HYDERABAD: While in the 90s, only Soviet and Chinese publications were available for children, today we have a wide choice. But a lot has changed in the reading trend. Earlier, encyclopedia, science facts and the like were thought about when it came to books for children. “Today, there are books that can connect with children much better,” said Arvind Kumar, founder of Scholastic India who inaugurated a charity book fair at Saptaparni here on Sunday. The US Consulate General, Hyderabad organised the book fair where children’s books were put up for sale at half the price. The proceeds from this would be sent to the Bakul Foundation in Odisha which has taken up an initiative to photocopy textbooks lost in the floods, according to Carla Benini, public affairs officer, US Consulate General, Hyderabad.Though we speak about diminishing interest in reading books among children, at the same time there is an ever-increasing array of books available for children these days. Commenting on this, Arvind Kumar said the reading trend has changed over the years. “Children these days do not read bulky volumes but prefer shorter illustrated versions and have the opportunity of reading many more books,” he said. Arvind Kumar, who was earlier the director of the National Book Trust, also felt there is a rising number of young professional editors who are contributing to creative writing for children. He opined that parents should show interest in making their children read in regional languages.
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