In today's world of ubiquitous TV and Internet, books are waging a losing battle. Love for books is steadily on the wane and the habit of reading is almost nonexistent.

A 2005 survey by the Chinese Institute of Publishing Science found that less than half the people in China were readers.

The survey also found that among those who said they had "no time" for reading, 54.2 percent were aged between 20 and 29. And 45.9 percent of the respondents from the 18 to 19 age group said that they were "not used to reading".

The time is gone when reading books was pure fun. A storybook given by parents or a relative, especially on birthdays, brought immense joy to us. We used to wait eagerly for these occasions.

Summer and winter holidays would provide us with added leisure for reading books, books and more books. As children, we had the undiluted joy of reading, flying on the wings of imagination and exploring magical worlds, visiting mysterious people and savoring blissful experience. They were our windows to the world.

Today, children are exposed to a plethora of options from TV and Nintendo to PlayStation. With the click of a computer mouse, the window to the world is open. As a result, there is hardly any interest in books.

Watching TV and browsing the Internet have let our children's imagination run dry. Ask any child about a recent bestseller, chances are you will meet with a blank stare. But, the same child is extremely well-informed about the latest TV programs and electronic games.

Confucius, the great intellectual and China's earliest educator, said: "Have an insatiable desire to learn (xue'er buyan). But today's children are mostly shying away from books. This makes reviving the habit of reading a formidable challenge.

Last week, Zhu Yongxin, vice-mayor of Suzhou and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed establishing a national reading day. There would be reading salons, and reading and speech contests everything designed to develop reading as a popular habit.

"Children are like caterpillars who become butterflies through reading," he said. "Books can be woven into a beautiful net, which helps children preserve their purity, happiness and courage."

Zhu suggested that the national reading day be held on September 28, the birthday of Confucius.

An excellent suggestion.

The nation needs a breed of well-read individuals. For this, we must promote reading among our children.

How do we start to inculcate the habit of reading?

Parents can play a vital role in instilling a love of books in their children. To start with, regularly reading children bedtime stories will help develop a natural love for books. And this must begin from early childhood.

Unfortunately few adults have the habit of reading books, let alone reading as a passion.

So, how do we expect our children to develop into readers?

As parents, if we have the habit of reading books, our children will be likely to emulate us.

Reading is one of the best habits a person can acquire. It confers many virtues. There is no alternative to good books for pleasure and knowledge.

We have the treasure trove of Chinese literature at our disposal. So, let's pursue reading with passion. For, "Reading", Francis Bacon said, "maketh a full man."

E-mail: zouhr@chinadaily.com.hk

(China Daily 03/16/2007 page9)