Spring finally sprung….
Ah, the pleasure of spending an afternoon outside reading a good book…
The Last Olympian
Rick Riordan
Grades 5-8
This is a worthy ending to Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series. Percy and his friends go up against the Titans and evil half-bloods in a final battle royale, and Percy finally learns the truth of the prophecy. Riordan brings back all your favorite characters, feeds readers another dose of Greek mythology, and gives readers a satisfying ending to Percy’s journey. He does, however, hint that this will not be his last Camp Half-Blood series.
Dragonfly Pool
by Eva Ibbotson
Grades 4-8
I am becoming a big fan of Ibbotson’s wonderful storytelling, interesting characters, and unique way of setting both against the background of real turmoil. This novel tells the story of a rather odd, “progressive” boarding school right at the beginning of WWII. The children go abroad for a folk dancing festival and find themselves rescuing a recently orphaned prince whose father was killed by the Nazis. Some great adventure, believable friendships, and characters you actually want to know. Take a look at some of her other books, too: Island of the Aunts, Dial-a-Ghost, and Journey to the River Sea, and many others. She also has some great books for adults and young adults: Song for Summer, Countess Below Stairs, and The Reluctant Heiress.
Carpe Diem
by Autumn Cornwell
Grades 7-12
This was a fun, if not altogether realistic, read about a teenager on the fast track who goes on the trip of a lifetime to visit her grandmother in Southeast Asia. On the way, she is seeking a secret about herself, and she learns what it’s like to let go and live in the moment. Lots of fun!
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed
By Mo Willems
Grade k-3
This is another simple but hilarious home run from the man who told you not to get the pigeon a hot dog. In this story, a naked mole rat asks the question “why can’t we wear clothes?” This gets him in a whole bunch of trouble with the other naked mole rats, until the head rat suggests that they should be able to do what they want. Lots of fun and great illustrations.
Scaredy Squirrel At Night
by Melanie Watt
Grades K-3
Another great book with our favorite neurotic squirrel. This time he enumerates all the reasons he’s afraid of the dark and can’t sleep (including unicorns and polka-dotted monsters). Watt knows how to tickle funny bones young and old.
Love, Splat
by Ron Scotton
Grades K-3
Funny how we love insecure, neurotic characters, but Scotton’s back with a second installment about Splat the Cat. In the first one, Splat was afraid to go to school. This one features a Valentine’s Day theme. Splat and his friends Spike are both in love with Kitten, but neither is very good at communicating that to her. Hilarity ensues.
Max’s Dragon
by Kate Banks
Grades 1-4
Kate Banks’ first book about Max, Max’s Words, is one of the most underappreciated books in the library. It is a brilliant treatise on the power and value of language and words. In this follow up, Max is searching for rhymes, and in spite of his brothers’ mocking, Max is able to show that words will triumph in the end. Perfect for budding writers and readers, and brilliantly and subtley done.
