1 . Four Not-So-Scary Books for Halloween

These seasonal picks are fun to read and aren’t meant to be frightening.

Halloween Ball

By Perdita Cargill and Honor Cargill, illustrated by Katie Saunders

(Tiger Tales)

In this new Diary of an Accidental Witch series, Bea is on the planning committee for her school’s Halloween Ball. She’s excited and a little scared too. Bea wants to come up with good ideas, but she’s nervous her dad will find out about her magic powers.

Ages 9 and under

Lumber-Jackula

By Mat Heagerty, illustrated by Sam Owen

(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

Jack’s mom is a lumberjack, and his dad is a vampire. But Jack doesn’t want to follow in their footsteps.(He loves to dance more than anything and will have to get up a lot of courage to follow his dreams. The art in this graphic novel has many fun details.

Ages 8-12

The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Pumpkin

By Bella Swift

(Aladdin)

Peggy, a pug, is worried that going trick-or-treating with Chloe, the little girl in her family, will be scary. After all, Peggy is afraid of monsters, ghosts, and most certainly the dark. Will she be brave enough to put on her pumpkin costume and be by Chloe’s side on Halloween?

Ages 7-10

The Pumpkin War

By Cathleen Young

(Wendy Lamb Books)

In Madeline Island, Wisconsin, it’s a tradition to grow pumpkins that can be hollowed out and used as a type of paddle boat. During last year’s boat race, Sam’s pumpkin ran into Billie’s pumpkin and broke it. Billie hasn’t forgiven Sam for what happened. Will they become friends again before this year’s race?

Ages 8-12

3 . Top 4 National Parks in the World

Nature’s beauty knows no bounds and there is no better way to spend a holiday than breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the scenery of some of the world’s most magnificent national parks. The following four national parks invite you to truly enjoy the great outdoors.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park is located in the greenery of Croatia. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it showcases 16 lakes connected by refreshing waterfalls. Make your way along the wooden pathways that wind through the park and witness the waterfalls up close. A feast for the senses, Plitvice Lakes National Park is a true delight for nature lovers and photographers.

Troodos National Forest Park, Cyprus

Cyprus’ hidden treasure, Troodos National Forest Park, invites you to marvel at majestic mountains and the rich vegetation. Home to Mount Olympus, the highest peak on the island, you can enjoy pine-scented forests and pretty villages. Wander across ancient Byzantine churches that are hidden away among the greenery and vegetation displays.

Durmitor National Park, Montenegro

Although Montenegro is often overlooked as a destination, Durmitor National Park is a must for a true Alpine experience. With rough roads, it is home to limestone peaks, thick pine forests and ancient lakes. Wild goats and cattle can always be seen eating grass beside the lakes. One of the deepest canyons (峡谷) in the world, the Tara River Canyon, is a highlight worth seeing. Here you can enjoy lots of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking and white-water rafting (皮划艇).

Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

Khao Sok National Park in Thailand promises an unforgettable experience where ancient rainforests meet unique wildlife. Walk through one of the oldest rainforests in the world, where you’ll be able to see a range of vegetation and animals. Keep a lookout for playful monkeys, mighty elephants and the tigers pacing back and forth.

5 . American scientists claim in a new study that humans need to create very Earth-like conditions to survive for long periods in space.

The study centered on issues such as dealing with gravity (重力) and oxygen in space, collecting water, developing agriculture and removing waste in space.

Life in space would require a natural ecosystem to sustain humans and their necessary equipment. Without these kinds of systems, the task will fail. One of the biggest problems for humans in space will be issues related to gravity. Humans experience lower levels of gravity in space. A lack of gravity can change the fluid (液体) pressure in living things. This can lead to health problems for humans living in space.

There is just no other place in space where there is 1G of gravity; that just doesn’t exist anywhere else in our solar system. That’s one of the first problems we must solve. IG is another term for what scientists call “normal gravity”, or the gravity that exists on the Earth’s surface. It can be measured as the rate of speed at which an object travels when falling to the ground.

Oxygen is another important consideration. The scientists say space agencies would need to build high-technology main and backup oxygen systems to support long-term human life in space. But what if they fail?

One suggestion from the study is to arrange living things to produce oxygen. Think of the hundreds of thousands of species of plants that make oxygen. That kind of system would be needed to support long-term missions in space and on planets.

The other main requirement would be a huge amount of energy from the sun, the study suggests. The scientists noted that as astronauts travel farther from the sun, they will be able to collect less and less solar energy. But they do need a lot of energy. Otherwise, powering the ecological system will be like trying to run your car on a cellphone battery.

6 . The Student Essay Competition of Yorkshire

We are thrilled to announce the beginning of our annual student essay competition. This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for all of you to showcase your writing skills, express your creativity and win exciting prizes.

The theme for this year’s competition is “The Power of Education” We want to hear your thoughts on how education has the power to make a difference to the world, transform lives, and create a better future for all. All high school students from Yorkshire can participate in the competition.

*The essay should be written in English.

*The word count should be between 500 and 1,000.

*The essay should be different from anything that has existed before and not be previously published.

*Proper citation and referencing are required for any external sources used.

*Plagiarism(抄袭)will result in disqualification.

Please submit your essays via email to YKSEC@yahoo.com by 8th next month. The subject line of the email should read: “Student Essay Competition + your name”.

We have exciting prizes lined up for the winners of this competition. The top ten winners will receive a trip to London. Additionally, the winning essays will be featured on our website and social media platforms, giving you a chance to showcase your work to a wider audience.

8 . I just had the most beautiful experience with Woolworths in Gladstone Park Shopping Centre. I did an online ______ for my family and went into the store to pick it up. It was ______ for it was my youngest daughter’s second birthday. The young man Adrian was lovely and ______ my order hurriedly. I was happy and ______ with my trolley (购物车) full of groceries and my little kid.

Five to ten minutes later I got four missed ______ from a number in Sydney; clearly it must be a cheat call as I live in Melbourne, I thought. Luckily the online gentleman left a ______ as he knew I would not call back. When I ______ this, I had got home and put my daughter down for her afternoon sleep.

The online gentleman ______ that Gladstone Park Shopping Center was trying to contact me to let me ______ that they left the cold drinks out of my order by chance. I told the gentleman online that I had just put down my kid to sleep and that ______ , I could not return to the ______ to collect my remaining groceries. The online gentleman was so ______ and said he would contact the store and see if they could send them to me for free. I was ______ to hear that.

Half an hour later, the lovely Adrian from Woolworths, who had ______ me earlier, dropped off my order, which totally touched my heart. He even ______ me a box of chocolates to say sorry.

I spent 15 years trying to make it in the music industry. When I was a teenager, I did any odd job to afford time in a recording studio. I knocked at managers’ doors and sent out demo (录音样带) after demo, but I got nowhere. In 2010, aged 27, I was doing a job in a restaurant when I wrote a song called Dream Goes On. It was a song about never giving up. I just let out all of my frustrations at the keyboard.

Over the next five years, the music career never materialized but I persisted. Then, in 2019, I uploaded Dream Goes On to a music-sharing website. I just wanted someone to notice my music.

Later that year, I received an email out of the blue from Music World from South Korea, requesting a license for the song. They had chosen my song from the millions on the music-sharing website for a theme tune for one of their shows. I was amazed and negotiated a contract for $5,000 for the use of the song and signed up straight away. I was pretty excited, but didn’t think anything more would come of it, so I focused on my job in the restaurant.

This February, Music World organized a musical festival in Seoul and my song Dream Goes On was also chosen as the theme tune for the festival. I watched on YouTube as my song was being played to a huge crowd of people. It was amazing.

After three days of the festival, I was contacted by Music World and they asked if I’d like to go to Seoul to sing Dream Goes On in a concert. They flew me out there the next day. I was welcomed like a celebrity—everyone I met thought I was a big name in England. I had to break the news to them that I wasn’t a pop star.

I had never performed the song live, and hadn’t been on stage for years.

After the concert, I had photographers and journalists battling to interview me.

10 . There’s a lot to see in Badlands National Park (BADL). Castle Trail: A Badlands National Park Favorite We’re kicking things off with the longest trail in the park-and it is an excellent one. This 5-mile journey takes you through the backcountry of Badlands, with the main destination being the incredible Castle Rock formation. Along the way, you’ll hike through grassland. And as always in the Badlands, watch out for snakes.

See Bison in Sage Creek Wilderness Area

Are you as crazy about wildlife? Sage Creek is for you. Located in Wall, SD, this is one of the largest areas of preserved mixed-grass prairie(草原) left in the United States. And it’s one of the best places for North American bison. But remember to always stay in your vehicle, and never get out to approach a bison. This is not only illegal, but can cost you your life.

Ascend the Amazing Saddle Pass Trail

Saddle Pass is a short trail, but one you won’t want to miss. One of the most photographed spots in Badlands National Park is also one of the coolest climbing experiences, hands down. Here, you’ll climb up the Badlands Wall itself into a view of the White River Valley. The trail gets its name from the shape of the prairie you’ll travel.

Badlands National Park’s Top Hike: Notch Trail

As the most popular hike in the Badlands, Notch Trail features a fantastic ladder climb and absolutely breath-taking views. This trail is worth the difficulty, but it is not recommended for anyone with a fear of heights, and can be dangerous during or after heavy rains. The most Badlands injuries take place here, so be sure to practice safely.