With school finishing soon, summer is upon us. The summer months are a wonderful time to rest, relax, and read a fun book. Summer is also a time when families spend time outdoors--traveling to the beach, camping in the woods, visiting relatives or staying at home. This week members the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) share books that talk about summer activities. These titles could be included in a newsletter home to encourage reading till fall.
GRADES K-1
Fineman, Kelly Ramsdell. (2012). At the boardwalk. Illus. by Monica Armino. Wilton, CT.:Tiger Tales.
Everyone enjoys a day at the beach and the fun of the boardwalk and that is exactly what this picture book debut by Kelly Fineman offers. The book starts with a jog in the morning and jumps right into all the activity that goes with arcade games, cotton candy, people in crowds and the bustle of boardwalk sights. We see all the employees busy at their jobs within the fun day in the sun. The sun-filled illustrations by Monica Armino portray the passage of the day as the sun moves from side to side through the book. Even a quick rainstorm allows for playing in the rain at the boardwalk. The simple language of rhyming verse takes readers through the fun all day.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Jenkins, Ward. (2012). New York, Baby! San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Summer is the time for expanding our horizons, and travel is one way to do this. For small children, a trip through a familiar neighborhood or to another, unfamiliar part of the city can be a great vacation. This brief but visually and textually appealing book shows one boy’s perspective on the delights of New York City, arguably the most famous city on this continent. Amid the bustle of the cosmopolitan city, it’s all about the food as he consumes a bagel, a sandwich, and ice cream while his mother strolls him about the city. As do many tourists, the two make stops at the Metropolitan Museum, City Park, Broadway, and the Empire State Building. Clearly, New York City is just fine for this baby. The pencil and digitally painted illustrations show the city at its best.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Jenkins, Ward. (2012). San Francisco, Baby! San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
It would be difficult to argue against taking a trip to San Francisco with its well-traveled tourist spots, including Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, the cable cars, Lombard Street, and Chinatown, among others. San Francisco’s cityscape is seen from a child’s point of view as an exuberant little girl wanders the city with her father, sampling the sights, sounds, and flavors of this city by the bay. The simple rhyming text is fun to read aloud, and the illustrations, created with pencil and then digitally painted, feature much food sampling amid the sightseeing. Parents might want to share this with little ones prior to their first trip away from home since it makes traveling and getting to know a new city look like so much fun.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Konagaya, Kiyomi. (2012). Beach Feet. Illus. by Masamitsu Saito. Brooklyn, N.Y.:Enchanted Lion Books.
Translated from the Japanese, Beach Feet is definitely a tactile experience through words. A young child that the reader does not know if boy or girl, experiences the hot, hot sand which the ocean water cools after plunging into the waves. The hard feel of seashells, the squishy feel of wet sand, the heat of hard sun-baked beach sand, combined with the splash of waves combine to give this book a real sensory experience. Artist Saito’s pastel illustrations enhance the feel of the words to recreate the colors of the beach world. This quiet story evokes the pleasures of being near the ocean in a “wordful” sensory approach.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Lee, Anne. (2012). When you are camping. Tulsa, OK: Kane Miller.
Have you ever woken up to rain when you are camping? Well, Hazel and Tilly don’t mind because they put on their raincoats and boots to splash in the puddles, run down the paths in the woods, stomp through the wet grass and lay down in the mud. Eventually the rain stops and the caterpillars, moths and rabbits come out for them to observe and play with. Simple ink drawings and watercolor paintings show how much these two sisters adore being outside. When it is hot they float down a river in tubes and take a bath with the fish. After dinner the family goes for a walk in the woods and watches a deer. Later everyone gathers around the campfire for popcorn and stories. At bedtime the crickets sing Tilly and Hazel to sleep reminding them how much camping is.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
Yee, Wong Herbert. (2012). Summer days and nights. New York: Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt.
This picture book is small in shape and perfect to hold, cuddle and enjoy on a summer day. The simple verse makes it easy to read, “Summer days, so warm and bright, paint my room in morning light.” A little girl stretches, yawns and wakes up with the sun shining through her open window. Thus begins her adventure filled day where she tip toes through a meadow, tries to catch a butterfly, sits beneath an oak tree, jumps into a pool and observes a bumblebee. Later, her family goes on a picnic to the park where her father gives her a piggy-back ride and they play hide and seek. At bedtime it is too hot to sleep so the father takes the little girl outside to watch a barn owl in a tree, blinking fireflies and the moonlit sky. Finally, the little girl’s eyelids droop and she is ready to dream. This title is part of a series on seasons: Tracks in the snow and Who likes rain?
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
GRADES 2-4
Monroe, Mary Alice. (2007). Turtle summer: A journal for my daughter. Illus. by Barbara J. Bergwerf. Mt. Pleasant, SC: Sylvan Dell Publishing.
This journal chronicles loggerhead sea turtles over the course of one summer. In May a mother and daughter watch a female loggerhead crawl across the beach, dig a deep hole, and lay her eggs. The mother and daughter then mark the nest with a sign and begin observing and taking care of it all summer. As they wait they ask many questions: What are the turtles doing under the sand? Are they sleeping? Are they dreaming? Color photographs record the events with informative captions. Finally, in August the nest begins to hatch. Slowly the hatchlings rise to the surface like an elevator and scramble to the sea. The baby turtles swim off, disappearing in the waves. The book closes with more material about loggerhead turtles, activity pages and shell identification pages. There is also an invitation to children to create their own nature scrapbooks.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
Owen, Ruth. (2012). How do you know it’s summer? New York: Bearport Publishing.
Summer vacation can be the perfect time to spend time outdoors with the family, which can combine a vacation and science lessons. This introductory book on the summer season provides plenty of interesting facts about what happens in the natural world during summer. By characterizing that time of year and describing some of the weather patterns that typically accompany summer, young readers will be able to recognize higher temperatures and thunderstorms as signs of summer. In addition to the simple, informative text and attractive photographs, some of the pages call for deeper thinking about what's being described or expand on what is seen in a photograph, both of which make the reading process more active. Colorful, interesting photographs provide up close perspectives on several common summer occurrences such as storms with lightning crackling across the sky, a family toasting marshmallows over a fire as dusk sets, and a bee searching for a flower’s nectar. As part of the back matter the book contains a short glossary with tiny photographs, an index, and science extension activities for readers. After reading this book, youngsters will know some of the simple science behind what makes it summer.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Person, Stephen. (2012). Saving animals from hurricanes. New York: Bearport Publishing.
Many visitors to seaside settings are careful to plan their summer vacations around hurricane season, often trying to avoid August, which is typically when the severe storms are most prevalent. This easy-to-read text describes what happens to animals during hurricanes. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was a turning point for how animals would be treated during catastrophic events, and the concern of individuals across the world for the pets left behind led to federal legislation requiring that animals receive consideration during future disasters. This book tells the rescue stories of some of the animals left behind when their owners had to evacuate, relying in part on stories told earlier in other books for children. The book describes the rescue efforts briefly alongside heart-rending photographs of the trusting eyes of pets and dogs swimming through water or perched on boards or car roofs waiting for someone to save them as well as joyful images of dogs and cats reunited with their human family. Clearly, the Herculean efforts of the men and women who worked so hard to bring the dogs, cats, and other living things out from the flood waters in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast can be termed heroic. Even farm animals such as horses and chickens and aquarium residents such as dolphins and alligators needed care during the crisis, and the author provides simple details about all of these animals and their rescue. He even describes the massive animal shelter and rescue operation set up in Gonzales, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina, the largest animal shelter and animal rescue operation in U. S. history. Young readers--and their animal-loving parents--will savor this one up--and they should. After all, the animals with which we share our lives are important members of our family.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
GRADES 5-7
Ashley-Hollinger, Mika. (2012). Precious Bones. New York: Delacorte.
The summer of 1949 brings lots of heartache, adventure, and mystery to ten-year-old Precious Bones, her mother, and part-Miccosukee Indian father Nolay. The trouble begins with a huge storm that fills their home with water (and snakes). Then two murders take place, and Nolay is considered a prime suspect for each of them. Bones learns lessons about miracles, family, friendship, grief, abuse, discrimination, judging others, and kindnesses that help her to develop as a compassionate, well-rounded person. Ashley-Hollinger creates a setting so rich that readers can feel the heat and humidity of the Florida swamp, experience the bites of pesky mosquitoes, and hear the sounds of the birds and animals. Likewise, readers will find many of the book’s well-developed characters occupying places in their hearts. The plot is gripping, engaging, and has enough suspense to make it a book that is hard to put down.
- Terrell A. Young, Brigham Young University Provo
Jinks, Catherine. (2012). The paradise trap. New York: Egmont USA.
Marcus is not at all excited when his mother, Holly Bradshaw, decides to revisit the beach vacations from her childhood and buy a “used” (junky, dilapidated) trailer and return to Diamond Beach. He would rather be playing video games. Holly runs into her old friend Coco and her children, Newt and Edison, and so the kids get together, though somewhat begrudgingly in the beginning. As they begin to explore, they learn that this old trailer has a cellar and as they do down the steps they discover a strange but fantastic amusement park. Marcus figures out that whoever opens the door gets their dream vacation – or so they think until they can’t get out. The dream vacation turns into a “rocking nightmare”. Their adventure begins with touches of Greek mythology, a few historical facts and fast-paced action. This will be a fun summer read that is not your typical beach read!
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Pennypacker, Sara. (2012). Summer of the gypsy moths. New York: Balzer + Bray.
The cover of Summer of the Gypsy Moths may remind readers of the Clementine series we have become used to seeing from author Sara Pennypacker, but this latest book, set in a summer on Cape Cod, is quite different and puts the book characters into a more sober setting. Told in the voice of abandoned 11-year-old Stella, whose mother’s location and life is nowhere to be found, she has come to live with her great-aunt Louise. Louise has also taken in another foster child, Angel, who is anything but what her name implies. From the onset, the two girls don’t get on well. When Louise very unexpectedly has a heart attack and dies, the girls are distraught not only that they have lost Louise, but their bad experiences with government authorities push them to tell no one and bury Louise in the garden. They convince themselves they can continue to do the housekeeping and odd jobs for the Linger Longer Cottage Colony on Cape Cod that kept great-aunt Louise employed. They especially need to fool George Nickerson, the owner of the cottages for whom Louise had been employed. The girls develop a new lifestyle for themselves so they can continue to live on Cape Cod and also learn the meaning of family, from the traditional families they observe on Cape Cod to the new family arrangement they have carved out for themselves to survive. The difficulties, the hunger, the bills, compound as the summer moves along and readers know that this life cannot continue as is. The caretakers that come into the girls’ lives to conclude the book may surprise some readers. Well developed dialogue brings Stella and Angel to life on many levels and makes the book a special summer read … for all year long. A discussion guide can be found at the publisher’s website.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Turner, Amber McRee. (2012). Sway. New York: Disney/Hyperion Books.
Cass Nordenhauer adores her mother Toodi, and she looks forward to her return from her heroic work as a disaster relief worker. But Toodi leaves home again within hours of her homecoming, relegating ten-year-old Cass to a boring summer spent with her decidedly unheroic father in Olyn, Alabama. After she hears them fighting, Cass knows something is wrong, but she figures she can persuade her mother to come back. Nevertheless, Mr. Nordenhauer continues with his plans to renovate and stock an old RV for a road trip that just might open Cass’s eyes. Although his daughter reluctantly agrees to go on the planned road trip, her heart isn’t in this vacation. Her father is relentlessly upbeat and has several interesting adventures planned, including fishing for shoes along the highway, and a traveling road show in which he takes on the persona of M. B. McClean, complete with a costume and the use of what he calls Sway, a magical force that brings joy and inspiration to others as they wash their hands with a sliver of soap from his seemingly endless collection. Each soap fragment contains the initials of famous folks, and the strangers the family encounters seem to find the right soap for what they need. Once Cass realizes the truth about both parents, she is sorely in need of a little courage and inspiration herself. The author’s word choices and her unique but often imperfect characters make this an appealing book. Even Cass’s realization that those who rescue others often are in need of rescue themselves is poignant but realistic. Although Cass's disappointment near the end of the book is palpable, she clearly has what she needs to rescue herself. The book’s hopeful, self-empowering message is sorely needed today.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
GRADES 9-12
John, Antony. (2012). Thou shalt not road trip. New York: Dial.
To publicize the book chronicling his spiritual journey written when he was fifteen, sixteen-year-old Luke's publisher sends him on a publicity tour. His older brother, Matt, turns it into something of a vacation/road trip, renting a Hummer and taking the slow route across country along Route 66. The trip is complicated by the fact that Matt’s current girlfriend and Luke’s former crush come along. Luke complains every step of the way as Matt takes detours that lead to beautiful or interesting spots, but once he arrives at each destination, he is glad for the diversions. Realistically portrayed in his growing uncertainty, Luke flounders from one mistake to another, betraying others and disappointing himself as well. Luke is, after all, still looking for something in which to believe, a process typical of adolescents. The media frenzy that ensues once Luke is found to be less that forthright about his book as well as some of the events occurring on the trip threatens to erode all the good that has come from his experiences. A reminder that the journey is just as important as the destination at times, this title is likely to encourage readers to reflect on their own actions and beliefs. While exploring weighty issues, this book is also filled with humor and moments of bonding between siblings and friends.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
LaCour, Nina. (2012). The Disenchantments. New York: Dutton Juvenile.
While partly a road trip book, this one is certainly a whole lot more than that. Following high school graduation, four friends embark on a week-long summer musical tour of small towns in the Pacific Northwest before heading in different directions. The three girls comprise an attractive, enthusiastic but not particularly skilled band called The Disenchantments while Colby is their roadie and driver of the VW bus borrowed from his uncle. The plan is to travel up the coast from San Francisco, drop Meg off at her dorm in her new college in Portland, and then Bev and Colby will head off to Europe for a year of travel, something they've planned for years. But Bev’s plans have changed; instead of heading to Europe, she plans to attend college at RISD, something she reveals on the trip. Colby is in love with Bev, and much of the book involves his determination to find out the reasons behind Bev's change of heart. As the band moves from venue to venue, they meet all manner of interesting characters while Colby tries to heal his wounded heart. Fans of this sort of thing will love the musical references to the Chiffons, the Supremes, Heart, and Sleater-Kinney. There are all sorts of other plotlines as well. Colby's mother is in France, learning to speak another language while her husband waits at home. His dad and uncle were in a band of their own years ago, and Colby’s road trip inspires some nostalgia for their own touring days. In a strange twist of fate, the musical travelers happen to meet a tattoo artist desperate to leave his own home and find a copy of a painting by Colby's mother in a tattoo book. In the end, all four gain self-insight and learn much more about each other than they might have had they not ventured up the coast.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman