【推荐1】Madeleine L’ Engle died more than ten years ago, but her work lives on in the more than 40 books she published. Last month, L’ Engle’s granddaughters, Lena Roy and Charlotte Jones Voiklis, published Becoming Madeleine, a biography of the legendary author. “We wanted to do something to honor her memory,” Roy said.

L’ Engle was born on November 29, 1918. Her father was a writer. Young Madeleine watched him writing, absorbed in his creation of stories—real and fictional—and saw that it gave him both pleasure and disappointment. When L’ Engle was 11, her parents dropped her off at boarding school and left her there. Although the experience was challenging, L’ Engle later said that “it helped me become a writer”. In 1959, L’ Engle began to write A Wrinkle in Time, which won the 1963 Newbery Medal.

Roy is also the author of the novel Edges. Edges was much harder to write than Becoming Madeleine, Roy noted. “Edges was my ‘learning how to write’ experience,” she said. “There was just so much I didn’t know.”

Roy added that working with her sister on their biography was very meaningful. “We don’t have competition or fighting between brothers and sisters anymore,” she joked.

The biographers focus their story on L’ Engle’s childhood. That is the period about which their 11-and 12-year-old selves would have been the most curious. “I’m so interested in how people become who they are,” Roy said. “What are all the experiences? Her becoming Madeleine has been part of me becoming Lena.”

Roy got valuable writing advice from her grandmother. “There is always a message of hope in her writing,” Roy said, “and she believes that books should end on a positive note.”

Roy, in turn, has her own advice for ambitious writers. “Keep writing,” she said. “Read as much as you can. In writing and reading, we develop sympathy because we step into somebody else’s shoes. Read as much as you can about other cultures. Have experiences with people who are different from you. Don’t be afraid.”

【推荐2】Snuggling (偎依) up with your little one from an early age and diving into a book together is always a great way to spend time.     1     They will give your little one a flying start in life.

Firstly, it’s a great introduction to reading, writing and vocabulary. Seeing an adult reading out the words and linking them to the shapes on the page begins to build literary building blocks that the children will use for the rest of their life.     2     It helps them build up their understanding of language as well as the wider world.

    3     It boosts children’s minds and develops their social awareness and skills. At a time when they are perhaps stuck indoors more than ever before, reading is the best way to spark children’s imagination. You can travel to the moon, meet the Gruffalo and pop into a chocolate factory! This means children will have a solid creative base and develop their own story-telling skills while enjoying adventurous days at home. Fantastic lands, stories and characters can inspire play ideas for children too. However, you’ll find books fit for children are limited on your bookshelf. Don’t worry!     4    .

Reading time is a brilliant bonding tool with parents or carers, which builds up confidence and a sense of security for little ones.     5     It can even help them sleep better. Now is the perfect time to build up a library of remarkable reads ready for children to enjoy now and in the future.