4 . Reading for pleasure can be an important and enjoyable childhood activity. Unlike listening and spoken language, which develop rapidly and easily in young children, reading is a taught skill and is acquired and developed through specific learning over time. Until now it has been unclear what effect—if any—encouraging children to read from an early age will have on their brain development, cognition(认知) and mental health later in life.

To find out this, researchers from the universities of the UK and China looked at data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) groups in the US. Of the 10,243 participants studied, just under a half had little experience of reading for pleasure or did not begin doing so until later in their childhood. The remaining half had spent between three and ten years reading for pleasure.

The team found a strong link between reading for pleasure at an early age and a positive performance in adolescence on cognitive tests that measured such factors as verbal learning, memory and speech development, and at-school academic achievement. These children also had better mental health, when assessed using a number of clinical scores and reports from parents and teachers, showing fewer signs of stress and depression, as well as improved attention and fewer behavioral problems such as aggression and rule-breaking.

Children who began reading for pleasure earlier also tended to spend less screen time—for example, watching TV or using their smartphone or tablet—during the week and at weekends in their adolescence, and also tended to sleep longer.

The best amount of reading for pleasure as a young child was around 12 hours per week. Beyond this, there appeared to be no additional benefits. Instead, there was a gradual decrease in cognition, which the researchers say may be because they are sedentary and spend little time on other activities that could be cognitively improving, including sports and social activities.

6 . From learning about protecting wild animals and natural habitats to reading about the effects of recycling, books are perfect for showing people how to get involved. Here are four of such books.

Tall Trees

Describing the wildlife that lives in Northern California’s redwood forests, it turns story time into a counting lesson as readers count all the creatures in the forests. Readers will also love remembering Tony Frederick’s playful poetry about the animals of the forest.

Save the Bees

Bethany Stahl has a whole series of “Save the...” books, and they all have great lessons for readers. The explanations are fun and perfect for animal lovers who want to learn how to make a difference. On her website, she even has links to free books, which are great resources for parents or teachers.

My Friend Earth

The message of this book, written by Patricia MacLachlan, is beautiful and simple, encouraging kids to learn about Earth and all that it does. It has acute die-cut (模切) design, which is fun for little hands to explore, although those under 4 might need some help. It covers a wide range of topics and will help kids gain an appreciation for everything from rain and wind to bears and birds.

Thank You, Earth

The author of this book, April Pulley Sayre, has written many award-winning books, and this one is truly special. It was written in a letter format (格式), thanking Earth for so many great natural moments. You’ll find beautiful pictures in this book.