China is facing a reading crisis. According to Xu Shengguo, head of the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, the country’s reading rate last year was 78.6 percent while 21.4 percent read nothing at all. Xu said the survey showed last year Chinese people each read only 4.56 books, compared with 12 in France, 11 in South Korea and about 7 in the US. In addition, more than 40 percent of Chinese people read less than one book throughout the year outside textbooks.

Xu added that besides the large population base in China and imbalance in regional economic development, the shortage of public libraries is widespread. Thus, reading parties in the community are in need of greater promotion.

Sponsored by Beijing Municipal Bureau, a training session on reading was held in Beijing on September 19, 2015. It was the first meeting of the “Leading Reader” project, a training series for teachers, officials, college students and bookstore owners on the promotion of nationwide reading. Some 150 college students attended the session.

“If we want to promote the nationwide reading rate, we have to encourage more grassroots to read. Not only should we read more books, but also share books with others, to attract more people to join the team of reading,” Xu said.

Lin Dan, originator of Your Bay Parent-child Picture Book Center, stressed the importance of parents and children reading together, and called on parents to read with their children for 15 minutes every day. “It is significant for the healthy growth of the younger generation if their parents read with them every day. However, parents should not teach their children what to read or how to read. Instead, they should train their children to gain happiness from reading,” Lin said.

No matter what your summer plans are, these-must-read books will make your summer days shine.

Laughter is the Spice (调味品) of Life

Add some enjoyment and comfort to your life with Laughter is the Spice of Life. These extremely funny and inspiring short stories and jokes are sure to produce everything from gentle smiles to loud and cheerful laughter.

Seaside Summer

Lazy summer days give way to unpleasant reality when a storm damages the roof of Margaret’s new gallery. She is forced to close her business just as tourist season is starting to take off. Margaret struggles to get the roof repaired without enough construction workers. To make the matter worse, she is quickly running out of money. Will she be forced to let go of her dream so soon? It becomes clear that it will take an opportunity to save the struggling gallery.

River of Life

Tess finds a quilt with an unusual pattern in the underground secret room that once housed runaway slaves. Does the quilt provide something more than a source of warmth? Within the walls of the Wayfarers Inn in this historic Ohio River town, LuAnn, Tess, and Janice find evidence that involves the darker chapters of local history — as well as its citizens’ acts of heroism and kindness.

Summer Harvest Secrets

It’s June in Lancaster County, and farmers are harvesting their early summer crops. Martha Classen Watts and her sisters, Elizabeth and Mary, are excited to go strawberry picking and attend the yearly Strawberry Festival at the Beiler farm. Their friend Rachel Fischer tells them there are signs of artificial damage to the harvest. Who would destroy the strawberry fields — and why? Martha determines to help her friends discover the truth about this.

The Best War Novels

The God of that Summer

by Ralf Rothmann

The masterful and painful story is set in Germany. Luisa, a young girl growing up in rural Germany during World War Two, has managed to escape the horrors of city bombing. Unafraid of the realities of life and death, Luisa supports her family until, one day, an incident changes her life forever.

The Librarian of Auschwitz

by Antonio Iturbe

Based on a true story, The Librarian of Auschwitz is about fourteen-year-old Dita. Keeping the libraries’ eight books safe, Dita knows she is putting herself in danger. But she also knows it can help her and her fellow prisoners maintain hope during the darkest of times.

Pippo and Clara

by Diana Rosie

Pippo and Clara are brother and sister. When their mother goes missing one morning, they both go in search of her regardless of the danger of the war. With Clara turning right and Pippo left, the children’s lives are changed forever.

All Quiet on the Western Front

by Erich Maria Remarque

This classic war novel of the First World War is written in the first person by a young German soldier. Paul Bauer is just eighteen and he enters the army with six school friends, each filled with optimistic thoughts. However, they witness such horrors and such severe hardship and suffering that they are unable to even speak about it to anyone but each other.