Debra Li debra_lidan@163.com For many of us, some of our best memories from childhood lie in the half hour each night our parents told us bedtime stories and we always begged for more. To encourage parents to bond with their children through reading and cultivate in the young a love for books, Bao’an District Women and Children Service Center has launched a story-telling competition for families with children aged 3 to 12. Nearly 40 children in two age groups (years 3-6 and 7-12) attended the preliminary to the “Love, Read, Love: Story Fantasists” competition on Saturday at the center, telling stories they heard from parents or read from books and also original ones created with the help of parents based on their own wild imaginations. Although most children performed stories on their own or with help from their moms, 6-year-old Hou Xinqing was supported by her dad onstage. Accompanied by a carefully prepared PPT, the girl told a story about how a bamboo shoot overcomes the heavy rock and stubborn earth on top of it to grow. With her dad using gestures to remind her of the details, Hou gave a satisfactory performance and will participate in the finals next month. Li Shiyuan, who was a little bit nervous on stage, told the lovely story about how a rainbow-colored flower uses its petals to help others. Her parents prepared vivid costumes and props for the show. The audience also heard familiar stories like “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Three Little Pigs.” A five-member jury, including Li Jing, director of Bao’an Moms’ Reading Club, and Wang Junlin, emcee from Shenzhen Media Group, chose 15 families for the finals, who will be offered free tutorship by the organizers to help their children polish their stories and improve their presentations. Chen Meisheng, official with the center, said the ultimate aim of the contest is to cultivate in the young an interest in and a habit of reading, and also encourage them to come up with their own original stories, using their ungirdled imagination. Li also stressed the importance of parents’ participation in the process. “Parents’ involvement is indispensable, as most of our book-reading happens at home,” she said. “Listening to and telling stories make the first step towards the habit of reading.” The Bao’an District Women and Children Service Center organizes all types of public-benefit events like lectures, counseling and tutoring for women and children. | 