Those who are used to looking through thousands of books in big bookstores may find Japan's Morioka Shoten a little strange. That's because this tiny bookstore that is located in Ginza, Tokyo sells only a single book at a time.

    Opened in May 2015, Morioka Shoten is the brainchild of Yoshiyuki Morioka. The experienced bookseller began his career as a bookstore clerk in Tokyo's Kanda district before branching out to open his own store. It was here while organizing book readings that he realized that customers usually came into the store with one title in mind. Morioka began to wonder if a store could exist by selling many copies of just one single book. In November 2014, he partnered with his two friends, to establish a unique bookstore with the idea of “A Single Room, A Single Book.”

    Like its offering, the bookstore is simple. The selections that are picked by Morioka change weekly and vary widely to attract customers with different interests. Recent choices include The True Deceiver, an award-winning Swedish novel by Tove Jansson, Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, and a collection of artist Karl Blossfeldt's photography of plants. Morioka has also chosen books written by famous Japanese authors Mimei Ogawa and Akito Akagi.

    To highlight his only offering, Morioka often uses clever methods. For example，when selling a book about flowers, he decorated his shop with the ones that had been mentioned in the book. He also encourages authors to hold talks and discussions so they can connect with customers. Morioka says his goal is for the customers to experience being inside a book, not just a bookstore!

    Risky as the idea might seem, things appear to be going well. Morioka says he has sold over 2,100 books since he opened it. Things can get better considering that his bookstore is becoming increasingly popular not just among the locals but also visitors from other countries.

    The American state of Colorado is considering a ban on smartphones for children younger than 13.

    A Denver-based doctor - and father - is leading the effort. Tim Farnum is the founder of a group called ‘Parents Against Underage Smartphones.' His proposal would ban sales of smartphones to children under the age of 13. It would also ban sales to anyone who wishes to buy such a device for anyone younger than 13. The measure would also require sellers of smartphones to provide proof to the state government that they have asked buyers if the phone is for anyone under 13.

    The measure now needs about 300,000 signatures in order to appear on Colorado's statewide ballot (投票权)next year. If it makes the ballot and is approved by voters, Colorado would become the first state to have such a ban.

    Tim Farnum said he decided to push for the measure after watching his own children struggle with the mental effects of always having a smartphone around. "They would get the phones and lock themselves in the room and change who they were," he told The Coloradoan newspaper.

    State Senator John Kefalas, a Democrat, said he understands the reasoning behind the proposed law. However, he told The Coloradoan that a child's smartphone usage is a "family matter" and not something the government should decide. "Ultimately, this comes down to parenting,” he said, “making sure their kids are not putting themselves at risk.”

    Last year, the AAP (the American Academy of Pediatrics) released guidelines for media use by children. The group advised parents to limit time spent watching videos to no more than one hour a day of high-quality programming until age 6. After that, it said, parents should set reasonable time limits for their children and make sure electronic devices do not take time away from sleep or exercise.

    For centuries, dolphins have got our admiration, and it is easy to see why. They are beautiful, cute and smart sea animals. Dolphins are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. It is said that dolphins are the world's second brightest creatures after humans and have many brain features related to intelligence. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time at least twenty or thirty years.

    Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.

    Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.

    There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.

    Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.

    "When your mother scolds you, you can look elsewhere and think about other things. Just ignore her words. But remember: such a tough attitude cannot be used often." These words are from a series of cartoons which outline skills for children to fight against their mothers. The images have created heated debate among Chinese netizens (网民).

    Regarded as "a book for children aged 6 to 12 who are always scolded by their parents", the cartoons, drawn by two 10-year-old Beijing girls, list over 20 skills which children can use to deal with their mothers' anger such as crying, pretending to be ashamed, fleeing into the toilet and pleasing her afterwards. Each skill is described with vivid pictures and humorous notes. The creativity of the young girls has amazed netizens, the Yangtse Evening Post reported on Thursday.

    According to one of the girls' mothers, her daughter once received a poor mark in an exam, and the mother blamed her and compared her performance with another classmate. The daughter's feelings led to her creating the cartoons. The girl's father, who first posted the pictures on his Sohu Microblog on Monday, said he hopes parents pay close attention to the pictures, allow children to feel free to develop their own characteristics and try not to criticize them so often.

    "The cartoons, although an individual case, reflect a modern phenomenon and some of the problems within Chinese family education," said Yu Qinfang, an expert on family education. According to a survey of 104 children and their parents, Yu discovered that as many as 51.9 percent of primary school students hate being urged to do things by their mothers. "Not giving children enough time and hurrying them to do things seems to be a very tiny detail within family life, but it is potentially a huge problem which can easily be ignored by parents. A mother's blame may lead to negative feelings within her child's heart," Yu said. "Parents should learn to blame less and be more patient."

    Here are some exciting holidays to make your travel fun and a learning adventure.

    Salsa Dancing Holiday, Cuba

    In Cuba, many all-inclusive resorts(全包式度假胜地) offer free salsa lessons as part of their services, but there are many travel routes available through travel companies that will arrange for dance lessons over the course of your two-week stay, as well as an opportunity to taste authentic Cuban cooking, lifestyle and music. By the end of your holiday, you will be a dancing expert!

    Big Life Stretch, Spain

    Travel opens up opportunities that you do not have at home. Leaving your familiar surroundings might open your mind and bring changes. Big Life Stretch is one-way holiday near Malaga, Spain, in the mountains. You will spend a week surrounding yourself by nature. Guests participate in the scheduled life coaching, and also learn the techniques to hug changes.

    Photography Holiday, Spain

    Taking pictures is a major part of every holiday, but how many of us are good at it? Why not take this opportunity to learn how to really record your travel memories during the trip? In scenic Torrox, Spain. Photography Holiday offers 8-day-long all-inclusive vocations (room and board), photography workshops and personalized photography tours. The holiday includes traditional Spanish homes, the mountains and the sightings of sunrise over Lake Vineula.

    Wild Cookery, Scotland

    If you are looking for a cooking holiday for a change, consider Wild Rose Outdoor Cookery courses. Head out to Scottish Highlands for the weekend, where you will hunt for greens and other cooking materials and learn about ways of cooking outdoors, like fireside cookery, hot stones and pit (坑)cooking.

Short Short Story Competition

We're looking for short fiction stories! Think you can write a winning story in 1,500 words or less? Enter the 21st Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition for your chance to win $3,000 in cash, get published in Writer's Digest magazine, and a paid trip to our ever popular Writer's Digest Conference!

Prizes

The First Place Winner will receive：

●$3,000 in cash

●Their short story title published in Writer's Digest magazine's September 2021 issue

●A paid trip to the Writer's Digest Annual Conference

The Second Place Winner will receive:

●$1,500 in cash

●Their short story title published in Writer's Digest magazine's September 2021 issue

The Third Place Winner will receive:

●$500 in cash

●Their short story title published in Writer's Digest magazine's September 2021 issue

Fourth through Tenth Place Winners will receive:

●$100 in cash

●Their short story titles published in Writer's Digest magazine's September 2021 issue

Eleventh through Twenty-Fifth Place Winners will receive:

●A $50 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com

How to Enter

●All entries must be submitted online. Entries must be accompanied by the required judging fee. We accept PayPal or credit card payment for the required judging fee.

●All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published in print, digital or online publications will be considered

●BE SURE OF YOUR WORD COUNT! Entries beyond the word limits will be disqualified. Type the exact word count at the top of the manuscript(稿件).

For more information visit our Preparing Your Entry Page or our FAQ page.