2 . From cottages surrounded by impressive gardens to days spent exploring sandy beaches and deep woods filled with wildlife, in My Family and Other Animals, English writer Gerald Durrell provided a vivid account of his family’s time on the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930s.

Come for the arresting descriptions of Corfu landscapes and stay for Durrell’s laugh-out-loud tales of his unusual family. This book, Durrell wrote humorously in the introduction, “was intended to be a nostalgic(怀旧的)account of natural history, but in the first few pages, I made the mistake of introducing my family.”

Durrell, later known for his zoo keeping and the preservation of wildlife, was just a child during his family’s five-year stay in Corfu. He is 10-year-old Gerry in the book—curious, passionate about animals and a detailed storyteller of his strange family: his imaginative elder brother Larry with his literary ambitions, lovestruck sister Margo, sporty brother Leslie and his ever-calm, loving mother.

Durrell’s attention to detail is what makes the book so winning, with every sight, sound and smell of the island brought to life. One minute you’ll be laughing as Larry’s clever literary friends walk down to the daffodil-yellow cottage, the next you’ll be catching your breath as Durrell describes swimming at night in the Ionian Sea: “Lying on my back in the silky water, staring at the sky, only moving my hands and feet slightly, I was looking at the Milky Way stretching like a silk scarf across the sky and wondering how many stars it contained.”

My Family and Other Animals is quite difficult to classify, being one part travel, one part autobiography, one part natural history, and one part comedy, with a thread of descriptive language running throughout that sometimes raises it nearly to poetry.

As a real delight to read, it’s the perfect literary escapism for any adult or older teenager who is currently walking down a tough road in life.

3 . Some libraries use unique architecture to encourage visitors to explore the bookshelves and settle down with a new book, or use roving libraries to bring books to hard-to-reach populations. No matter how they achieve it, these novel libraries are keeping the magic of reading alive.

Bishan Library (Singapore)

Built in 2006, this library with skylights and trellises, is meant to invoke a modern glass treehouse. Glass pods of varying colors stick out of the building randomly to create cozy yet airy corners for reading throughout the building. At the same time, a more open-plan children’s room on the basement level invites interaction while preventing noise from filtering upward and disturbing those concentrating in the lofty perches above.

Stuttgart City Library (Stuttgart, Germany)

Opened in 2011, this nine-story public library is characterized by its attractive white color scheme (lit by blue light at night), its bold cubic shape. This cultural center for the city, designed to feel open and full of light, can be entered from any of its four sides, and people can borrow artwork as well as books.

The Camel Library Service (North Eastern Province, Kenya)

To combat low literacy rates in the desert of Kenya, the government created a roaming library composed of nine camels bringing books to villages. The library travels four days a week serving the region’s nomadic people. With more funding, they plan to increase their reach both in distance and the books they carry.

Macquarie University Library (Sydney, Australia)

A wonderful combination of cutting-edge and sustainable ideas, this building was made from recycled materials, features a green roof, and was designed to look like the shape of a eucalyptus tree. It is also state of the art, using robot cranes to bring requested books to the front desk.

7 . A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps, for there is the companionship of books as well as of men.    1    

A good book may be among the best of friends. I's the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions.    2    It always receives us with the same kindness, amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and supporting us in age.

    3    They do so just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which they both have for a third. There's a proverb, “Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think , feel , and sympathize with each other through their favorite author.

Books introduce us into the best society.    4    We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were actors or actresses with them in the scenes which they describe.

There is a story of two men: one was a king, who dreamed every night that he was a beggar; the other was a beggar, who dreamed every night that he was a prince , and lived in a palace.    5    But when we read, we : may not only be kings and live in palaces, but, what is far better, we may transport ourselves to the mountains or the seashore, and visit the most beautiful parts of the world, without tiredness ,inconvenience or expense.

9 . In the summer before I entered middle school, I read the book They Cage the Animals at Night. It’s a story about Jennings, a boy living in various orphanages（孤儿院）with only his stuffed animal（毛绒玩具）, Doggie, for companionship. It’s a fascinating book, but little did I know how it would _______ my life and the lives of others.

One day, as I looked across my room at the pile of stuffed animals, a(n) _________ came to me. I would _________   stuffed animals for children like Jennings. _________ , I contacted agencies   that   support   those   children   and   they   said   the   stuffed   animals   would certainly _________   children’s spirits.

I named my project “Cuddle Buddies”. I wrote articles for the local and   school   newspapers, _________   donations of   the   “buddies”— stuffed animals. My phone _________ ringing; schools, families, and toy factories all wanted to help. Much to my _________ , by the second week my living room looked like a zoo. Whenever Mom and I _________ the “buddies” to the agencies, the kids would be waiting there with their eyes down, too ____________ to look but shaking with excitement.

Six years after its launch, Cuddle Buddies continues to ____________ . Now over 25,000 stuffed animals have been ____________ to agencies worldwide. Simon, a seven-year-old boy in an African Children’s Home, couldn’t sleep at night after he lost his parents. When asked to choose his “buddies”, Simon ____________   a panda and soon after was sleeping through the night. I never dreamed Cuddle Buddies would     ____________ this way.

Upon graduating from high school, I designed a website, www.cuddlebuddies.net, to ____________   the project. The response was ____________ . More and more people joined me and two dozen Cuddle Buddies ____________   were established across the nation.

This has been a great experience. I’ve learned how to follow through on an idea and how   to ____________   impact   a   life.   I   will   go   to   college with   these ____________   in   mind   and continue my work with Cuddle Buddies, even when I ____________   a whole new set of exciting academic and nonacademic pursuits.

10 . Soon there will be a Review Blitz! In a month, we are searching for reasonable reviews that reflect your sincere opinions. Just keep in mind that the deadline for your reviews is October 23, 2023.

Rules:

To enter, you must be a teen (aged 13-19) with a Teen Creativity account.

Submissions ought to be relevant to the topic.

Each review must be no more than 250 words.

There is no restriction on the number of pieces you can submit.

Guidelines:

Give a brief summary of the book. Avoid explaining the entire plot or telling your reader how the book ends.

Inform the reader what you like or dislike about the book.

Recommend the book to specific readers. Does the book lend itself well to older teens? Would science fiction enthusiasts show interest in this book? It’s helpful for readers to think about the book in light of other books they’ve read.

Remember that it’s okay to have a strong opinion! Don’t start sentences with “I think”, “I believe” or “In my opinion”.

Prizes:

All participants will be given a certificate.

First prize winners will respectively have one review published in Teen Creativity magazine and obtain a free 6-month magazine subscription.

Second-place winners will each receive a free 3-month magazine subscription.

You’ll receive these prizes before December 28, 2023.

Submit your works to www.teencreativity.com. We hope reviewing books brings you joy.