1 . The following are our monthly top picks among the recent nonfiction publication.

Four Battlegrounds

By Paul Scharre

Scharre examines the trends and expectations for the future applications of AI, whose battlegrounds are data, computing power, talent, and institutions. This study of the struggle over AI is well-written, widely sourced, and detailed. Readers knowledgeable about computer science will find it clarifying, while others will gain understanding of an important subject.

Saving Time

By Jenny Odell

With Saving Time, Odell aims at our concept of time. The idea of making as much output as possible from our time is fully rooted in modern life. Odell mixes cited research, philosophy, ecology, and history, finding the hidden markers of time along the highways and coast of her Bay Area home. Saving Time will find a long life on any library’s shelves.

Wisdom of the Wild

By Sheri Mabry

This title provides easygoing spiritual guidance inspired by everyday wonders of the natural world. Each section concentrates on an aspect of nature with a desirable quality, consisting of a one-page, science-based observation with advice and encouragement. Readers seeking inspiration will appreciate this charming offering.

Microjoys

By Cyndie Spiegel

During hard times, Spiegel began searching for a way to gently hold sadness in one hand and joy in the other. In a series of thoughtful essays, Spiegel begins with observations about various experiences, opening her heart to share emotional events made by what she calls “microjoys”. And finally, she urges readers to open their hearts and welcome glimpses (一瞥) of joy and beauty.

2 . Let’s review some of the year’s best books so far.

The Astronaut’s Guide to Leaving the Planet

In this book, retired astronaut and pilot Terry Virts paints a lively picture of life aboard the International Space Station. And he describes what it takes to conduct a successful mission. Young space enthusiasts will enjoy this guide. Ambitious astronauts will treasure it.

Lasagna Means I Love You

In this touching realistic novel by Kate O’Shaughnessy, Mo and her grandma, Nan, live together. But after Nan dies, Mo’s uncle can no longer take care of her. To deal with these changes, she starts cooking, using family recipes that she collects from friends and through her food blog. There’s only one problem: She doesn’t have family recipes of her own. Hoping to define what really makes a family, Mo learns there’s no perfect recipe.

The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejia

In this fast-paced adventure by Alexandra Alessandri, 12-year-old Valentina and her brother Julian are searching for mysterious creatures. Falling into another world during an earthquake, they discover a different, magical Colombia. Valentina learns that all of the legends about her country are true. But will they be able to leave this place and return home?

Just Jerry

It’s written by Jerry Pinkney, who writes about his growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 1940s and 1950s. He struggled with dyslexia (阅读障碍), but he always pursued his artistic calling. When he got a job at a newsstand, his boss gave him a chance to draw and sell his work. He was able to go to college to study art, and eventually built a career in publishing.

3 . Books influence people by showing us what is possible in the world. Here are four great reads that are worth a try.

This book is illustrated by Sophie Diao. As a children’s book author, Eva Chen shows people that family is important to her. In this book, she explores that through the eyes of Mei, a young girl being both a “teacher and translator” for her parents. The picture book tells an inspiring story that seeks to teach children about self-love.

Andie Powers is a writer for children and she draws inspiration from her own experience as the mother of a quiet child, Alice. Illustrated by Betsy Petersen, this picture book tells that silent Emile’s mind can be as rich and expansive as that of any other children. The story honors and encourages the beauty of knowing oneself for exactly who he or she is.

It is set in the early 1900s and tells a vivid story directly inspired by the author’s family history. Anna Rose Johnson’s writing is gentle, unhurried and reflective with touches of humor and heartbreak, showcasing the heroine of the book, Norvia Nelson, a brave girl making her way to complex family dynamics, pressures and universal daily-life challenges.

This book follows a legendary but unpopular tennis player as she comes out of retirement to attempt a comeback. Unable to stand her record being broken, Carrie Soto brings her dad back as her coach and trains with a former rival. From the story, readers discover the cost of fame, the struggles of being a female athlete, and that it’s OK to fail sometimes.

4 . The years 1347—1351 saw Europe suffer from the worst disease—the Black Death. At least one third of the population in Europe lost their lives. Even the Catholic priests(牧师) with all their influence could not survive either.     1    

Against this background, Giovanni Boccaccio, an Italian writer, decided to collect stories from history to both comfort victims and challenge the church.     2    

In the book,10 people get together at a faraway place to stay away from the disease and share stories there to deal with boredom.     3     After each one finishes their turn, the others then share their ideas on the stories. In this way, we not only enjoy the book’s interesting stories, but also get to know the values held by people at the time.     4     As Chinese President Xi Jinping said, works like The Decameron(《十日谈》) stand against the ignorance of the Middle Ages and reflect the people’s hope for spiritual liberation.

    5     So I could fully understand the characters’feelings of panic when what they used to believe in suddenly fell away. For people in medieval times(中世纪), it was their belief in church. For us today, it might be the certainty of our global systems. But it was from the mess of the Black Death that the Renaissance and humanism were born. In today’s post-pandemic society, new lifestyles, technologies, and other changes have come to life. My most valuable lesson from The Decameron is this: We must learn from the past to better shape our future.

7 . Seven-year-old Maggie Kuznia loves books, but she seems to love sharing the stories she reads even more. Qnce or twice a week, the little girl puts a few books in her backpack and gets ready to _______ the elderly at Good Samaritan Society.

Maggie’s mom, Tiffany Kuznia, works as the activity director at the retirement facility and often brings her daughter with her to _______. One day, as little Maggie was packing her bag, Tiffany Kuznia _______ her to bring her toys. Maggie quickly replied that she had _______ plans for the day. “I’m going to bring books and I’m going to read to the residents.” she _______.

With time, Maggie has become so beloved among the residents that she even has “_______” she reads to every week. She often visits each one for over an hour with her mom regularly checking in on her to make sure she isn’t overstaying her _______. Much to Maggie’s _______, the residents are more than happy to have her around for extended periods of time. The _______ usually leads to coloring books and doing puzzles with her elderly friends, who ________ Maggie a granddaughter of their own.

Maggie hopes to inspire other kids of her age to read to the elderly. ________ polishing her reading abilities and having a group of devoted ________, her senior friends are always ready to help her when she trips up on a ________ word. As for the residents, Maggie seems to ________ their day. “I think the intergenerational part is so good,” Patti Griggs, a resident Maggie has befriended, said. “Everybody likes to have the ________ of another person and be special to them.”

8 . 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

9 . I own a well-read copy of Virginia Hamilton’s The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales. It’s a classic in many households, as it should be. It’s not just the stories that I return to over and over again; it’s the magical illustrations by the dynamic Leo and Diane Dillon. I included this book in the research for my most recent and next projects. The title serves as a repeatedly mentioned saying for my creative life. When I’m writing about Black people and Black children in particular, I have to always remember that in our stories, we could fly. This is the magic of storytelling, and this is the possibility that books for children can capture—that in spite of everything and because of everything, we can transcend (超越) it all and fly.

Hamilton observed the oral tradition in her many novels, and I try to do the same not only when writing but also while reading. I am attracted by books about people of color whose words and stories include a certain mix of musicality and ancestral memories. When our stories become classics, they are not just timely and timeless. They include time itself. Our stories document our presence. They say that we are here, we were here, and we will always be here. This presence is where historical narratives, social justice books, fantasy and science fiction, and even Afro futuristic stories gather.

Our books document humanity. Diverse books for children area collective witness to the human experience. My hope for the future of books about Black people, and especially children, is that we continue to champion both nonfiction stories that tell truths and fiction stories that highlight our mythology (神话) and cultural heritage (遗产), where we are both grounded in the reality of our lives and can shape shift, use magic, and take flight in order to rise above it all. With every story and with every book, our children are reminded time and time again that, indeed, we people could fly.