I was a bit of a bookworm as a child.For car journey,day trip or family holiday,many books were always packed to keep me busy.Since then,I've continued reading all kinds of books but I'll always love my childhood favorites.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-timer—Mark Haddon

    This children's mystery novel is interesting,exciting,thought-provoking（发人深省的）,sad and happy all at the same time.The main character is a 15-year-old boy who has autism（自闭症）. The book gives you a window into his world, his thoughts, his hopes and his dreams. It's easy to read and both kids and adults love it.A must-read in my opinion.

    Secret Seven—Enid Blyton

    If you love adventures,this one is for you.The Secret Seven are a group of child detectives who make it their duty to solve crimes.They have many adventures along the way.It's a fun book that you won't want to stop reading. And in fact, there is more than.one book.There's a series of books about the Secret Seven's adventures so if you like the first one, you're in luck.

    Matilda—Roald Dahl

    It's now a film and show at the theatre,but we can't forget the original book.Matilda is about a loveable little girl who is very clever and,like me,loves to read.She goes to school and meets the very scary Miss Trunchbull who tortures（折磨）children,but thankfully makes friends with a kind teacher. The book will have you crying one, moment and laughing the next.

    The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—C.S.Lewis

    As a kid I read the book, watched the film and listened to the tape.I really couldn't get enough of the book.It's an exciting story set in a magical land called Narnia. When you're reading it, you'll feel like you're really there.You'll get caught up in the adventures of the four children and the characters they meet.I can't rate it highly enough.

    Looking for a great summer read? Kid reporters from Time For Kids have reviewed the season's hottest new books. They have recommended a list of kid-approved page-turners (令人爱不释手的书) to our readers. Whether you're fond of mysterious, fantastic or realistic fictions, there's always one that suits you.

    Three Bird Summer

    By Sara St. Antoine

    Genre: Realistic Fiction

    Number of pages: 256

    What's the basic story line?

    For his entire life, 12-year-old Adam has spent summers at his grandma's cabin in Minnesota. But this year things are different. His parents have divorced. Apart from that, Adam's cousins won't be vacationing at the cabin with him. Also, Grandma seems to be acting differently. At first, she's just a bit more forgetful than usual. But after spending more time with her, Adam realizes Grandma is “slipping.”

    There are new neighbors at the cabin this summer, including a girl at Adam's age named Alice. At first, Adam isn't interested in spending time with her. But as time goes by, their friendship flourishes(繁荣). Throughout this unusual summer, Adam searches for hidden treasure with his new friend and begins to uncover family secrets as well.

    Are the characters believable?

    The characters are believable because they don't have cookie-cutter(千篇一律的) personalities. Adam is quiet and shy and finds girls difficult to understand. Alice is adventurous and unlike any girl he has ever met. Readers will likely see aspects of their personalities in the characters and recognize their friendship too.

    Who would like this book?

    Anyone who appreciates memories of family vacations or summertime in general will enjoy the vivid imagination that fills ThreeBirdSummer. Readers will fall into the story, almost as if they're actually spending the summer exploring Three Bird Lake with Adam and Alice.

    Teaching materials for learning Chinese are provided here. There are sites where you may find interesting instructions suitable for you. Here are some sites to begin your surfing.

    You may start with these pages from this website — just to get a little taste of it without working too hard.

    A Is For Love

    Flash cards for learning a few Chinese words

    Listening to the sound of Chinese

    Play a few words of Chinese on your computer.

    A few Chinese words

    Each word is enlarged for easy study.

    If you are studying Chinese, these tools can help.

    Zhongwen site

    More than a dictionary!

    Clavis Sinica

    Excellent program by Professor David Porter. It displays a whole document in Chinese [GB] or [BIG5], and gives individual word's definition, pronunciation as well as much more information when you click on that word. If you are studying Chinese, this is a very useful tool.

    Chinese Character Visual Dictionary

    If you like to know more, go to the following sites on the Internet.

    The Chinese Outpost

    Pronunciation, Character and Grammar By Mark Andrew Baker. The best. A must-visit site.

    Learn Cantonese / Mandarin Online

    Internet Based Chinese Teaching and Learning

    Rainland Kids discover Chinese — Site is in Germany

    If you want to have a better understanding of China, go to this one.

    Wanfang Data

    As an affiliate (分支) of Chinese Ministry of Science & Technology, Wanfang Data has been the leading information provider in China since 1950s. With a wide range of database resources and value-added services, Wanfang Data has become a gateway to understanding Chinese culture, medicine, business, science, etc.

    Last year I was put into a lower­level math class at school. The reason I was in this class had nothing to do with my intellect (智力) or maths skills. I am blind.

The only problem with being in this class was that I was surrounded by “at­risk” students. These were kids who did not do well in school and they were constantly in trouble with the school and the law.

    One Tuesday morning, I went to a Christian Student Union meeting before school. There was a guest speaker there that day talking to us about praying (祈祷) for our enemies. I began to think about this. As I considered the idea, I prayed and asked God how I could pray for the kids in my class. I had forgotten that they weren't bad kids; they were just lost.

    At first, the prayers were mechanical. When I would hear their voices in class, I would pray, “Dear God, please bless so­and­so...” But as I continued, I began to think of the kids more often, and in my quiet time at home I would ask God to bless (保佑) the rest of my classmates.

    As time went on, my classmates became more than just annoying kids to me. There was something growing inside my heart for them, something that wasn't there before. They began to feel like family, and I was learning to love them in a way I never thought possible.

    I now see that praying is such a powerful act. Prayer is the most powerful tool a Christian has. When I pray for those around me, it also blesses my life, and it changes my opinion of others. I realized I needed God's blessings to see the world through loving eyes. The prayers I said for others turned out to help me the most.

    In modern society, it is usually considered good to be an extroverted(外向的) person. This means that life can be hard for introverted people. Their talents and abilities are often not recognized.

    Some people often try to make introverts more outgoing. They think that being an introvert is a problem. But there is nothing wrong about being an introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of meeting and talking to others. They simply prefer to spend time on their own, away from the crowds. They like reading, writing and taking walks in the countryside. But extroverts need other people. If they spend a lot of time on their own, they get bored. They tend to be impulsive and talk a lot.

    Our society puts a lot of pressure on people to be extrovert, to be outgoing and self-confident on every occasion. Susan Cain, the author of the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, has spoken about this problem. "I was nine years old," Cain says. "In my suitcase there were lots of books. This seemed normal to me, because in our family we always read a lot. I thought it would be the same at summer camp. But I was wrong. To create camp spirit, all the children had to sing a cheer every morning. I couldn't understand why. In the evening, I took out a book from my suitcase. But another girl said, 'why are you being so quiet?' The second time I took out a book, the counselor(辅导员) came to see me. She told me to remember the camp spirit and that it was important to be outgoing."

    At work, extroverts often do well. At job interviews, it is usually good to appear extrovert. It suggests that you will be good at the job. But it is wrong to think that only extroverts are good leaders. Introverts work in different ways to extroverts, but they can still do really great things. Darwin, for example, was a quiet, family man. He often took long walks so that he could think clearly. But Darwin's ideas about evolution were revolutionary.

    Introverts must understand that it is perfectly okay to be the way they are. It is not necessary to want to be the center of attention. You don't have to take part in noisy, social activities if you don't want to. And it is not necessary to try to become more outgoing.

    Chrysanthemums (菊花) are to the fall what tulips are to the spring.

    In ancient China chrysanthemums (or 'mums' for short) were first planted thousands of years ago. People chose the chrysanthemum as their Flower for October a symbol of the rest and ease that followed the season's final harvest. Then they symbolized a scholar in retirement (隐居) and were one of the four noble(高贵的) plants along with bamboo, the plum flower(梅) and orchid(兰).

    The Japanese hold the chrysanthemum as a symbol of the sun. They consider the orderly unfolding of its petals(花瓣) to be a symbol of perfection. They also think that a single chrysanthemum petal placed in the bottom of a wine glass encourages a long and healthy life. The Japanese even have a National Chrysanthemum Day on September 9 known as the Festival of Happiness.

    In the United States during colonial times its popularity grew such that mums now reign as "Queen of the Fall Flowers." Mums remain the most widely grown pot plant in the country and the largest commercially produced flowers. Chrysanthemums generally represent cheerfulness and rest. So they are welcomed throughout the British Isles and North America for any occasion such as football games and parties.

    In other countries such as Italy Belgium and Austria however their association with the dead makes chrysanthemums acceptable only for funerals and graves.