Children's bookstores are planning distinctive courses and interactive games for their young clients.

"We've just held a class on Sunday to teach kids how to bake egg puddings. They were happy with the delicious fruits of their labor," said Huang Zhenjie, owner of Family Land, a children's bookstore in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

She said the bookstore organizes two storytelling sessions every weekend and holds regular theme salons, such as crafts and photography, for kids of different age groups, accompanied by their parents.

"A bookstore that fails to be unique cannot even afford to stay in a business district," said Huang. The store opened in June last year.

The country is mulling policies to reduce taxes and rent in order to support private bookstores, said Liu Binjie, director of the General Administration of Press and Publication.

All cities will leave room for bookstores at major avenues, and all new communities will take bookstores into their plans under the new policies that are likely to be issued this year.

In February, Shanghai and Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, introduced policies to support book retailers that were experiencing hardship.

Shanghai has offered 5 million yuan ($790,000) this year for bookstores, and the investment will remain at that level for at least five years.

Hangzhou allocates 3 million yuan every year to support private bookstores.

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