A major influence

Yang also attributes much of her success to her daughter. "My daughter influences me a lot; she is very funny, and I always communicate with her during my writing."

When her daughter entered Grade six in primary school, Yang changed her subject matter from fairy tales to school novels. A Girl's Dairy, which is regarded as her first famous book, vividly records every day of her daughter's life from the first day of Grade 6 to the end of primary school, imitating her daughter's tone. The book ranked No, 1 on the bestseller list for several months after its publication in 2000.

"The initial purpose of my writing is very simple, and I've never changed it," Yang said. "That is to look at the world with the perspective of children. I've never considered myself a writer. My writing is just a channel to link me with the children."

Compared to many other children's authors, who just work based on theories and never think about what children really like and accept, Yang often invites teachers, parents and children to attend her seminars and listens to their suggestions. "They are my target readers; they have the final say. No matter how much fame I've achieved, children's feelings are the first thing on my list of concerns."

Yang is regarded as a spokeswoman for children. Some young readers don't even believe that she is a real person, wondering how an adult could understand their minds so well.

Some even dub her "fairy Mi'er," a fairy in one of her books who can help children realize their dreams. One child who had just entered primary school told her that he finished reading all of her books by looking up new words in the dictionary. Yang said the boy's words gave her a strong sense of achievement because they meant he enjoyed reading, which is her goal.

Yang said she regards the instructional function of children's literature as the main purpose, but how to deal with it and make it acceptable to children requires skills. Yang mixes moral education with interesting stories that capture children's attention. After laughing and crying with the story, the children will draw conclusions by themselves. This is much more effective than solemn words, she said.

"Children are now facing great pressure, both from parents and schools. Most of them shoulder a heavy burden of classes, and do not have enough space and time to be themselves. Releasing children from these burdens and letting them grow up healthily is what I want to achieve with my books," Yang said.

She said she intends to express serious topics in a easy-to-take way, such as in Mischief Ma Xiaotiao. "Ma Xiaotiao looks like a carefree and funny boy, but actually he feels helpless sometimes and has a lot of confusion, grievances and suffers from growing pains. He looks at the world with sympathy, and always fails to fulfill his dreams. He can do nothing but be funny," she said.

Some of her books, such as A Girl's Dairy, have been adapted to TV series. "I hope that my books can bring happiness to more children and I wish every one of them a happy childhood," Yang said.