See how Esther answered these Part 3 questions:

What kind of books do you think are suitable for children?

Generally, I think fantasy.  I grew up reading lots of stories.  I read stories about Jack and the Beanstalk, Thumbelina, and the Bernstein Bears… so I think that children should be children and they should be allowed to read those sorts of books.  It helps them to build their imagination.  And I think it’s very important for a child to be able to have that great imagination, the ability to imagine things like that.

✅ To “build your imagination” is to develop your imaginative and creative abilities.

Do you think that children’s imagination is developed more from reading books than watching films?

Well, for children, I think watching films would help with their imagination more because children don’t really have the kind of attention span that adults have.  So an easier way to keep their attention would be using motion pictures, things that are colourful, like movies, cartoons, or whatever, just to keep their attention… so that would really build their imagination more than books.

✅ “Attention span” is the length of time someone can concentrate on something without becoming distracted.

Do you think that parents should read books to their children?

Absolutely, I think parents should.  I think apart from helping the children learn, I believe that it also kind of creates a bond between the parents and their children.  It helps to foster that relationship, to create a better relationship between the parents and their children.  So I think it’s important for parents to read to their children.

✅ To “foster a relationship” is to nurture, encourage, and develop a connection or bond between individuals.

Do you think in the future we’re going to ditch paper books and stick to electronic books?
I don’t think the future is so far, anyway, because it’s already happening.  With the inventions that we have now, almost everybody owns a mobile device, a laptop or a phone or a tablet, iPad, whatever.  Almost everyone has one of those.  And we have our books on all these devices.  It’s also easier when I have to do something, I have all my books on my phone.  That’s easier than carrying hard copies around.  So I think, yeah, that future isn’t so far.  I think it’s already happening and pretty soon hard copies might just be phased out.

✅ “To be phased out” means to be gradually and systematically eliminated or discontinued something over a period of time.

Do you think that the experience of reading a book on a phone is the same as reading a physical book?

It’s not the same… I don’t think. Well, for me, it isn’t.  For someone else, it might be the same, but personally, it isn’t the same.  There’s this satisfaction that I get when I get to flip through the pages of a hard copy book.  It just feels so good.  And then books have this smell that is just so nice.  I don’t think it can ever be the same.  The feeling that I get when I read books… soft copies and hard copies are completely different.  I don’t think they’re the same.

✅ “Soft copies” refer to digital or electronic copies of books, documents, files, or information.

Now, some people feel that the ideas in certain books can be dangerous for humanity or for different groups.  Do you think such books should be banned by the government and forbidden from reading?

Well, that’s crazy that you say that.  I think those books actually have the ability to alter the way some people think.  And if those people can be identified, then it would probably be smart to keep those books away from them.  However, I don’t think it would be a good idea to ban these books because I think there’s always something that can be learned from whatever book has been written.  So, like I said, if the target audience can be identified, knowing this particular group of people can be affected in this way, then yes, of course, measures can be put in place to ensure that these books do not get to them.  However, if there are other people that can make positive things come out of reading these books, then of course, they should be allowed to read those books.

✅ “To put measures in place” is to implement specific actions, strategies, or steps to address a particular situation or to achieve a desired outcome.