Summertime and the Readin' is Easy

I am writing this on a cloudy, rainy summer day in Rohnert Park. It’s probably not the sort of day you would be hanging out at the beach and reading (not without a good umbrella, anyway). Whether it is sunny or stormy, for those who love to find a good summer read, the question is: How do you find the right book for you this summer?

For some, it may be a great mystery, whether it is the can’t-put-it-down plots of Janet Evanovich or the cozy murder mysteries of Agatha Christie. Maybe it’s a lazy romance or perhaps its vampire love.

With the last Harry Potter movie coming out next month, many fans of all ages are re-reading the entire series. For chapter book readers, kids continue to love the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne and June B. Jones by Barbara Park. Local author Megan McDonald’s Judy Moody series is now a movie and Beverly Cleary’s character Ramona was also up on the screen this year. And don’t forget that stick figure Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney—those books fly off of the library shelves. So how do you find a book for yourself or a member of your family?

Do you ask a good friend for recommendations?

Check Amazon to see “Customers who bought this item also bought….”?

Go to the bookstore or library and browse the shelves?

Ask a Librarian?

The Sonoma County Library has a great database resource called Novelist where you can find recommendations for reads during any season. Try Author Read-Alikes section for instance. You can use this database at the library or on your own computer by going to www.sonomalibrary.org, then Magazines, Newspapers and More, then Novelist (under Books and Literature).

When choosing books for kids, there are also numerous book resources you can check out and peruse at home. There are classics like Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease and Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt and other newer titles such as Great Books for Boys and Great Books for Girls by Kathleen Odean, Valerie and Walter’s Best Books for Children, a Lively and Opinionated Guide, and 100 Books for Girls to Grow On by Shireen Dodson. Two new books I recommend that are for use in the library are Best Books for Boys by Matthew Zbaracki and Gentle Reads (for girls) by Deanna McDaniel. We just received a new book this week that looks like a great one for discussion (and arguments perhaps) 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up edited by Julia Eccleshare. Check it out!

Want to start a kids book club or mother-daughter book club this summer? There are books available for that too!

For my part, I am reading David McCullough’s The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. Lots of entertaining history and colorful characters. I am also on the waiting list for The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (see a trend, anybody?)

What are you reading this summer and what made you pick it up?