Summer Picks

Since we're in the middle of summer reading, I thought I'd share with you a few good reads.  Some are new, while others are not so new but interesting nonetheless.

For the adults, I recommend Blaine Harden's Escape From Camp 14, the true story of a man who escaped from one of North Korea's notorious prison camps in which he was born.  The brutality of life in these camps, which can easily be compared to Hitler's concentration camps, is eye-opening and distressing.  If you're looking for a lighter, fictional read, go for Dan Brown's Inferno, set in Florence, Italy.  It follows the same formula as his previous Robert Langdon novels, but it's still entertaining and fun.  And don't forget local Northwestern authors like Sherman Alexie.  His Blasphemy is a collection of stories about Native Americans based loosely on his own experiences as a Spokane Indian who grew up in Wellpinit, Washington.

There's a plethora of supernatural reads for teens, so I'm going to suggest a few books that are a little off the beaten path.  I debated whether I should include this book with the adult picks, and ultimately I decided that Ruta Sepetys' Between Shades of Gray is a book that should be read by teens and adults alike.  Not many books address Stalin's program of forcibly relocating Lithuanians and other non-Russians to labor camps in Siberia during the 1930s and 1940s, and it's even more striking that Sepetys' novel is directly influenced by interviews she conducted with survivors.  Cynthia Kadohata's Newbery Award-winning Kira-Kira has been around for some time, but the story of a Japanese-American family and the discrimination they faced in Georgia during the 1960s doesn't lose any of its powerful impact.  I actually cried while reading this book, and mind you, books don't often make me cry.  A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck is another award-winning not so oldie but goodie.  A lot of parallels can be drawn between yesterday's Great Depression, in which the book is set, and today's Great Recession, showing through the main character that fun and good memories can be made even in rough times.

Last but not least, there are a lot of noteworthy books for kids.  Now I'm going to come right out and say that I absolutely love the Scaredy Squirrel, Pigeon, and Penguin characters, and each one happily has a new book.  Let's start with Melanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping, which shows our favorite neurotic rodent taking all measures to ensure a successful camping trip.  Of course, you can expect some crazy adventure to happen when things don't pan out the way Scaredy plans.  Our ever-jealous pigeon full of attitude displays his envy when The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?, which is sure to become a new Mo Willems classic.  And our cute, sweet penguin makes a new friend and has some fun in Salina Yoon's season appropriate Penguin On Vacation.

Besides the books mentioned, there are plenty of interesting reads in the library.  Don't forget to stop by and pick some up.  And have fun summer reading!

With good reading wishes from the perch.