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The Zupko family were recommended to us for this feature, as a family who love reading… and when you see their choices, we’re sure you’ll agree! The family hail from the US, and moved to Beijing in 2017 when Julia became the Director of Career Development for Tsinghua University’s Schwarzman Scholars program. David is the Associate Dean for the Office of International Affairs at Tsinghua. Their daughters Natalia (age 11) and Josephine (age 9) both attend the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). As well as picking a favorite book each, they recommended a book they have read together, which David told us is “an important aspect in my family’s reading habits.The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is one of my all-time favorite books. It made me think and wonder and cry in the way only magical realism can. I find it frees up my imagination and creates a place that my own mind seldom wanders in the craziness of daily life! This novel is a wonderful read that can be shared and discussed with friends over a long dinner – it was a group favorite in my book club (another strong indicator of a novel’s worthiness). If you have never been part of a book club I highly encourage you to start or join one. It’s a great way to make sure you are reading new and different literary pieces on a regular basis and to share with, listen to, and learn from others. Finally, the novel is set in Chicago – a very formative place in my life – which adds that fun element at the juxtaposition of complete immersion and reality when you catch yourself thinking: “I know that spot!”![]()
My favorite book is The Name of this Book is Secret (Secret Series Book 1), by Pseudonymous Bosch. I like this book because the author really expresses himself so it feels like you’re actually with the main characters, Cass and Max-Ernest. So, when they’re in some dark cold place, and you’re not with them, you get the shivers like you are with them. Also, he writes his books so you want to keep on reading them to find out the secret. This is why this is my favorite book.This was an extremely hard choice, but in the end the book that I chose is a great story. Dry, by Neil Shusterman, is not only full of adventure and excitement, but it sends two messages in particular that are important in life: you are never too young to make a difference, and fight for what you believe in. During the book several children fight for water, shelter, food, and for the sake of their relatives. This book is a great read for avid and tween/teen readers not only for the above, but for its topic which hopefully will get more people to realize that this is a dangerous possibility, and make them think more about conservation and the environment.Ulysses by James Joyce is definitely one of my favorites. A very difficult read – who knows how many times I started and stopped that one! After spending a little time though, the book suddenly becomes understandable. It presents a view so deeply embedded in the minds of Dedalus and Bloom, fused with a stream of consciousness narrative, ever-shifting language, and deadly wit, that I felt like my understanding of psychology, modernist literature, and the Irish all grew significantly.Read as a Family
We’ve read to our children on a daily basis since they were born. We’d read somewhere that it’s great to do so, and even better if it’s a book two or three levels above their current reading level so that they could learn complex topics and vocabulary. So, we’ve read many books together over the years, but a family favorite was The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate. It’s a perfect family read because it has a mix of chapter lengths, making it easier to read a bit at a time. The topic of humane animal care is a tough one in this story, but told incredibly well through the relationship between gorilla and girl.
Photos: fischerverlage.de, Amazon, book-scents.com, kingsenglish.com