Starchild: Why Malaysian kids dream of meeting their favourite book characters

Hannah Chan Yue Bei, 8

Imagine if you could meet any book character; it would be like jumping into a magical world full of adventure and fun!

Would you like to meet Matilda, the clever little girl from Roald Dahl’s book of the same name? Or would you prefer to meet Harry Potter from J.K. Rowling’s famous Harry Potter series? He can fly on a broomstick and cast spells, which would be so exciting!

Zara Colin, 11If you are a fan of anime and manga, maybe you’d want to meet Son Goku, the powerful hero from Dragon Ball. Goku is always ready for a challenge and loves to train hard!

How about Monkey D. Luffy from the popular Japanese manga One Piece? Luffy dreams of finding the greatest treasure and becoming the king of the pirates!

Think about what you would ask them. Perhaps you might ask Harry Potter for some of his secret potions and how to use them. Or you could ask Matilda about her clever tricks and how she learned to use her special powers.

If you met Goku, you might want to know his training secrets and what it was like to fight in epic battles. If Luffy was there, you could ask him what it feels like to sail the seas in search of treasure and friendship.

You could also learn from them, share stories and even join them on exciting quests.

So, who would you choose to meet?

Think about your favourite stories and let your imagination run wild!

Recently Starchild asked readers to send in letters on the topic, My Book Character. Here’s what they had to say.

“If I could see Doraemon, I would ask him about his favourite food. I would also ask him to bring me to his house so I could play there with him and his friends!” writes eight-year-old Hannah Chan Yue Bei.

Chuah Seng Koon, 8

“If I could meet any book character, it would be Luffy, or Goku because I enjoy reading their manga. Luffy has an unusual ability – his body can stretch like rubber. I’d love to know what it feels like when he uses his powers and his body stretches during an attack.

Chng Yan Bei, 9“Goku is a powerful martial artist known for his incredible strength and unique abilities. I’d ask him about using his martial arts techniques. If I met Saitama (from the Japanese manga series One-Punch Man), I’d ask him what it feels like to knock out monsters with just one punch!” says Chuah Seng Koon, eight.

“If I could meet Saitama, I would ask for his workout routines, so that I can be strong like him. If I could meet the jujitsu sorcerer Gojo (from the manga series Jujutsu Kaisen), I would ask for a photo and his autograph. Lastly, I would become friends with Luffy and find his dreams,” says Chng Yan Bei, nine.

Eleven-year-old Zara Colin would be thrilled to meet her favourite character, SpongeBob SquarePants. “I imagine joining him in the underwater city Bikini Bottom, learning how to make Krabby Patties at Krusty Krab restaurant, and sharing lots of laughs. I’d ask him how he stays so cheerful every day. Meeting SpongeBob would be my dream adventure!” says Zara.

Ashvind Bryan Krishnan, 9Instead of a book character, Ashvind Bryan Krishnan, nine, wants to meet the characters from the TV animated series, Gravity Falls. “The show explores the mysteries of a town filled with paranormal incidents and supernatural creatures. I find it entertaining and there are many good characters. My favourite character is the nightmare demon Bill Cipher.”

Maya Raisha, 11, dreams of meeting the cartoon character Dora the Explorer. “I want to join Dora on exciting adventures, helping animals, discovering treasures and protecting the planet. If I could explore with Dora, we’d clean up forests and learn ways to keep our Earth beautiful. Together, we’d make the world a better place!”

Find the hidden words!

ITEM: If you were in charge of planning the school lunch menu, what tasty food would you serve each day? Would there be pizza on Fridays, or maybe nasi lemak on Mondays? Think about including fruits and veggies too! What healthy, yummy meals would you pick to keep everyone happy and energised?

Email your contributions to [e-mail] by Nov 25. Please put “STARCHILD: Food Menu” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.