A recent survey showed that children from 7 to 14 read no more than three books outside the school each semester on average. Few books interest them. Either there is too much homework or books are too expensive. And, of course, there's the computer and Internet. Every week, they read for 2.5 hours. "Parents have no idea what kind of books to buy for their kids, and children lack proper guidance," said a bookstore owner surnamed Gao, who's been running a community bookstore for 10 years near the capital's Central Business District. "Parents buy computers for World of Warcraft power leveling, their kids as soon as they join primary school because they don't want them to fall behind," she said. "Therefore they hardly open a book." Gao recalled that three years ago, comic books sold well World of Warcraft power leveling, but now the business is dull, because kids have choices other than reading, for instance, the computer, cartoon, DVD and e-book. Take the case of a businessman surnamed Lin. He went to Xinhua Book Store, China's biggest chain bookstore, to find something to prepare his 5-year-old son for enrolling in primary school. "I'm looking for something fun and instructive, but I can't find such books here," he said. He came across numerous exam papers and exercises designed for primary schoolchildren, but Lin couldn't figure out what to buy. Books and kids The book building in Xidan area of Beijing is a paradise for kids to read. They sit on the floor and browse Japanese comics their parents will not buy. Han Wan'er, 10, was a book lover. She shuttled back archlord money, and forth in the children's book section as if she has entered a playground. She searched through the comic books archlord money, picked up Doraemon and Detective Conan, and rushed to the geography books. "I like manga and sci-fi stories best," she said. "I usually finish the manga once I get home." Han said she read lots of books and had hundreds at home, but was worried when asked about her leisure activity. "I have no time to play because I'm already in fifth grade." She is pressured for entering junior high school, as she has to attend weekend classes of prospective schools. Liu Jin, 27, a former teacher of a boarding school in Beijing, said students read more than three books each semester. "They spent more time reading than day scholars because they had nothing else to do." In the schools for children of migrant workers, reading is less because there aren't enough books, according to Liu. "As I know, children below third grade have such a heavy load of homework that some of them can't finish it before 10 pm." she said. "Besides, parents send them to classes such as dancing, English and piano on weekends." "Children love the Internet," she said. "A 9-year-old student can stay up all night playing computer games during the May Day holiday." They are more intelligent, aoc power eveling knowledgeable than we used to be, as they have more ways to learn, she said. Trends Gao, of the CBD bookshop aoc power eveling, said paperback books no longer sell. One wall in her 10-square-meter shop was occupied by a large selection of Japanese comics. Others included Chinese classics, novels and children's picture books. She used to have a much larger store selling many children's books, reference titles and youth literature. But now there are only a few storybooks on a small shelf. Her own son does not like reading. "Grown-ups seldom read, not to mention schoolchildren," she said. "People don't think it is worthwhile to spend 20-30 yuan($2.9-4.4) on a book." A girl around 15 bought a copy of Dream of Red Mansions, one of the four classics. "We read the four novels when we were kids, but now they don't read it until they are grown-ups," Gao said. In a quiet corner against the French windows of Jianwai Soho community, a colorful rainbow road leads to the Kid's Republic - a world of picture books. Poplar Kids' Republic, a chain bookstore and publishing company from Japan, opened its first outlet in Beijing in 2005 to introduce children's picture books and build reader's clubs in high-end communities to provide a relaxed reading environment. They have branches in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Shenyang. The picture books, mostly imported and translated into Chinese, are popular among preschool children. "In fact, few primary students come to Poplar Kids' Republic, though picture books are a good choice for students from 6 to 9," said Zhang Xuemei, shop manager in Beijing. "But the book sold well during the fairs we hold at local primary schools because children, rather than parents, decided what they read." These fun and aoc power leveling, lovely books with delicate illustrations are easily buried amid reference books in big stores aoc power leveling, so parents don't notice them or recognize their value, she said. "In Poplar Kids' Republic, picture books claim attention because they are everywhere." Few children's book stores can be found in Beijing, she said. "Readers will appreciate illustrated books only after they experience it. So it's important that parents accept them first," she said. Though they are more expensive because of higher cost of paper and ink, families in cities can afford them, she said. Survey findings The observations of bookshop owners on children's reading habits, support a survey's findings on many counts. The survey, done for Children's Reading Year of 2009, was first of its kind. Initiated last June, it was to study the reading habits of schoolchildren from 7 to 14 and provide the basis for reading service, research, publishing and education. More than 150,000 children from 600 schools in 35 cities took part in the study through questionnaires and interviews. Of those surveyed, 87.8 percent are urban schools and 11.5 percent from rural areas. The result showed last chaos gold, that 95 percent students like to read extracurricular books while 5 percent do not like to do so. Students are mostly interested in comics and last chaos gold animation, fairy tales, science fiction, detective stories and history books. Only 12.2 percent like reference books. Five parents out of 100 do not allow their children to read books other than textbooks, and nearly half of the students said their choice of books is influenced by their classmates and friends, rather than parents and teachers. "Compared to developed countries, reading is far from sufficient for kids in China," Yang Liu, head of Hunan Children's Library and initiator of the survey, told the Global Times. "We want to figure out how far we are lagging behind." According to Yang, students of the same age group read in average six books per semester in developed countries. The examination-oriented education system remains an obstacle for children to take up reading. "They read to improve their grades, rather than to foster the reading habit," he said. China is a big country for publishing, and 2moons gold, reference books are a driving force in the market, Yang said. "School children should read comprehensively, because it is crucial they develop 2moons gold the habit and a passion for reading." "We should give guidance to children for more suitable books and parents must set an example in reading," he said. "It is more difficult to run a children's library than a public library and because children's activities are strictly controlled by parents and teachers, and they don't take the initiative themselves," he said. There are about 80 children's libraries in China, which "definitely cannot meet the demand," he said. He wanted to make people understand the importance of reading for children, strengthen their reading service and learn the significance of reading in their growth. "It is urgent we help children get access to books, then find them the ones they like and teach them the method of reading," he said. Wang Rui, a teacher, said the television and Internet cannot replace reading because kids will learn to think independently by reading, and develop correct views on life. According to Takashi Saito, a Japanese writer, reading is not an interest, but an ability, for self-improvement and communication. "It is better to force yourself to check out new publications because reading is the fastest way to absorb new information," he wrote in his book Reading Ability. He suggested that teachers inspire and develop students' ability of reading in classes by bringing the books they have read and ask students to take the ones they like. Cao Wenxuan, a professor of literature at Peking University, pointed out that children's reading underwent an "eco-crisis", as the number of published books surged but lacked quality and aesthetic value. "Some books are useless in helping kids grow or improve their writing ability. Rather than spend time reading, it's better we let them go out to see the blue sky and white clouds, and have them appreciate the beauty of nature," he said. Cao also said that picture books are essential to form a spiritual basis in children's life, but often neglected by parents and teachers for a number of reasons.