BOOK 1
《泥叫叫》
Grade Level：G1-G5
Author/Illustrator：王祖民
Publisher：海豚出版社
ISBN：9787511055286
Shelf Number：1F-新书速递书架
Do you know what “Ni Jiao Jiao” is?
Have you ever made a “Ni Jiao Jiao”?
There is a highly skilled old grandfather in town who makes adorable and well-made “Ni Jiao Jiao’s” using clay and paint, bringing joy to countless adults and children. However, when the rainy season comes and there is no sun, the “Ni Jiao Jiao” cannot dry, and the old grandfather can’t go out to sell them either, making him fall ill from worry. Fortunately, the clever “Ni Jiao Jiao” worked together with them, finally summoning the Sun God and bringing back the laughter on the streets.
These “Ni Jiao Jiao” are all part of our country’s intangible cultural heritage. The name “Ni Jiao Jiao” might be unfamiliar to many people. It is a fascinating folk toy, also known as “Ni Gu Gu” or “Wawa Shao.” It is a clay sculpture toy made from clay or pottery clay with a high viscosity. It has a whistle hole on the top and produces a very loud sound when blown. The history of “Ni Jiao Jiao” is probably over a thousand years old. Let’s look for it together in the book! The appendix of the book also includes the production process for the “Ni Jiao Jiao,” allowing you to learn about the production of tangible cultural heritage artefacts along with the book.
BOOK 2
When You Trap a Tiger
Grade Level: G3-G5
Author: Tae Keller
Publisher：Yearling
ISBN: 9780593175347
Shelf Number: 1F-新书速递书架
AR Level/ Lexile measure: 4.1MG/590L
Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? When Lily moved with her family to her sick grandmother’s house, a tiger leaped out of the Korean folk stories her grandmother often told and appeared before her. It revealed a secret history of their family: long ago, her grandmother had stolen something from the tigers, and now they wanted it back. The tiger proposed a trade to Lily: the stolen item in exchange for her grandmother’s health. To save her grandmother from a terminal illness, Lily embarked on an adventure.
When You Trap a Tiger won the Newbery Medal in 2021. Although the plot of the story is simple, it is suitable for student reading. Its captivating details breathe new life into traditional Korean folk stories, portraying women as brave and dignified, just like the fierce tiger in the grandmother’s folk tales, no longer weak or submissive.
BOOK3
The Time Chaser: poems written by a food-delivery man
Grade Level：G6+
Author：王计兵
Publisher：台海出版社
ISBN：9787516834114
Shelf Number：2F-0061
The author of this book, Wang Jibing, has multiple identities: a small shop owner, a food-delivery man, and a member of the China Writers Association. Since the age of 19, he has worked as a brick carrier on construction sites, written novels at home, driven a dump truck, sold scrap materials, and even managed a variety store. In 2018, because of a fortunate coincidence, he began his days riding an electric scooter to deliver food through the city, and inspired by his experiences, he wrote his “work summary” titled The Time Chaser, which is actually a poem.
In the gaps between rushing around, he has composed over 3,000 poems. This book includes his observations during his wanderings in alien lands, his memories of his parents and hometown, and his observations of countless laborers who, like him, struggle for survival. The verses written on his phone, scrap newspapers, and even on his sleeves, are folk songs from labour scenes—vibrant, rough, and sharp.
BOOK4
Peter Lee’s Notes From The Field
Grade Level：G4-G6
Author：Angela Ahn
Publisher：tundra
ISBN：9780735268265
Shelf Number：2F-0443
AR Level/ Lexile measure: 4.9MG/650L
The age of eleven is a time when dreams begin to sprout and sensitivity grows within. It is also a transitional period from childhood to adolescence, where many uncertainties happen.
The protagonist of this book, Peter Lee, a Korean-Canadian teenager, finds himself in such a phase. His dream is to become a paleontologist, and he is so into dinosaurs like the Deinocheirus, Spinosaurus, Allosaurus, Dromiceiomimus, and uoplocephalus, etc. Whenever he engages in “digging” in his grandparents’ yard, he diligently takes notes and sketches in his observation notebook. However, his dream is almost shattered one day when he experiences a severe asthma attack in a “dinosaur fossil digging” summer camp held by the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, a place where dinosaur lovers can’t miss.
How will the young boy confront the chasm between his dream and reality?
In the process, he is inspired by his asthmatic classmates on the basketball team and his family. “At first, I thought paleontology was studying dinosaur taxonomy and evolution as well as the act of locating and retrieving fossilized specimens. But the more I thought about it, I realized that it was more. It was so much more. It was learning how to learn. It was learning to approach problems in an orderly way. It was record keeping. It was observing the environment. It was gathering information and piecing together a conclusion.” He finally grasped the meaning of studying paleontology. His once disillusioned dream was filled with hope again.
In every stage of human growth, there may be periods of confusion. Faced with numerous uncertainties, perhaps only the love from friends and family, along with one’s original aspirations, remains steadfast and unwavering.