备出门找午餐。刚好，一只小肥猪不小心走进狐狸的家。狐狸正要吃小猪时，小猪就叫狐狸先给它洗个澡，喂点东西让它越吃越肥，最后再给它做按摩。这样小猪的味道才会更美味。

你看，小猪很幸运吧！

可怜的狐狸

狐狸做完按摩后已经累昏了。小猪就趁机逃走了。

刚开始，我以为可怜的小猪一定会被狐狸吃掉。没想到，聪明的小猪遇到了危险时，会从容地想出各种办法逃走。我一定要向小猪学习，如果遇到了坏人，我也不会害怕，要做一个勇敢机智的孩子。

 -卢靖-

There IS more to life than reading (no buts).

Hi, I am Daniel Lock, 9 years old. The beach has got to be more interesting than books. The rushing of the waves, the coolness of the water and the feeling of fine sand in between my toes make me simply want to stay on the beach forever.

Other than the sea, I also like going to the parks to cycle, skateboard and climb trees. These activities bring much happiness to me.

There IS more to life than reading. I can play the piano and watch television. The truth is I only read when there's nothing to do. But, I must admit that once I get my hands on an interesting book, I can't put the book down. The main reason I agreed to be involved in this blog is because Mommy allows me to share ANY BOOK I LIKE! (that includes comics which Mommy hates to see me reading.) I do not like very very thick books because they are very boring and the climax is usually at the end of the book. Another reason I want to be involved is because my sister is blogging and I can't be left out, right?

There's more to life than reading but...

We thought it's only appropriate to start the first post by introducing ourselves. Since, I am older, I will have the honour to begin first. My name is Victoria Lock, 11 years old and I love reading! I will always have a book with me whenever I go. It is a compliment to me when people call me a bookworm.

Of course, I recognize that there's more to life than just reading. I do enjoy the occasional baking I do with Mom and Dan, and there's also the joy of doing art. I like how I am able to express my thoughts and feelings through art.

However, reading is still my first love.  I love to be transported into another world through reading. I love to be able to know so many people: from the famous to the unknown, from the rich to the poor, from the powerful to the weak.  Best of all, I love the feeling of being totally absorbed into a book and not having to worry about homeworks and exams.  It is good that Mom gets us started on this blog.  It gives me legitimate reason to read more.