Does China have its very own Harry Potter?

Yes, says Gao Hongbo, writer of children's books, but one rooted in Chinese cultural and literary traditions.

The 59-year-old vice-president of the Chinese Writers' Association (CWA), who has judged many of the country's top awards for children's literature, says writers of such books should strive to serve their readers rather than educate them.

The books should above all be interesting and good reads, he says. "It is only when children like what they read, will they accept and understand their (the books') message." Like other forms of literature, the first rush of children's books in the first two decades after the founding of New China in 1949, dealt with the realities of Chinese society then, and were aimed at educating and training the younger generation to be worthy successors of the revolution.

"Although the importance of children's literature was recognized in the 1950s, the early works tended to be highly didactic, and some of the writers even looked down on writing for children," Gao says.

But the reform and opening-up of the past 30 years has brought a freshness to children's literature.

"Now, writers are giving free rein to their imagination, examining the world through the eyes of children. They are enjoying the freedom to weave tales as much for fun as for inspiration," Gao says.

He cites Li Donghua's recent work A Tale of Wandering Mud, as a case in point. Li, 39, an accomplished children's writer, tracks mud's journey - from being the slush in which lotuses bloom, to being the material of a sculpture meant for a President and finally, a beggar's bowl.

Of the more than 8,000 registered writers of CWA, 10 percent are writers of children's books, according to Gao.

"More young couples, especially those born in 1980s, understand the benefits of reading and are spending more on children's books," he says.

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