Picks From the Newspaper

So, its summer now and the other day I was working at good old B&N, when a reporter for the Fargo-Moorhead newspaper, The Forum, called the store. He was looking for recommendations for summer reading. So here are the titles that I gave him. (Several of which we sold out of since the publication of this article, thank you very much!)

Ladybug Girl at the Beach by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Lily, or Ladybug Girl as she prefers to be called, is one of my favorite characters in the world of picture books. She's a normal little girl most of the time, but when she puts on her ladybug wings, she can do anything. On her trip to the beach, she's a little overwhelmed by the size of the waves, but she soon overcomes her fears and ends up having a great time.

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

This story has been one of my favorites for years. It was originally published almost 75 years ago, but has recently been very popular because Sandra Bullock's character reads it aloud in the movie The Blind Side. We read it the other day for storytime and the kids loved it.



Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald

Stink is another great character. He's the younger brother of Judy Moody (who has her own series of books). But when Judy measures Stink every morning, he's not getting taller, but instead he's shrinking. Stink is a hit with fans of Captain Underpants and Junie B. Jones.






The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan is best known for creating Percy Jackson and the Olympians. But in this latest series, instead of Greek mythology, the characters Carter and Sadie discover that the Egyptian gods are still alive and well, and wreaking havoc. Riordan's stories are built around realistic characters that are easy to relate to. I recommend picking up any of his books and skimming the chapter titles; you'll definitely be intrigued.









Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

I've recommended this one on this blog before. One of my very favorites. (Also, a sequel recently came out: The Rules of Attraction. It's just as good.)











Beastly by Alex Flinn

This story is a beautiful, modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Driven by well-written characters who feel real emotions, Beastly would be a great story for someone looking to get out of the vampire obsessed world created by the Twilight-craze. This book has been made into a movie which is slated to release this summer.