School has been out for less than a week, but it already feels like summer is in full swing! If you are like me, your days are busy, but you can always find a little time to read. Today it was too hot and muggy for me to spend much time outside - and there were too many mosquitoes! - so I found a cool spot and got started on my summer reading. I read a fiction book that takes place in Japan, and the writer's words made me feel like I was really there. I was fully absorbed in the story, and couldn't believe it when I finally looked at the clock to find that an hour had passed! I hope you find books this summer that will have you losing track of time, too. There are so many wonderful worlds to discover! If you need some ideas, remember to check out some of the ideas on our Book Reviews page and in our Summer Resources section. HAPPY READING!
Well, we are deep into summer now, and I'm wondering how your reading is going! I stocked up on more books from my library a few days ago, and since it is so hot outside today, I'm spending some time reading in the nice, cool air inside my house (with my funny cat, who likes to climb behind the books on my book shelf!). In the next few weeks, I'm taking trips to Colorado, Traverse City, and Ludington, and will be taking books with me to all those places. I love the feeling of a "real" book, but I think it would be great to have a Kindle or similar device to use when I travel. Books are heavy! How about you? Do you like to read on an e-reader, or hold an actual book in your hand? Have you read any good books in any interesting places lately? Today, I was adding some booklists onto this site, and I stumbled across a website called Flashlight Worthy. This website has hundreds of book reviews for kids and adults, and I think it's pretty great. I also love the name! A book that is "flashlight worthy" is one that would make you want to stay up all night reading, by the light of a flashlight if necessary!
I spent a little time looking at their list of all the Caldecott Medal books, going back to 1938 (way before even I was born!). A lot of these books brought back great memories. I grew up surrounded by books; both my parents love to read, and we spent lots of time at libraries and book stores. I spent hours looking at picture books, loving the stories and the pictures equally. Two of my favorite books from my childhood are on the Caldecott list: A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. Just seeing the covers of these two books makes me smile. I still adore these two books, for their sweet stories and wonderful art. Do you have any favorite picture books, either from the Caldecott list or not? One of my favorite poets for kids is Douglas Florian. Douglas Florian writes short, witty, creative poems, often about animals and seasons, and often arranged into interesting shapes. He also is an artist, and I love the paintings he creates for each of his poems. When summer comes around, I think of his book Summersaults; the poems in this book are all about my favorite season! Here is one of many great poems from the book:
What I Love About Summer By Douglas Florian Morning glories Campfire stories Picking cherries And blueberries Riding bikes Mountain hikes Bird calls Curve balls Short sleeves Green leaves Swimming holes Fishing poles Nature walks Corn stalks Skipping stones Ice cream cones Double plays And barefoot days. He has another poem in the book called "What I Hate About Summer" - because summer also brings things like mosquitoes and skinned knees, which are not so easy to love! I encourage you to look for this book and other Douglas Florian books when you are reading this summer. I just checked the Rochester Hills Public Library website and found that they have a lot of his books! And if you are looking for something creative to do, try writing your own poems about what you love or don't love about summer! |