Hooray for summer! As a school librarian, I love summer – maybe even more than my students. It’s the time of the year when I can catch up on all the wonderful books that I didn’t get a chance to read during the school year. I adore experiencing new worlds, people, and places from the comfort of my beach chair. Here are three favorites that are great to read beside the pool or snuggled up in a chair on a rainy summer day. – Melissa Buron
A Mighty Fine Time Machine by Suzanne Bloom
After Antoine and Grant trade all their candy for a non-working time machine, Samantha stops by with her wagon of books and helps her friends transform the box of hoozie-doozies into something which helps the friends travel, not only through time, but also all over the world – a Book Mobile! Bloom’s delightful illustrations and humorous text are perfect to wet the appetite of young readers for exploring, either by time travel or – even better – through the wonderful world of reading.
Dying to Meet You: 43 Old Cemetery Road by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise
There are so many things to love about this book! Ignatius B. Grumply is a children’s author with writer’s block. When he rents an old run-down Victorian over the summer in order to finish his overdue manuscript, he is dismayed to find the house inhabited by an eleven year old boy, a cat, and a ghost. Broke and unable to leave until his manuscript is finished, Ignatius slowly forms a friendship with the boy, Seymour, and a creative partnership with the surprisingly prolific ghost. The story is told through letters, contracts, messages, and newspaper clippings. A fast read that will entertain both young reader and adult alike!
Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood by Varsha Bajaj
Abby wants more than anything to meet her father. When she finally makes contact, she is overwhelmed to discover he is a Bollywood superstar. In Mumbai, Abby discovers new family members, a new culture, and the beginnings of a first (and very innocent) romance. A wonderful and entertaining story that would be perfect for a long airplane ride or a lazy summer day.
For the past twenty years Melissa Buron has worked as a librarian and teacher for young people in Africa, Europe and the United States. In addition, she is an author, blogger and journalist. You can find her at www.melissaburon.com, or on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@melissaburon).
