Treasure hunts have excited people's imagination for hundreds of years both in real life and in books such as Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Kit Williams，a modern writer， had the idea of combining the real excitement of a treasure hunt with clues found in a book when he wrote a children's story，Masquerade，in 1979. The book was about a hare，and a month before it came out Williams buried a gold hare in a park in Bedfordshire. The book contained a large number of clues to help readers find the hare，but Williams put in a lot of "red herrings"， or false clues，to mislead them.

Ken Roberts，the man who found the hare，had been looking for it for nearly two years. Although he had been searching in the wrong area most of the time，he found it by logic （逻辑），not by luck. His success came from the fact that he had gained an important clue at the start. He had realized that the words："One of Six to Eight" under the first picture in the book connected the hare in some way to Katherine of Aragon，the first of Henry VIII's six wives. Even here，however，Williams had succeeded in misleading him. Ken knew that Katherine of Aragon had died at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire in 1536 and thought that Williams had buried the hare there. He had been digging there for over a year before a new idea occurred to him. He found out that Kit Williams had spent his childhood near Ampthill，in Bedfordshire，and thought that he must have buried the hare in a place he knew well，but he still could not see the connection with Katherine of Aragon，until one day he came across two stone crosses in Ampthill Park and learnt that they had been built in her honor in 1773.

Even then his search had not come to an end. It was only after he had spent several nights digging around the cross that he decided to write to Kit Williams to find out if he was wasting his time there. Williams encouraged him to continue，and on February 24th 1982，he found the treasure. It was worth ￡3000 in the beginning，but the excitement it had caused since its burial made it much more valuable.

Bookstores, like wines, have different notes, different flavors, each one distinct. There are the musty, quirky ones with random piles and dusty rows, usually with both used and new books. There are the small indie stores charming and cozy. Then there’s the big-box with long, straight rows, bright and dustless, usually boasting a cafe and a kids section you can get lost in.

My adoration for bookstores is, without a doubt, partly nostalgic(怀旧的). I came of age in the late 1990s, when Amazon was mostly known as a river in South America, phones were not smart and bookstores were dotted around cities.

When my husband and I were dating, our go-to date was to get coffee and walk around bookstores together. It was the best. Wed move slowly, meandering through the religion section, the memoirs, fiction, poetry, history. I’d pick up a title I’d heard about and sit in the aisle reading a chapter. I’d find one I’d never heard of and scan the back cover. We’d sip our coffee and read each other interesting paragraphs from books we found.

I fell for bookstores and for my husband at the same time. So when stores began closing down all over America, we were both sorrowful. What were we supposed to do with a night out now?

In a recent very informal and unscientific poll (调查) of my friends, I found that many of us love and miss physical bookstores. Friends described the feeling of discovery and exploration, the calming serenity of being surrounded by words and ideas. My wise friend Greg said,“Bookstores are like the best parties; You may discover a new friend or join an unexpected conversation with a simple turn of your head.”

I dream of an America with streets full of independent bookstores whose inventories (库存清单) contradict one another. But right now I’m rooting for any brick-and-mortar (实体的) book store, really. Any place that reminds us that the material world is beautiful and worth spending time in. Any place where we can learn how to exist together in communities chock-full of words and ideas. Any place where we may discover something unpredictable and new. And if there’s coffee nearby, even better.

Reading is a great exercise for the mind. It helps kids calm down and relax, opening doors of new knowledge to enlighten their minds. Kids who read grow up to have better cognitive (认知的) skills. Reading is good for everyone, not only children or young adults. You will find many lists with up to 30 reasons why reading is important. Our expert librarians selected the year’s best books for kids, teens, and adults. Check out these outstanding titles and choose what your kids might be interested in.

Hurricane Summer By Asha Bromfield

Tilla’s mother says you get two birthdays-One the day you are born and the other when you give birth to yourself. While visiting Jamaica, Illa faces a storm of dark secrets that threaten to unravel her life while an actual storm threatens the lives of those she loves.

Darling By K. Ancrum

When a boy named Peter appears at Wendy Darling’s window and invites her to join him and his friends for a night out in Chicago, she eagerly agrees. But as the night slowly gets out of control, not even Wendy can predict the secrets she’ll uncover.

The Dire Days of Willow weep Manor By Shaenon K. Garrity

It is illustrated (作插图) by Christopher Baldwin. Gothic romance superfan Haley saves a stranger from drowning and wakes up at Willow weep Manor, which embodies the settings of her favorite books. Willow weep hides a device that prevents evil from entering our world-but it’s falling apart.

The Cost of Knowing By Brittney Morris

With the power to see the future of anything-or anyone-he touches, Alex deals with extreme worry.But when he gets a vision of his brother’s death in just a few days’ time, Alex has to reconnect with his brother and see if he can stop what he knows is coming.