My Affinity with Books

As a child, I was super active. I was running around and getting hurt almost every day. My mom was worried. A neighbour advised me to learn to fish. I liked the idea, but my mom said no. A few years back, I had almost drowned (淹死) after diving into a river. Since then, I had been kept away from any body of water (水体).

At last, my mom decided to deal with my restlessness with books. Every day, she made me sit on a chair and read for an hour. I hated it and cried a lot. Then, my uncle, a schoolteacher, came to my rescue. He brought me many books and told me to pick one and read just the first twenty pages. “If you’re still bored after that, just put it down and pick another one,” he said.

I started off with The Enormous Crocodile. After twenty pages, I was rolling on the floor laughing. This crocodile wants to eat children for a change, so he makes himself look like a seesaw (跷跷板) on a playground. Next, I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Both stories were exciting. Their messages were also easy to understand.

As time went on, I started reading longer and more serious books. I was in the middle of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when my mom said I should spend more time playing outside. But the book was too fascinating to put down. It also showed me the stupidity of human prejudice (偏见).

To this day, I make time to read every day. If you haven’t yet experienced the joy of reading, take my uncle’s advice and find the “right” books. They’ll give you enjoyment, teach you something new, and even change your life.