Book blogs

I hope my students and their families are enjoying the last few weeks of summer break. We staff members head back to work on Monday and are so looking forward to seeing all of you again!

Do any of you read book blogs? Ones devoted to children's and teen literature proliferate on the Interent and they are a great way to keep up with the wondrously rich world of publishing. Below are just a very few I'd like to recommend. Have more suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

A Chair, a Fireplace & a Tea Cozy

Cynsations

Good Comics for Kids

Kirby's Lane

Mitali's Fire Escape

Twins!

The non-fiction book Twin Tales: The Magic and Mystery of Multiple Birth by Donna M. Jackson is as popular in our school library with singletons as it is with twins! Twins also show up frequently in fiction such as the Children of the Lamp fantasy series by P.B. Kerr, Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith, Lost and Found by Andrew Clements, and many more.

Want to read about twins? Just do a library catalog search for Twins - Juvenile Fiction to find books for elementary through high school students. Here's a short reading list for middle and high school students to look at too!

Book Crush

Greetings from Finland, where I am visiting family including my newborn niece, Hilla! I hope everyone is having a lovely summer. It has been very nice to have extra time to read - on planes, while relaxing at my in-laws' house in the country, and so on. In case you are wondering what book to pick up next, keep reading!

Nancy Pearl is known to many as the first librarian to have her own action figure! This Seattle legend was the brilliant mind behind the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book" program that rapidly spread around the country. She's also tremendously well read in a wide range of genres.

Pearl has written several reading guides, including Book Crush, aimed at ages birth-18, as well as Book Lust and More Book Lust for adults. Organized by theme, they are not intended as exhaustive guides to all the "best" books, but rather as starting places for exploring literature. My own 13-year-old daughter likes to dip into Book Crush, choosing a section at random and sometimes even challenging herself to try books in genres she usually avoids. Whether you're stuck for reading ideas or not, you'll find plenty to enjoy in these books.

Nancy Pearl is also an engaging speaker - a warm and witty presence. If you ever have the opportunity to hear her speak, take it!

The joys of summer reading

What's on your summer reading list? My tottering piles of books represent only a fraction of my actual "to read" list! However, one of the joys of the slower pace of summertime living is sneaking in more opportunities to read - on a park bench, on an airplane, anywhere I find myself with a spare moment or two...

A book for parents that I'm currently reading is The New Global Student by Maya Frost. I've only just begun it, but am quite intrigued by her family's adventures abroad. I'm also in the middle of a suspenseful mystery novel for middle schoolers, Rescuing Seneca Crane by Susan Runholt. It's the second in the Kari and Lucas series about two very intrepid young women who find adventure in the most unexpected places.

School Library Journal recently asked a few notable children's and young adult authors what they're reading this summer. Check out their answers - maybe you'll see some books on their lists that you want to read too!