Book Buzz Blog

Thousands of kids and hundreds of teens have already signed up for this year’s summer reading clubs at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library.  Now that schools are letting out, librarians are bracing for even more eager readers swarming into our branches. 

Summer means the youth services librarians get to turn their attention form homework help to one of their very favorite jobs:  matching readers with books.  Getting kids started on a great series is a special thrill as kids fall head over heels into characters and stories that continue in book after book. 

This week’s column was supposed to be about great summer reads.  But after the lightning strike that killed a twelve-year-old boy and critically injured his friend last week in Spotsylvania, our community’s attention has turned to grieving families and friends.   

With summer almost here, it’s time for kids to find a cozy seat, a tall glass of lemonade and a good book, and read till the fireflies come out. This kind of leisurely, just-for-fun reading is at the heart of the summer reading club at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, “Be Creative @ Your Library!”

Start your New Year off right by sharing with young readers one of the most inspiring children’s books of 2008. “Planting the Trees of Kenya” by Claire A. Nivola is the true story of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, a woman who changed her country one tree at a time. 

This year marks the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his ground-breaking book, “On the Origin of Species.”  Kathryn Lasky’s new illustrated biography, “One Beetle Too Many,” makes an appealing introduction for nine- to twelve-year-olds to the man and his “idea that scared the world.”

    If you have a Rick Riordan fan at your house, you’re well aware that the final book in his Percy Jackson series has just been published. 

     Percy, now 16, is a “half-blood,” the son of Poseidon, the ocean god, and a human mother.  In “The Last Olympian” he leads the final battle between the Greek gods and the forces of Kronos.  Strong characterizations, surprising plot twists, and enough mystery and suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats have made this series a best-seller, and Riordan does not disappoint in the final book.  Readers new to the series would do well to start at the beginning with “The Lightning Thief.”

          Developing empathy, reducing impulsiveness, improving decision-making even when upset – these are all social and emotional skills that children build slowly, with lots of help from caring adults.

Faraway Home by Jane Kurtz
Desta's father, who needs to return briefly to his Ethiopian homeland, describes what it was like for him to grow up there.

If you like trains, here are some other books you might enjoy:

Full Steam Ahead by Faye Gibbons. A young boy and his grandpa ride on a steam locomotive chugging through Georgia one hot summer day.

All Aboard! by Mary Lyn Ray. A large white rabbit named Mr. Barnes goes on a train trip and enjoys all the sights and sounds of the ride.

Circus Train by Jos. A. Smith. After moving to a house in the country, Timothy wonders how he will make any friends, but his problem is solved when he finds an imaginative way to rescue a stranded circus train.

If you're a beginning reader who likes to read series books, here are a couple suggestions. Each title is the first in the series.

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola. The true-life adventures of the famous children's book author, including dropping out of school on the first day of kindergarten.

Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin. Do those kittens really have wings?

McBroom Tells a Lie by Sid Fleischman. Josh McBroom, his dear wife, and their eleven children outwit mean Heck Jones by using frozen sunlight and a car that runs on popcorn.