Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Typhoon Club

Typhoon Club is a monthly children's magazine published by Cyclone Publishing Ltd in Hong Kong. It was launched in 2002 and is designed to encourage local children to enjoy their reading of English. Its target readership age is from 9 - 13. Much of the content is localised to Hong Kong and features include vocabulary boxes which contain Chinese translations of the more difficult or unusual words used in the text. ''Typhoon Club'' is used widely within classrooms in Hong Kong as an alternative teaching tool. ''Typhoon Club'' will be launched in Malaysia in 2007.

In addition to the magazine, regular events for the readers are also organised. These have included the 18 month English reading project, Reading & Me with HSBC. Launched by then former Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Mr David Eldon, 10 children's stories were especially written for the project which were then read by senior HSBC executives within one of the bank's Hong Kong branches. In addition to David Eldon, other readers included HSBC's current chairman, Mr Vincent Cheng and CEO Mr Michael Smith. CNBC made a short, vignette programme about the project which was enjoyed by over 3,500 students.

In 2005, ''Typhoon Club'' launched its own Writing School where students are taught how to write their own magazine.
''Typhoon Club'' has a sister magazine, ''Hi Charlie'', for younger readers which features the adventures of Charlie and his pet crocodile in Hong Kong.

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