Rewarding trip
THEY ALL MARCHED in the same direction, but with different purposes. To Philip Chan Kwan-yin, a visit to the annual book fair means a romantic date with his childhood lover.
Philip, 19, is studying computer science in the United Kingdom, while his girlfriend Wendy Lam Woon-yan is a business student in New York.
'She likes reading Jiro Akagawa's novels very much.It is a good idea to spend some time together,' said Philip. They were delighted to see the Chinese edition of many titles by the Japanese king of detective stories in the Wan Chai book fair, which ends on Sunday.
Seven-year-old Leung Lok-fai and his sister Hiu-yan, nine, spent more than $1,800 during the four-hour summer 'excursion'. Their rewards included story books by Brothers Grimm, a sticker book on astronomy and an English-learning CD-Rom.
'We plan to do extra reading during the summer holiday,' explained their mother, who did not mind footing the bill. We bought the admission tickets a day in advance to avoid long queues at the fair.'
Form One student Lam Pui-ying also came with a plan, accompanied by her mother. 'Although many bookshops offer good discounts throughout the year, we can find the latest prints and new publications here. The types of books and their arrangement are also focused,' said Pui-ying.
Visitors can obtain tips on family reading at a talk in Room 201 from 2 to 6 pm today. Acclaimed author of the Be Happy series Andrew Matthews will meet readers on Saturday. Watch out for his interview and tips for HKCEE graduates in Young Post next Wednesday.
