1 . Fu Lei’s Family Letters is a book of letters written by Chinese translator and writer Fu Lei to his elder son Fu Cong, who is a famous pianist. Between 1954 and 1966, Fu Cong spent a lot of time away from home training as a piano player. As a result, writing letters became Fu Lei’s usual way of communicating with his elder son. Fu Min, Fu Lei’s younger son edited the letters and the book came out in 1981.

The book shows Fu Lei’s family tradition and value. To Fu Lei, the purpose of education of a person, is to make that person useful to the society. Fu Lei praised his son Fu Cong after winning a piano competition. Fu Lei wrote, “We are happy because you make your country proud. I am so excited when I think about your future. You will make great progress and serve more people, encourage them and heal them.”

In the family letters, Fu Cong was also advised to read famous Chinese texts. When reading these books, Fu Cong was told to connect ideas and feelings together, for that would help him become a better person. To Fu Lei, learning to be a good person comes before any academic training.

Fu Lei’s Family Letters has a great impact on people in China because it helps many young students understand how they should live their lives.

4 . The best science books inspire a sense of wonder and make you amazed at the incredible world we live in. Here are four of them to feed your imagination.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

How did it all begin? And how did we get here? Combining history and science, the book offers a comprehensive yet entertaining answer to these questions. Bill Bryson takes the reader on an impressive journey through the greatest scientific discoveries in history. It explains scientific topics in a vivid way, but it’s quite a long read.

Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe

How do helicopters work? Or cells? Randall Munroe explains how things work using illustrations and only the most common 1,000 words in English. It will shift your approach to explanation. So, next time explain how something works rather than merely call it by its name. However, additionally providing more technical terms might have enhanced the understanding and learning experience.

Ask an Astronaut by Tim Peake

What does it feel like to fly into space? How do you prepare for it? Astronaut Tim Peake answers all the questions you never knew about going into space. The book gives insights into the cutting-edge science, as well as the day-to-day life on board of the International Space Station. Its question and answer format makes it easy to quickly find answers, but it can become less appealing due to the lack of descriptive language.

Deep Time by Riley Black

Want to know the story of our planet? Riley Black takes us on a journey, in the order of time, through the geological (地质的) events that have shaped our planet. The fascinating high-quality images are supported by easily digestible explanations of key historical moments. It also expands on key concepts in geology, astronomy and biology. Yet, measuring the size of some objects on the photos is difficult due to the lack of a scale bar (比例尺).

6 . The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World

Library of Strahov Monastery (Prague, Czech Republic)

The oldest part of the Library of Strahov Monastery, the Baroque Theological Hall, was established between 1671 and 1674, making the establishment one of the oldest and best preserved historical libraries in the world. Over 200,000 volumes are collected here, with many, of the texts printed between 1501 and 1800.

Old Library of Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)

Old Library of Trinity College was founded in 1592. Appropriately named the Long Room, this space is located within the Old Library at Trinity College. Previously, the room’s ceiling was flat and only shelved books on the lower level. However, the college was granted a free copy of every book published in Britain and Ireland, requiring the expansion of the cavernous space.

Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

In 1837, a group of 43 Portuguese immigrants and political refugees established the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading to promote their culture in what was the Empire of Brazil. The library was designed by architect Rafael da Silva e Castro in a neo-Gothic style and was inspired by the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.

Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine (Paris, France)

The library at the Cite de l’architecture et du patrimoine opened its doors in September 2007. It’s a must visit for any architecture lover. Not only because of the amazing location in a Romanesque (罗马式的) sistine, but also because its entire collection is dedicated to works about architecture, and landscaping. The library also houses the largest collection of preserved romanesque wall paintings in France.

10 . From crafty spies to distinctive detectives, discover some inquiring minds.

Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King

Illustrated by Claire Powell

(Walker Books)

This is the first book in a funny new detective series, Montgomery. Bonbon is a smart gentleman detective with a mystery to solve. Behind the hat and moustache is 10-year-old Bonnie Montgomery. Will anyone notice?

Alice Eclair Spy Etraordinaire: A Spoonful of Spying by Sarah Todd Taylor

(Nosy Crow)

Alice Eclair is a baker by day and a spy by night. In her latest adventure. she’s in Paris for the World Fair, where all eyes are on the aeroplane exhibition. With enemy spies all around, Alice will need every trick in her recipe book to stop France’s greatest invention from falling into the wrong hands.

Ollie Spark and the Exploding Popcorn Mystery by Gillian Cross and Alan Snow

(David Fickling Books)

Ollie Spark loves mending machines and solving mysteries. In his second adventure, he travels to a food festival on a remote island. There, an encounter with a grand duchess leads to an undercover spying mission—his most exciting and dangerous’ yet.

Rockstar Detectives: Murder at the Movies by Adam Hills

Illustrated by Luna Valentine

(Puffin Books)

Best friends Charley and George are in Sydney, Australia. George is a social media whizz (专家) and ambitious comedian and Charley is a 13-year-old singer who is in Australia to make her first film. However, some dangerous accidents on set lead them into an investigation.