Children’s books that teach kids to love animals

written by Maribeth Boelts; illustrated by David Walker G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books

“Boelts’s restrained (婉约的) text and Walker’s affecting illustrations combine to touch the hearts of dog-loving children who will almost certainly give their pets an extra hug afterwards. A note on adopting a shelter pet follows this powerful emotional offering.”        

-- Kirkus Reviews   

written by Pamela S. Turner; illustrated by Yan Nascimbene Candlewick Press

“This touching tale of a dog’s devotion to -his master is a well-known story in Japan, told here in the first person through the eyes of a fictional boy named Kentaro. The boy and many others care for the dog, who becomes a celebrity due to his faithful nature, with a statue of the dog put up in the station even before the dog’s death from old age.”

-- School Library Journal

written by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Citia Chien Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

“It’s a picture book about Alan Rabinowitz’ s own childhood. Rabinowitz grew up with a severe stutter (口吃的), something he had to overcome before he could pursue career that has made him a voice for the endangered animals.”

-- NPR

written by Ann Love & Jane Drake; illustrated by Bill Slavin Penguin Random House

“Amusing ink-and-watercolor illustrations from Slavin are integrated into the text of this entertaining look at the history of pet keeping. With information about keeping fish, birds, horses and ferrets (雪貂), most of the space is devoted to cats and dogs.”

-- Publishers Weekly

How to Turn Your Child into a Lifelong Bookworm

Literacy is one of the most important skills we will ever develop over our lifetimes. Most small children love books, looking at the pictures and hearing the story, but as they get older they often move away from books. 【小题1】

Join the library

Libraries have changed a lot in recent years. 【小题2】 Take your child regularly and encourage them to take out books on whatever subject interests them.

Not just novels

Many parents think that reading counts if the child is reading a work of fiction or a novel. 【小题3】 Non-fiction books are particularly attractive to boys. Kids especially love the sorts of books which allow them to make a decision between various paths and choose their own endings.

Set an example

If your child never sees you reading, they aren’t going to pick up a book either. 【小题4】 Having plenty of books around the house makes reading more accessible and the normal thing to do when bored. If you struggle with reading and literacy, do something about it by going back to college or attending a special adult literacy course.

Make their own books

If your child dislikes reading, think about encouraging them to start writing their own stories and novels. Buy them a special notebook. Allow them to write whatever captures their imagination, and don’t worry too much about messy handwriting or poor spelling. 【小题5】

Some libraries use unique architecture to encourage visitors to explore the racks and settle down with a new book, or use roving libraries to bring books to hard-to-reach populations. No matter how they achieve it, these novel libraries are keeping the magic of reading alive.

1. Kansas City Library (Kansas City, Missouri)

Along the south wall of this parking garage’s exterior, visitors are treated to what looks like a huge shelf of books. The building originally served as a bank, which is readily apparent when the library has screenings in its Vault Theater, inside an actual 1925 bank vault.

2. Beach Library (Albena, Bulgaria)

Reading a book on the beach is a classic, and in Bulgaria, one library encourages tourists to do just that. The white, weather-resistant shelves lined up not far from the surf feature 6,000 books in 15 languages so every visitor can find the perfect beach read to enjoy while soaking up the sun’s rays.

3. The Camel Library Service (North Eastern Province, Kenya)

To combat low literacy(读写能力低) rates in the desert of Kenya, the government created a roaming library composed of nine camels bringing books to villages. The library travels four days a week serving the region’s nomadic people. Currently the service focuses on children, but with more funding they plan to increase their reach both in distance and the titles they carry.

4. Bishan Library (Singapore)

Built in 2006, this library with skylights and trellises, is meant to invoke a modern glass treehouse. Glass pods of varying colors stick out of the building randomly to create cozy yet airy nooks(角落) for reading throughout the building. At the same time, a more open-plan children’s room on the basement level invites interaction while preventing noise from filtering upward and disturbing those concentrating in the lofty(高耸的) perches above.

5. Macquarie University Library (Sydney, Australia)

An impressive combination of cuttingedge and sustainable, this building was made from recycled materials, features a green roof, and was designed to imitate the look of a eucalyptus tree. It is also state of the art, using robot cranes to bring requested books to the front desk.