He Reads/She Reads
July/August 2013
There's nothing like a great book and a cool spot to read on those lazy days of summer. For those who need a little inspiration here is a list of kid-tested, librarian-approved titles. The list is divided by age, for both boys and girls to make picking a sure bet a little easier. Please feel free to read recklessly and enjoy ALL the books on the list. And do remember that talking about favorite books is what librarians love most so ask us for more!
Boys, Ages 3-6
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Morris Lessmore loves words, stories and books, and after a tornado carries him to another land, dreary and colorless, he finds a single book in color that leads him to an amazing library where, he learns, the books need him as much as he needs them.
Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon
Baseball is summer fun which crosses cultures and generations. Join this young baseball fan at TWO baseball games on different sides of the world as each grandfather shares his love of baseball with him.
The Dark by Lemony Snicket
Laszlo is afraid of the dark. The dark lives in the same house as Laszlo. Mostly, though, the dark stays in the basement and doesn't come into Lazslo's room. But one night, it does. This is the story of how Laszlo stops being afraid of the dark. With emotional insight and poetic economy, two award-winning talents team up to conquer a universal childhood fear.
Sector 7 by David Wiesner
Some books are timeless. David Wiesner's wordless story about a boy taken by a friendly cloud to visit Sector 7, where he discovers how clouds are shaped and channeled throughout the country is one of those. If you have a dreamer, this book is a great one to sit and use your own words to create a story to go with Wiesner's enchanting illustrations.
Girls, Ages 3-6
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
A selfish archduke threatens to halt a little girl's transformation of a colorless town and steal her box of magical yarn. (2013 Caldecott Honor Book)
Building Our House by Jonathan Bean
A young girl narrates her family's move from the city to the country, where they have bought a piece of land and live in a trailer while they build a house from the ground up, with help from relatives and friends.
Anna Banana: 101 jump-rope rhymes compiled by Joanna Cole
An illustrated collection of jump rope rhymes arranged according to the type of jumping they are meant to accompany.
Tea Rex by Molly Idle
A new spin on tea parties! Some tea parties are for grown-ups. Some are for children. But this tea party is for a very special guest. And it is important to follow some rules . . . like providing comfortable chairs, and good conversation, and yummy food. But sometimes that is not enough for special guests, especially when their manners are more Cretaceous than gracious . . . Introducing Tea Rex, a guest that just about any child would love to have to tea!
Boys, Ages 7-9
Game On! by Jennifer and Matthew Holm
Squish the amoeba neglects his homework, parents, friends, and even his Super Amoeba comic books when he discovers the video game Mitosis.
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
Here Goes Nothing by Lincoln Peirce
Nate's not only the star of his own comic strip--he's the star goalie of his school soccer team! Will Nate defend his goal and save the day? Or will Jefferson Middle School win...again?
The Mighty Mars Rovers: the incredible adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch
When Steve Squyres was thirteen years old, watching the first person walk on the moon, he never thought that he would one day be part of a record-breaking space mission himself. It wasn't until college that he first saw strange and beautiful photographs of Mars, a planet that hadn't been explored and wasn't understood, and knew immediately what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Steve is the man behind Spirit and Opportunity, the twin vehicles called rovers who have been cruising around the red planet since 2003.
Girls, Ages 7-9
BabyMouse: Beach Babe by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Grab your sunglasses! School's out and Babymouse is headed to the beach for a week of sun, sand, surfing, snorkeling, and sharks! That's right, folks- sharks! Looks like Babymouse's summer fun isn't shaping up quite the way she expected! Will Babymouse survive her summer vacation? Will she be the surfing star she dreams of being . . . or is she sharkbait?!
Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay
Lulu, who loves animals, brings an abandoned duck egg to school, even though her teacher has banned Lulu from bringing animals to school ever again.
Clementine and the Spring Trip by Sara Pennypacker
Third-grader Clementine's school field trip to Plimoth Plantation leads to all kind of discoveries, from fourth grade eating rules to the source of the stink on the bus.
Mirror Mirror: a book of reversible verse by Marilyn Singer
A collection of short poems which, when reversed, provide new perspectives on the fairy tale characters they feature. It’s an interesting and different introduction to poetry for young readers interested in playing with their words.
Tween Boys, Ages 10-13
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
Plot twists, red herrings and puzzles within puzzles abound as Petra and Calder, aided and abetted by a quirky cast of characters, join forces to find a stolen painting.
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Miss Stretchberry introduces a reluctant Jack to eight masterful poets, encouraging him, as he comes to understand and appreciate the power of words, to write his own heartfelt tribute to a lost pet.
Journey by Patricia MacLachlan
In her trademark clean, compact style MacLachlan details Journey's attempts to deal with his mother's abandonment, supported by the love of his Grandfather, a cat called Bloom, a sister called Cat, his friend Cooper and the photos his Grandfather takes of all of them.
The King of Mulberry Street by Donna Jo Napoli
This book paints a vivid picture of life alone on the streets of 1890s New York for Beniamino, a nine year old Italian immigrant who is smart, industrious, determined to succeed, and blessed with good friends.
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Orphaned Tree-ear and his friend and guardian Crane-man lead a cold and hungry life under a bridge in Medieval Korea as Tree-ear struggles to realize his dream of becoming a master potter.
Tween Girls, Ages 10-13
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
A classic Gothic tale for kids, this book comes complete with fierce wolves, an evil governess, an orphanage, two plucky cousins, a resourceful goose-boy and a happy ending.
The Penderwicks: a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, ad a very interesting boy by Jeanne Birdsall
A summer spent in the Berkshires with the four Penderwick sisters, their widowed father and a dog called Hound is an old-fashioned adventure filled with near-disasters, close calls and a little disobedience.
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
The journal of Catherine, the fourteen year old daughter of a poor knight, describes the smelly, muddy, flea-ridden Medieval world as well as her own rebellious, thoughtful and very funny personality. Her methods for discouraging suitors are unforgettable.
Spiderweb for Two by Elizabeth Enright
The arrival of a mysterious letter sends Miranda and Oliver on a treasure/scavenger hunt that takes the entire winter to solve.
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
Abilene arrives in 1936 Manifest, Kansas, her father's hometown, and finds herself exploring a mystery from the town's past through the stories of its residents.
P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia
Eleven-year-old Brooklyn girl Delphine feels overwhelmed with worries and responsibilities. She's just started sixth grade and is self-conscious about being the tallest girl in the class, and nervous about her first school dance. She's supposed to be watching her sisters, but Fern and Vonetta are hard to control. Her uncle Darnell is home from Vietnam and seems different. And her pa has a girlfriend. At least Delphine can write to her mother in Oakland, California, for advice. But why does her mother tell her to 'be eleven' when Delphine is now twelve?
Teen Boys, Ages 14+
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Step into the world of Junior, who has decided to leave the school on his poverty ridden reservation for one in a white farm town where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Farmer has created a vivid and frightening futuristic tale that raises the questions “How do you find out who you are if you are a clone of someone else?” and “Can you become more than you were created to be?”
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
The two Will Graysons, one a straight, risk-averse nerd and the other depressed and gay, and Tiny Cooper, who is continually lovelorn, totally lovable and very, very gay, find their lives intertwining with hilarious and heartbreaking results. The musical of Tiny's life must not be missed!
Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick
Based on the the true story of a Cambodian child soldier who survived the murderous regime of the Khmer Rouge by his wits, his courage and an indomitable will to survive, this is a powerful tribute to the human spirit.
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Todd Hewitt lives in a world in which all the women are dead and the thoughts of both men and animals are broadcast for all to hear. Then he finds a hole of silence and a young woman, and the adventure begins.
Teen Girls, Ages 14+
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
This is a delicious mix of mystery, magic, intrigue and adventure set in the confinement of Victorian England with a stubborn, willful heroine.
One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke
Lily's family is eccentric at best, though unstable or even freakish might be more accurate. Her story is the tangled web of events and encounters with strangers by all of them en route to that one whole and perfect day that is her heart's desire.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel and Gus meet in a cancer support group. And now that that's out of the way, this book is actually a sexy romance told in acerbically comic dialogue that explores the big issues of life. Don't miss it.
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
This is a clever and sultry re-imagining of a fairy tale set in the present in which the fairies are malicious, sly and exotic, and the heroine longs for the life of a normal teen who cannot see or be plagued by them and is not pursued by their King.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This brilliantly written story of WWII intrigue engaged in by two English women, one of whom has been captured in Nazi-occupied France and is being “questioned” by the SS, is told in first person by both, with drama, dark humor and many twists. It is totally gripping.
List created by:
Latricia Batchelor Markle
Children's Librarian, Tenafly Public Library
Susan Sampietro
Reference/Young Adult Librarian, Westwood Free Public Library
