Embracing the Future.
In 2025, ARPress reached a new milestone by joining the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), one of the Asia-Pacific region’s leading events dedicated to children’s and young adult content. Held from 14 to 16 November at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, the fair reinforced our mission to champion diverse voices and cross-cultural storytelling. With a history of participating in major global book fairs, ARPress welcomed the opportunity to engage with CCBF’s vibrant international community.
Approved by the Shanghai Press & Publication Administration and organized by major Chinese publishing groups, with Ronbo BolognaFiere Shanghai Ltd. as co-organizer, CCBF has been a cornerstone of global children’s publishing since 2013. Its partnership with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair reflects China’s “going global and bringing in” strategy, promoting international exchange and introducing outstanding global titles to Chinese readers. The 2025 edition hosted around 500 exhibitors from more than 35 countries across its 25,000-square-meter venue, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and showcasing thousands of new titles, artworks, and multimedia projects.
The fair featured two main zones: a Copyright Zone focused on rights trading and a Hybrid Zone blending publishing, marketing, and retail. ARPress was honored to exhibit in the Copyright Zone at Booth 2A17, presenting curated fiction, nonfiction, and poetry collections. CCBF’s renowned programming continued in 2025, with the Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition receiving over 15,000 submissions, the Illustrators Survival Corner offering masterclasses and portfolio reviews, the Children Plus – COMICS exhibition highlighting nearly 200 international comic titles, and the expanded Cross-Media Lounge spotlighting innovative global projects.
Across forums and seminars, international experts explored topics such as AI in education, inclusive storytelling, and global reading promotion, further strengthening CCBF’s role as a hub for cultural exchange. For ARPress, participating in this event deepened our connections across the Asia-Pacific region, enabled meaningful engagement with authors and illustrators worldwide, and affirmed our commitment to stories that transcend borders. As we welcomed partners and book lovers to our booth, we left inspired to continue nurturing global collaboration and advancing imaginative, empathetic, and diverse storytelling for young readers.
A few books were only featured in this globally reached book fair. One of the masterpieces featured is Cousin’s Rivalry by Ted J. Brooks. It unfolds a compelling story of family conflict, inheritance, and deeply rooted traditions.
At the center of the novel are Greg Sutton and Robert Hawkins, two cousins whose once-ordinary familial bond becomes strained when the ownership of the Portsmouth Falls Country Store is passed down to Greg. The store, inherited from their grandfather, becomes the source of tension that exposes long-standing issues, unspoken resentments, and the emotional weight of family expectations. What begins as a disagreement over property slowly transforms into a broader examination of loyalty, legacy, and the ties that hold a family together—or pull it apart.
Set in a fictional Connecticut town accessible only by crossing a covered bridge, the novel uses its unique setting to heighten the story’s atmosphere. The isolated location reinforces the sense of a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows each other’s history, rumors travel fast, and family matters rarely stay private. The covered bridge acts as a symbolic threshold—one that separates the outside world from a place steeped in tradition, memory, and generational conflict. Within this secluded environment, the characters’ struggles take on greater intensity, emphasizing the emotional and cultural pressures that shape the decisions they make.
The story also weaves in a significant subplot involving Robert’s mother. Her discovery that she has been removed from her parents’ will after marrying someone outside their faith adds an additional layer of complexity. This storyline broadens the novel’s exploration of family dynamics, revealing themes of cultural identity, forgiveness, and the consequences of breaking with tradition. Her experience parallels the main conflict between Greg and Robert, suggesting that the roots of familial tension stretch far beyond a single inheritance and into the deeper patterns of judgment and expectation within their lineage.
A major strength of Cousins’ Rivalry lies in how the Portsmouth Falls Country Store serves as more than just a physical location—it becomes a symbol of heritage, responsibility, and belonging. For Greg, the store represents continuity and the fulfillment of his grandfather’s trust. For Robert, it becomes a reminder of perceived unfairness and exclusion, intensifying his frustration and sense of loss. This symbolic weight fuels the emotional stakes of the story, driving the cousins into increasingly strained interactions as they struggle to reconcile their personal ambitions with the burdens of family history.
Through its layered narrative, Cousins’ Rivalry ultimately explores the fragile balance between honoring tradition and forging one’s own path. It raises powerful questions about what families pass down—not just in material possessions, but in values, expectations, and unresolved conflicts. The novel invites readers to reflect on how quickly minor disagreements can evolve into deeply rooted conflicts when shaped by pride, hurt, and decades-old family dynamics. By the end, Brooks delivers a story that is as much about personal growth and self-understanding as it is about rivalry, revealing the profound impact that family can have on one’s identity and future.
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