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With creative drawings and messages full of imagination and children's naivety, primary school participants in the 4.23 World Book Day Creative Competition expressed their gratitude to parents and elders. Reflecting their greater maturity, secondary students wrote stories or essays with thought-provoking ideas and in-depth analysis, presenting their views with genuine sentiment.
The competition, presented by the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), was held to celebrate 4.23 World Book Day and to tie in with the 50th anniversary of the HKPL. With this year's theme "ReadˇEEnriching Our World", the competition aimed to encourage children and young people to read and write more, and to share their experiences and enrich their lives through reading.
The winning entries featured a rich variety of topics. Here are the thoughts of some students:
"I don't like reading ˇK but all was changed that fateful day I saw "Sherlock Holmes" ˇK I joined Holmes' great adventures ˇK I am now full of curiosity in chemistry, phrenology, botany, law ˇK I have to study well and equip myself in learning everything relevant to my ambition ˇV to be a detective."
"I realised the importance of optimism through his description of life (in Francis Bacon's book 'The Last Lecture'). Treasuring the positive sides of events can bring us more benefits. ˇK Having a positive attitude in confronting failure can assist us in attaining our dreams."
"Teenagers nowadays are drowned in a materialistic world, even if they seldom move their little muscles ...'Chinese Cinderella' and the story of my grandmother are thought-provoking lessons for this generation ˇK the phoenix can be reborn after fire, grumbling can never cure anything, only persistence and optimism can help us see the misty future."
Speaking at today's (April 21) prize presentation ceremony, the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui, said that for children, reading a book is like opening up a new world.
Reading is also a door to wisdom for children ˇV a way to broaden their horizons. Apart from knowledge building, reading can inspire children's thinking and nurture the healthy growth of their little minds, enriching their lives all the more, she added.
Other guests attending the presentation ceremony included the Assistant Director (Libraries and Development) of the Leisure and Culture Services Department, Mr Lee Yuk-man. Representatives of the educational bodies that form the competition's adjudication panel are: Senior Curriculum Development Officer of the Education Bureau, Ms Yvonne Lam; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union Executive Committee Member, Mr Chan Hon-sum; the Vice-President of the Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians' Association, Ms Margery Chan; and the President of the Hong Kong Reading Association, Dr Lornita Wong. Winning students from Hong Kong and Shenzhen also shared their reading experiences.
Promoting reading is one of the major missions of the HKPL. In support of the World Book Day, the HKPL has, since 2004, organised the 4.23 World Book Day Creative Competition with a specific theme each year to broaden students' reading and develop diversified perspectives.
The winning students will receive a special gift this year, including "super passes" to the Hong Kong Book Fair 2012 presented by the supporting organisation, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The super passes give students free admission to the Hong Kong Book Fair.
Enthusiastic responses were received from over 1,500 entries and more than 250 schools this year. The competition consisted of four categories: design a thank you card with graphic drawings to express gratitude to the one who opens the door to reading's treasure (junior primary students); letters to the authors to describe unforgettable reading experiences (senior primary students); book reports on reading materials that change the perspective on life (junior secondary students); and projects on a self-proposed topic related to the stories or experiences from elders in reading, schooling or about library (senior secondary students).
Adjudicators selected the best entries in each category: 25 for junior primary, 14 for senior primary Chinese, 15 for junior secondary Chinese, 11 for senior secondary Chinese, eight for senior primary English and junior secondary English, and five for senior secondary English.
Winning works from the competition are now on display at the Exhibition Gallery of the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL) until May 7. A roving exhibition will be held at 17 public libraries from May 11 to August 31. They will also be showcased at the forthcoming Hong Kong Book Fair for public appreciation. The winning entries will also be uploaded to the HKPL website.
Over the past few years, this creative competition has formed part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong library collaboration and exchange programme. Adopting the same theme, "ReadˇEEnriching Our World", the Shenzhen Children's Library organised a creative competition for students this year. Some of the winning entries are on display in Hong Kong at 17 public libraries from today till the end of September, while Hong Kong's winning entries will be shown at the Shenzhen Children's Library from April 23 till the end of July.
A Meet-the-Authors talk was also held today at the HKCL for World Book Day, during which the Associate Professor of the Language Centre of the Hong Kong Baptist University, Ms Wu Yin-ching, shared her experiences on how reading poems and novels inspired her to start writing.
Readers who borrow library materials from any HKPL tomorrow (April 22) on the World Book Day (April 23) and on Tuesday (April 24) will receive souvenirs on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last.
For programme enquiries, please visit the website, www.hkpl.gov.hk/english/ext_act/ext_act_ra/ext_act_ra_wbd/423WBD2012.html, or call 2928 4603 or 2921 2660.
Ends/Saturday, April 21, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:25
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