A sharing meeting in Beijing.

Chinese writer A Jia and US children's writer C.A. Scully shared their reading experiences with readers at the 29th Beijing International Book Fair in Beijing on June 17.

Reputed as an expert on children's books, A Jia has translated more than 100 picture books. The History of Picture Books is the result of 20 years of his research on children's reading.

A Jia and C.A. Scully at the sharing meeting.

Scully is an English teacher living in Shanghai who loves discussing cultural differences between China and the US with friends. His book series The Amazing Mind of Mikey and Then What are popular among Chinese children.

A Jia noted that early chapter books help children transition from reading with parents to reading independently, while Scully believes that humor is key and his main goal is to infuse humor into his books.

Amazing Mind of Mikey, History of Picture Books and Then What (from L to R).

Scully said that paper books help create a quiet mind and reduce distractions. A Jia agrees with the concept of quietness and said that deep reading not requires children to read difficult books, but to improve reading skills and make literary accomplishments after large amounts of reading and thinking.