Summer is just around the corner, so it's time to start thinking about books you might like to read during all that time off! Let me give you a few suggestions from some books that I've read in the last few weeks.
First up, if you want to read a great realistic fiction story, you might like
Piecing Me Together, by Renee Watson. In this story, we meet Jade, who lives in a poor neighborhood, but has earned a scholarship to a private school on the other side of town. She knows that she is going to have to work really hard to get out of her neighborhood and make a better life for her future. When Jade is selected to be a part of Women-to-Women, a mentorship group, she doesn't know what to think. When she finds out that she was selected because she is "at-risk" because of the fact that she is black and from a poor neighborhood, Jade is less than enthusiastic. She's not sure she really needs a mentor or if her mentor can really understand Jade's own experiences. Join Jade as she works to figure out her best path for his life. You can borrow this book from me next year if you're interested, or you can find it on MCPL's shelves this summer!
If you're more in the mood for a fairytale-like story, you might like
Echo, by Pam Munoz Ryan. In this story, we start by meeting Otto, who is lost in a forbidden forest and his helped by 3 mysterious sisters who provide him with a quest, a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica that help to lead him home. Many years later, we meet Freidrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, & Ivy in California. Otto's story weaves throughout these 3 stories and eventually leads them all together. If you like reading magical stories that warm the heart, you will love
Echo. You can find copies at MCPL, on MCPL's Overdrive, or next year off my shelf or in our CMS Media Center.
If you're looking for a humorous story, you might like Gordon Korman's newest novel,
Restart. In this story, the main character, Chase Ambrose, falls off his roof and the knock on his head causes him to end up with amnesia. He suddenly has to figure out everything about his old life, and he quickly discovers that he was not the nicest person before his amnesia. No one is sure whether they can trust the new Chase, who is accepting of everyone, when he was such a big bully before his fall. The question is - as Chase begins to remember pieces of his past, will he revert to his old ways or be the new, trustworthy person he has been since his accident? You can find copies of this book at MCPL or borrow from me when we return to school in August.
If you like to read books about friendship, you might want to read
The Wonder of Us, by Kim Culbertson. This story is told in the alternating points of view of best friends (kind of) Riya and Abby. Ten months ago, Riya moved to Berlin with her family and left Abby feeling alone and friendless back in their California town. The distance between them has been destructive on their friendship, so Riya invites Abby to go on a "Grand Tour" of Europe with her the summer between their junior and senior years in order to help restore their friendship. Join them as they travel around some amazing places in Europe and meet a lot of interesting people along the way. You can find this book on the shelves at MCPL or you can borrow from me when we come back to school.
Finally, I'll recommend a series, of which I've recently read the 4th installment,
Legion, which is part of Julie Kagawa's
Talon series. If you like stories that are full of action, adventure, suspense, and magic, you might like this series. It follows Ember, a dragon living mostly in human form who is sent out into the world for Talon, the organization that has raised her. When she meets soldier for St. George, a group that fights dragon-kind, she starts to discover that Talon is not an upstanding organization, and she's not sure she wants to be a part of it. I was able to read
Legion in an advanced copy thanks to NetGalley, but it's now available at Mid-Continent on their shelves or on Overdrive. If you want to read the series, here they are in order:
Talon, Rogue, Soldier, then
Legion.
There you have it. Keep checking back for more recommendations throughout the summer!
