In 1998, the Xinjiang Youth And Youth Society published Xiaoling Dingdang's "Written to Young Readers", which distributed more than 100,000 copies nationwide and won many awards. In 2003, under the meticulous operation of the New Shōsha, the "Writing to Young Readers Series" was born. In September 2021, the New Youth Society once again gathered Xiaoling's fairy tale masterpieces to launch this set of "system engineering for spiritual shaping". Baidao Network interviewed "Magic Sister" Xiaoling Dingdang, listening to her tell the magic of this set of "'Spiritual Growth Magic Books' that attract children more than chocolate", and the behind-the-scenes story of her careful creation of young readers.
"Written to Little Readers Series" by Xiaoling Jingdang
"To the Little Reader Series (Set of 4 Volumes)"
Publisher: Xinjiang Youth Publishing House
Author: Xiaoling Dingdang; Luo Luo, Yang Yingjun and other paintings
Publication date: September 2021
Build bridges of trust through equal exchanges
The famous children's literature writer Jin Bo once said: "Xiaoling's idea of jingle writing is very clear, and she wants to use her works to influence children." How this winner of the "'Five One Project' Book Award" of the Central Propaganda Department and the "China Excellent Publication Award" of the China Edition Association is determined to enter the children's spiritual world, aiming to turn the stone into gold with a fantastic fairy tale, and before answering this question, he must also reveal Xiaoling Dingdang's other identity, that is, the host of the radio children's program.
When she was with the children, Xiaoling found that it was not that "teenagers do not know the taste of sorrow", and children also have many troubles, such as not liking to learn, inferiority, unhappiness and so on. "Looking at their innocent little faces, I always feel that I have a responsibility to help them and tell them what to do." It is precisely by upholding the care for the children that Xiaoling dings as a "magic sister" that the children know everything. After listening to her enlightenment and suggestions, the children always said in unison: "Sister Xiaoling, these truths you told me, my parents also told me, but why can't I listen to their words, and I understand your words, and I can listen to them?" This also made Xiaoling Dingdang think further, the reason why the children can agree with her statement is not only the appropriate choice of guiding direction, but also the exchange with the children's identity.
"I'm not their elder, their teacher, but their sister, and I didn't tell them you should be like this, you should be like that, but why are you doing this, why are you doing that?"
While gaining the trust of the children, Xiaoling Dingdang also realized that since the children around her could understand from her words, why not expand this "magic" that reached the bottom of her heart to help more children? Therefore, Xiaoling Dingdang decided to write a book, which was later "Written to a Young Reader". The reason for taking this title, Xiaoling Dingdang explained, one is to chat with the dear little readers as a big sister and write them what she wants to say, and the other is to pay tribute to Mr. Bing Xin, who is also concerned about children, and his work "Send Little Readers".
Witnessing each other eventually leads to deep friendship
In 1998, Xinshaosha published Xiaoling Dingdang's "Writing to Young Readers", which was distributed in more than 100,000 copies nationwide and won many awards. At the same time as the book's great success, Xiaoling Dingdang has gradually completed the transformation from a well-known host to a well-known children's book author. Talking about this extraordinary identity transformation, Xiaoling dingdang couldn't help but recall the origin of cooperation with the New Shaoshe.
"On a crisp autumn day in 1997, I took two bus stops and walked into the New Shaoshe with a thick pile of manuscripts, and I could never have imagined that this walk would actually change my destiny."
After more than half a year of polishing, the thick manuscript in Xiaoling Dingdang's hand became a beautiful volume of "Written to Young Readers" and her first work. Xiaoling Jingdang still remembers the day she got the book, and she was so excited that she couldn't sleep all night. Under the strong recommendation of the New Shaosha, this book has become a masterpiece with both sales and word of mouth. The so-called "good book can not be separated from a good editor", now, more than 20 years have passed, and the editors who have cooperated with Xiaoling Dingdang, such as Wu Hong, Xu Guoping, Liu Yueming, etc., have become her close friends and good girlfriends.
"I and The New Shōsha have witnessed each other's growth, and this emotion and origin are so rare! It can be said that the story between us can be written in a thick book, with too much hardship, sweat and laughter in between! Xiaoling Saidang confessed that looking back on the past, as a writer, when she just entered the green years of her creative career, it was a fortunate thing to be able to meet the New Shaoshe, and it was in the support and trust of the New Shaoshe that she had achieved today's self. It is also under the encouragement, companionship and expectation of the New Shaoshe that "Written to Young Readers" will derive the subsequent series of works.
In 2003, under the meticulous operation of the New Shōsha, the "Writing to Young Readers Series" was born. It was also in that year that Xiaoling's dingdang mother died suddenly, which was the darkest moment in her life. When Xiaoling Dingdang fell into endless pain, the editor at the time, Xu Guoping (now deputy editor-in-chief of the New Youth Society), accompanied her throughout Xinjiang to promote books. The innocent smiling face of the young reader pulled Xiaoling Dingdang out of the abyss of pain, and she made an important decision when she saw the sunshine again - to quit her job as a host and concentrate on writing for her children.
During the interview, Xiaoling Dingdang also expressed her deep gratitude for the warm companionship of the New Youth Society along the way. She said: "To borrow Mr. Bingxin's poem to describe it, this companionship, 'this path is long, dotted with fragrant flowers, so that pedestrians who wear branches and leaves, stepping on thorns, do not feel pain, there are tears to fall, but not sadness.'" ’”
Fairy tales leave the truth of understanding without a trace
In September 2021, the New Youth Society once again gathered Xiaoling's fairy tale masterpieces to launch this set of "Writing to Young Readers" which can be called "systematic engineering of mind shaping, interesting texts of behavioral education". A separate and interrelated fairy tale, with new and interesting content and amiable and powerful reasoning, like the key to open the problem, to provide children with a way to stand in the world. So why did Xiaoling Dingdang love fairy tales rather than other literary forms to create this set of books?
Xiaoling Dingdang explained that before planning to create the "Written to Young Readers Series", she asked many children about their favorite book types, and the children almost unanimously replied that it was a fairy tale. In fact, Xiaoling Dingdang was also a fan of fairy tales when she was a child, and classic fairy tales such as "The Daughter of the Sea", "The Adventures of the Bulldog King", "Da Lin and Xiaolin" opened a magical window for her, allowing her to close the book but she was still unfinished, and could not help but wonder about the world of whimsy and the reasons hidden in it. Therefore, she decided to create this set of books in the form of children's favorite fairy tales, hiding those beautiful truths in the story, just like playing hide-and-seek, so that children can read the story and find the meaning behind the story.
Not only was she influenced by reading fairy tales as a child, but young readers also became the inspiration for Xiaoling Dingdong. A young reader once wrote to: "Sister Xiaoling, I want to be your 'story detective', find all the interesting stories around me and tell you, and then you will write them down and tell more young readers." In this way, when Xiaoling picked up the pen, the fairy tale seeds in her mind grew into flowering fairy tale trees.
"Dream Storm", "Happy Elf", "Virtue Garden", and "Sweeter Than Candy" in the "Series for Young Readers", the four books start from the four most important aspects of life - dreams, happiness, virtue and the relationship between people, to outline a clear and beautiful future for young readers. And the reason for focusing on these dimensions, Xiaoling Dingdang believes that dreams, happiness, virtue, harmony, these four keywords, will be like a wonderful magic, ignite a child's growth years, ignite his beautiful life.
In the process of creating this set of books, Xiaoling Dingdang often asked herself: How to use the most vivid fairy tales to explain the truth of growth? How do you give your story a unique perspective and entry point? How do you make your story uniquely imaginative? How to make your language more interesting and attractive to children? In her opinion, this is a set of fairy tale books that "hide the truth", the story must first be good-looking, and the reason must not be revealed, in order to achieve the perfect balance between the two, Xiaoling Dingdang painstakingly, in her own words, is: "This is how the white hair grows." ”
The magic of enlightenment continues
"What if I don't like to study?"
"What if I'm not confident?"
"What should I do if I fail?"
"What if I don't have a dream?"
"What should I do if I have a fight with a good friend?"
"What if Mom and Dad are nagging?"
"What if I always want to play games?"
"What if I'm unhappy?"
In the process of talking with the children, Xiaoling Dingdang has also become a "magic sister" who understands the children's inner world, and the magic is hidden in the wonderful fairy tales. Xiaoling Jingdang hopes that the children will become a person whose dreams come true; a person who is happy as a bird; a person with beauty and high morality; a person who lives in harmony with others and has a sweet feeling in his heart.
The magic in the book continues, and "Happy Genie", "Virtue Garden", and "Sweeter Than Candy" have all been filmed into cartoon series. "Magic, magic, sweeter than candy!" When Xiaoling Dingdang saw that the Luo Xiaobu and xiaoxian she had created had become little people who could move on the screen, her heart was full of pride and happiness. She said that it is really a great thing to convey dreams, happiness, virtue and harmony in a form that children like to hear.
More than twenty years have passed since the publication of the first volume, "Written to a Young Reader," and Xiaoling Dingdang's concern for children's development has never stopped. In the face of children living in the information age, one of the issues that Xiaoling Dingdang is very concerned about is how to make children walk away from games and television sets and fall in love with reading. "It challenges every writer to write better to get them to read it."
Talking about the follow-up creative planning, Xiaoling Dingdang revealed that she is currently creating "Ding Xiaoding Happy Record Series", "I am Ding Xiaoding, specializing in unhappiness", this set of books is initially planned as a set of twenty books, selecting twenty troubles that are common in the process of children's growth, such as what to do if they can't control themselves, how to lose their temper, how to do timidity, etc., with witty and interesting language and humorous comics, so that young readers can unconsciously learn a series of good ways of self-management in the process of laughing. In addition, another set of "Taopi Rat Picture Books" created for preschoolers is also being promoted. In the future, Xiaoling Dingdang will continue to use her magic to help children cultivate virtues, discover happiness, and plug in the wings of dreams in the story.
(Author: Wang Ran; Editor: Daozhi; Final Review: Ling Jia)