Book Recommendations for July

Valentin de toutes les couleurs

适合年级Grade Level：G1-G5作者Author/插画师 Illustrator：基娅拉·梅扎拉玛

出版社Publisher：上海人民美术出版社

国际标准书号ISBN：9787558623509

书架号Shelf Number：1F-新书速递书架

This is a story about promoting gender equality education and challenging societal stereotypes, a story that encourages children to embrace their uniqueness and be true to themselves, a story that guides children to respect the differences in others and cultivate empathy, and a story that inspires parents to become a strong support system for their children through love and understanding.

Are boys strange if they like bright colours and beautiful clothes? Must boys be good at playing football and enjoy roughhousing? Valentin’s interests and sensitive, refined qualities are not some shocking act of defiance. So why is he mocked by friends and why does he feel like he doesn’t fit in? Let this story tear open a tiny corner for you to see and reflect on the invisible prejudices in life about how “xxx should be.”

Coding

适合年级Grade Level: G3-G9

出版社Publisher：DK Children

国际标准书号ISBN: 9780241285060

书架号Shelf Number: 1F-新书速递书架

DK findout! is an online encyclopedia website developed in recent years by DK (https://www.dkfindout.com/). It provides various scientific topics for children. The website covers 13 major categories, making it easy for children to use and choose the content they are interested in. Each category contains multiple subtopics, each filled with abundant scientific knowledge and animations. The LRC also has physical books from the DK findout! Series; books on programming and coding, particularly popular among children, are in high demand.

During the summer vacation children may become unsatisfied with the subject knowledge contained in their textbooks. Where can they gain more scientific knowledge? From simply searching on Baidu? Not really. Anyone can explore on the website https://www.dkfindout.com/ to find much more information about their topics of interest. After school starts up, students can also come to the LRC to borrow physical books, expanding their horizons and increasing their knowledge together!

Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution

适合年级Grade Level：G6+

作者Author：【英】理查德·道金斯 [the U.K.]Richard Dawkins

译者Translator：高天羽

出版社Publisher：湖南科技出版社

国际标准书号ISBN：9787571019075

书架号Shelf Number：2F-0315

The author of this book, Richard Dawkins, is an evolutionary biologist. In the book, he takes readers on a journey into the natural world of ‘survival of the fittest’ from the perspective of biological evolution. He explores the evolutionary characteristics of flying insects, birds, and mammals, and connects them to how humans have drawn inspiration from flying animals to designing and creating various types of aircraft using their principles of flight. Furthermore, Dawkins expands readers’ thinking by discussing the flight of ‘atmospheric plankton’ (e.g., pollen, spores, seeds, etc.), allowing them to see the outward exploration and adventures of these organisms.

In the last chapter of the book, Dawkins becomes warm and emotional, delving into a deeper reflection on ‘flight’itself. Flight is no longer just about the act of flying; it becomes a drive to explore beyond boundaries. He likens science itself to an epic flight into the unknown, stating that “just as flight is an escape from gravity into the third dimension, science is an escape from everyday life, soaring up into the heights of imagination.”

04The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)

适合年级Grade Level：G5-G9

作者Author：[the U.S.A]Lemony Snicket 【美】雷蒙尼•斯尼科特

出版社Publisher：Farshore

国际标准书号ISBN：9781405266062

书架号Shelf Number：2F-0342

AR值/蓝思值 AR Level/ Lexile measure: 6.4MG/1010L

This book is the first in the bestselling series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and tells of the unfortunate beginning experienced by the three Baudelaire siblings whose parents died in a mysterious fire. The three orphans were then adopted by their distant relative, Count Olaf, who was a stage actor and a devoted fan of the playwright Al Funcoot. Unfortunately, he had no interest in raising the three children, but was only interested in the vast fortune left behind by the Baudelaire couple. He used various schemes and tricks to try to claim the inheritance for himself. Luckily, the Baudelaire children were clever and brave, and Olaf’s schemes were foiled, leading to him lose custody of the three children. At the end of the story, the children were sent to live with another distant relative, Uncle Monty, and the adventures that await them there were yet to be discovered.

This series has a strong sense of mystery with rich vocabulary, and the writing is full of sarcasm and irony, setting it apart from typical children’s literature. During the reading process, the author frequently breaks the fourth wall and engages in dialogue with the reader. He also thoughtfully provides explanations for difficult words or idiomatic expressions, ensuring a smoother reading experience for young readers.

Additionally, the author enjoys playing with words, as evidenced by the clever use of anagrams, like the playwright’s name “Al Funcoot,” which is actually a rearrangement of “Count Olaf”. For students who appreciate adventure stories and these hidden word games, they will undoubtedly enjoy this series of books!