Book recommendations in August

《我讲的故事都不是真的》

Grade Level：G1-G9

Author：慈琪

Illustrator：王笑笑

Publisher：人民文学出版社

ISBN：9787020166855

Shelf Number：1F-新书速递书架

This is a brand-new collection of 84 fairy tales by the award-winning author, Ci Qi, who has received the Bing Xin Award and the Chen Bochui Award.
The book includes 84 mind-boggling short stories that invite you to view the familiar world from a poetic perspective. A wandering clock, a lightbulb, an ink bottle, a dream… If you think this is just an ordinary box of fairy tale candies, you couldn’t be more wrong!
Come and read it, and you’ll find plenty of delightful surprises!

Tree’s Pharmacy

When the tree gets sick, it needs injections and medicine.

All little trees are afraid of injections, so Mom and Dad took the little tree to the pharmacy.

“What’s wrong with the child?” the tree shopkeeper asked with a smile.

“He’s got a bit of a fever, and he’s losing a lot of leaves.”

“Oh, a cold,” the shopkeeper said as he took out a cage from the medicine cabinet. “You need a cold woodpecker for that.”

The cold woodpecker jumped onto the little tree and “thump, thump, thump,” pecked away the cold virus and ate it.

The little tree, patting its bottom, cried, “Dad lied, that was clearly an injection!”

Orphan Island

Grade Level: G3-G5

Author: Laurel Snyder

Publisher：Walden Pond Press

ISBN: 9780062443427

Shelf Number: 1F-新书速递书架

AR Level/ Lexile measure: 4.3MG/770L

Everything on the island was perfect. The sun rose gently in the sky every day, the wind was gentle, the flora flourished, the streams ran crystal clear, and the towering cliffs were incredibly magnificent. There was no danger here, and every child was happy. But one thing would change everything: every year, on that particular day, a green little boat would emerge from the mist, appearing on the shore. It would carry a young child to join their ranks, then take away one of the older children from the island, and nobody knew the reason.

This year was no exception. The little boat arrived, taking Ginny’s good friend, Dean, and in his place, a little girl named Alice arrived. Ginny became a big sister. She knew her responsibility—to help Alice understand the island and keep everything as it was. But Ginny wasn’t entirely sure if she could prepare herself for that inevitable day. Would the little boat return to take her away?

On the journey of growing up, there are times when one must be brave, stand alone, take on responsibilities, and confront the ‘terrifying’ unknown.

Ginny’s experiences of confusion, fear, self-reliance, and the courage to challenge and grow will undoubtedly deeply touch the hearts of every reader.

The Shopping Route of the Old-Fashioned Gir

Grade Level：G6+

Author：洪爱珠

Publisher：北京日报出版社

ISBN：9787547744086

Shelf Number：2F-0236

This book is a collection of essays by Hong Aizhu, a writer from Taipei, China. It is divided into five sections: “Old-Fashioned Girl’s Dining and Shopping Route,” “Congees, Noodles, Rice and Dishes,” “Bright Feasts,” “Tea and Tea Snacks,” and “Journeys in South-east Asia.”

The “Old-Fashioned Shopping Route” brings together the author’s memories of old food, items, shops, and markets she experienced with her mother. It serves as a pathway back in time and a thread to trace memories. After her mother passed away, she transformed her deep longing into crystalline words, documenting the abundant food and fulfilling daily life her mother provided her with.

Hong Aizhu’s writing style is gentle and elegant, with concise and engaging language. While she describes various foods’ appearance, colour, fragrance, taste, preparation, and consumption, she often draws on broader themes, prompting readers to frequently recall the ‘old-fashioned’ times in comparison with the present, evoking a sense of nostalgia. Through the lens of food, she recalls the past with sentiment, weaving together the kitchen’s smoke and fire, the enduring emotions of her family, and the customs of old Taipei in her words.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

Grade Level：G5+

Author：Chris Grabenstein

Publisher：Yearling

ISBN：9780307931474

Shelf Number：2F-0343

AR Level/ Lexile measure: 4.5MG/720L

The story of this book unfolds within a cutting-edge, experiential, and interactive library designed by a renowned game designer, Luigi Lemoncello. The library’s grand opening ceremony is an extraordinary event, featuring a brain-teasing, physically demanding, and gaming-oriented grand escape challenge. Twelve participants are tasked with finding a way to escape from the library within 24 hours, using clues gathered from various books and materials. A series of cards, word puzzles, files, competitive games, and even scents might serve as hints. The process of deduction takes the participants deeper and deeper, creating an enthralling and captivating experience.

This is the first book in the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series, focusing on the growth of children’s minds, emphasizing the transmission of humanistic spirit and life values, encouraging children to share knowledge, and inspiring them to take bold initiatives. Just as Luigi Lemoncello put it, “KNOWLEDGE NOT SHARED REMAINS UNKNOWN.”

The seemingly ordinary sentences in the book might also conceal surprises—the titles of various classic children’s books. For example, “It’s cloudy with a chance of meatballs^[1] and I had nothing better to do.” or “If you like, I will also have Al Capone do your shirts^[2].” The book’s appendix lists all the book titles mentioned in the story, making it a worthwhile reading list to collect.

[1] From the film by American screenwriter Judy Barrett, later adapted into the picture book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

[2] From the 2005 Newbery Honor-winning book Al Capone Does My Shirts by Jennifer Choldenko.