1 . The Self-Portrait Challenge

Have you ever done a self-portrait in an art lesson at school? Today, we’re challenging you to write self-portrait poems. It’s not uncommon to feel like the way people see you on the outside doesn’t quite match up with how you feel on the inside. So creating a self-portrait can be a good opportunity to address those differences and present the realest, truest version of yourself.

Your challenge is to create a self-portrait in lines, using words instead of paint. Read on for some more inspiration.

This challenge is for writers aged up to 25 based anywhere in the world. The deadline is 23:59 GMT, 17 March 2024. You can send a poem, or poems, written down, or as video or audio files. We are using Submittable to accept submissions to this challenge. You will need to make a free Submittable account to submit in this way. Using Submittable helps our team to administrate and process entries more quickly. Selected poets will be published on Young Poets Network.

2 . It’s time to share the winners of this year’s Invent It Challenge! Here are our four winners of the first round!

Glo Zone (Ages 5-7 Individual Winner)

Kabir from California came up with this cool invention after a not-so-fun experience. He was hit by four adults on a ski trip! To make skiing and snowboarding safe for nighttime (especially for smaller kids)， he created Glo Zone，a fun glowing(发光的)rainbow umbrella that is attached to skiers’ helmets.

ProTech Helmet (Ages 11-13 Individual Winner)

Pooja from New Jersey has created a light, safe helmet designed for playing frisbee (飞盘)!She came up with the idea after getting hit right under the eye at a frisbee competition and realizing she could get blinded if it were any higher. The ProTech Helmet has a lining(衬里) made of a new technology called Spin.

Ace Attachment (Ages 8-10 Team Winner)

Levi and Albert from New York dealt with helping people with disabilities enjoy sports. The Ace Attachment makes it easier for wheelchair users to play golf. Unlike similar inventions, the Ace Attachment is easily adjustable.

Skate Shoes “DOOD” (Ages 14+ Individual Winner)

It’s the worst when you ruin your favorite pair of shoes! Fortunately, Rommel from Mexico has come up with new skate shoes. These shoes have exchangeable parts that allow pieces of the shoes to be replaced with new ones when broken instead of getting rid of the whole pair.

Cast your vote!

Which of these fantastic inventions will you choose to win the Cricket Choice Award? While they are all outstanding, only one can win the popular vote! Cast your vote here by May 16!

3 . Robot science fiction has long been a favorite for readers. If you want to check out any of these titles for free, you can do so with Audible’s one-month free trial. Click here to download Audible’s app to try for $0.00.

I. Robot

The author of I, Robot, Isaac Asimov, is an indisputable giant within the world of robot science fiction due to his creation of the three laws of robotics. I, Robot is a landmark work of robot sci-fi which explores every facet of robots and their place in the world of humans, from their conception through to their possible replacement of humanity.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is an absolute landmark work of robot science fiction and has gained even greater recognition due to being made into the classic motion picture Blade Runner. The story’s hero is tasked with hunting down sentient robots that have gone immoral.

The Night Sessions

The Night Sessions by Ken MacLeod envisions a world in which religions and those who believe in them have been pushed to the edge of society. This is also a world populated by sentient robots that sometimes help humanity but are often shunned by their very creators.

Sea of Rust

Sea of Rust is set in a future world in which humanity has been totally wiped out by an unimaginably powerful artificial intelligence system and the robots it has at its command. In this world without mankind, the two most powerful artificial intelligence systems fight for control. It is both a tight story of survival and an optimistic adventure.

4 . Here are the bestsellers this month.

The Story of Buildings: From the Pyramids to the Sydney Opera House and Beyond

by Patrick Dillon, author; Stephen Biesty, illustrator(插画家)

Hardcover $26.99; Paperback $14.80

We spend most of our lives in buildings. We make our homes in them. We go to school in them. But why and how did people start making buildings? How did they learn to make them stronger, bigger, and more comfortable? Patrick Dillon's stories of amazing buildings and the amazing people who made them celebrate the human creation.

What Were the Twin Towers?

by Jim O'Connor, author; Ted Hammond, illustrator

Library Binding(装帧)$20.64; Paperback $7.91

When the Twin Towers were built in 1973, they were described as an architectural(建筑学的)wonder. Offices and companies moved into the Towers—also known as the World Trade Center—and the buildings were seen as the economic center of the world. Discover the whole story of the Twin Towers—from their construction to their sad end.

Where Is Machu Picchu?

by Megan Stine, author; Who HQ, author; John O'Brien, illustrator

Library Binding $21.02; Paperback $8.91

Built in the fifteenth century and set in the mountains of Peru, Machu Picchu was deserted after the Spaniards controlled the Incan empire in the sixteenth century. It remained hidden until 1911 when Hiram Bingham uncovered the amazing buildings and shared his discovery with the world. Today, hundreds of thousands of people visit the site to climb the 3,000 stone steps and explore the towering monuments.

Castle

by David Macaulay, author

Hardcover $11.98; Paperback $15.80

What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually shown the mystique(神秘性)of architectural structures that have long attracted modern man? With typical interest and a sense of humor decorating his drawings, David Macaulay finds the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.