Chinese for children starts with youth

Start Reading Chinese, a level-five graded reader for Chinese learners adapted and translated from the English reader series Start Reading, has been published, with the help of primary school students from the Western Academy of Beijing. Forty-three pupils had translated the illustrated books into simple and humorous Chinese. Wang Biao, deputy director of Beijing University Publishing House, says the series are especially relatable to young readers.

Genetically modified food may decrease the usage of pesticide but may pose great risks to the human body. Some consider it as casino chips in international relations and seeds may be a strategic weapon countries strive to develop. In Zang Yunpeng's new book The Truth about Agriculture in China, he combs through recent issues of food security and tries to offer strategic advice to agricultural management, stressing that China should be mindful of foreign capital.

Community supports agriculture

A Revolution Starting From a Carrot, the story of how community-supported agriculture started and grew in Japan, has arrived in China. The model is now a trend in the country. Kazuyoshi Fujita, head of Daichi wo Mamorukai (The Association to Preserve the Earth) had initiated the CSA concept to fight against Japan's environmental and agricultural problems in the 1970s. He predicted the model to "revolutionize Chinese agriculture". Zi Zhongjun, prestigious researcher of international relations, says the business will "contribute to the future of humanity".

Rowling writes crime novel

Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling secretly posed as a retired military policeman to write a crime novel that has been hailed as one of the best debut detective stories in years. Rowling wrote The Cuckoo's Calling under the name Robert Galbraith and kept up the pretence that it was the work of a married father of two and former undercover investigator. Her cover was blown when the Sunday Times newspaper became suspicious that such an assured piece of writing could have been created by a first-time novelist. An investigation uncovered that Rowling was the real author. "I had hoped to keep this secret a little longer because being Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience," the 47-year-old says.

Amazon goes into comics

Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. will start publishing more original comics through its new imprint, Jet City Comics. The name is a nod to Seattle's historical ties to the development of jets in aviation. It's also a sign of growing demand for more original comics and graphic novels that have seen established authors develop their own titles to slake fan demand. Jet City issues will publish on Kindle as stand-alone comics, serialized comics released over multiple episodes, and bundled graphic novels, with print editions available at Amazon.com and other comic retailers.

China Daily - AP

(China Daily USA 07/16/2013 page9)