Summer offers children good chance to read Creative selection of titles can make break fun

In a few days our kids will be happily starting the year’s longest vacation. Many youngsters see this time as a respite from books.

But Anne Mundy, head of children’s services at the Bangor Public Library, and Laurie Rose, youth services librarian at the Orono Public Library, put a different spin on this joyous occasion. “In the summer everyone is a home-schooler,” Mundy said in a phone chat from her office.

Mundy suggested that a family study a favorite writer, combining biography or autobiography with his or her creations. As an example she cited pairing Tomie DePaola’s “26 Fairmount Avenue” with his many colorful picture books. This “warm, vivid” autobiography tells of his early home and school years.

“It’s a great way to know more about him and his background. Look at his work to see how his style changed from the beginning of his work to later years,” Mundy said.

In a phone chat from her office Rose recommended that parents not overlook nonfiction.

“It’s often easy to stick to storybooks. But the summer is a great time to look into a topic a child is interested in,” Rose said. “Really rich nonfiction titles packed with information are being written at younger age levels. Their illustrations and photographs are beautiful.”

Both Mundy and Rose suggested supplementing reading with audio-book listening, especially for children who aren’t too eager to hit the books. A tape player can go to the beach or anywhere a kid does. And talk about a great sibling fight preventer on those long car trips!

Rose testified to the diversity and continued popularity of juvenile books in series: “American Girls,” “Royal Diaries,” “History Mysteries,” Sammy Keyes mysteries, “Bunnicula” books, “Hank the Cowdog” books and “Animorphs.” One set that recently has attained great popularity at the Orono Public Library is “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket. Three children are orphaned in the first few pages, and things go from bad to worse. “The kids are eating them up. They seem to like the idea that there’s no happy ending,” Rose said.

While researching books for her library’s summer reading program – “Time Warp,” featuring historical fiction, nonfiction and science fiction – Mundy discovered some gems. Rhoda Blumberg’s “Shipwrecked” and “Commodore Perry and the Land of the Shogun” concern the true story of Manjiro, a young Japanese boy. Marooned on an island, he was rescued, adopted and educated by an American ship captain. Homesick, he returned to Japan, no mean feat at a time when associating with foreigners carried a death sentence. He was able to help open his nation to American trade.

“It shows how one boy’s saga changed Japanese society. There are wonderful illustrations, many from original documents,” Mundy said.

In Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising,” Will Stanton discovers he is the last one of the old ones. He is sent on a quest in which he goes back and forth in time. “It’s an involving, thoughtful story,” Mundy said. “He’s one of a large family. I like the way the author ties his family in with the experiences that are unique to him.”

Youngsters who enjoy books about the pioneer times may enjoy one told from an American Indian perspective. Louise Erdrich’s “The Birchbark House” is the story of Omakayas, the sole survivor of a smallpox epidemic, and her life with her adopted family.

“It’s very involving the way the author talks about the simple things they do every day,” Mundy said. “There is a good sense of their family life and the strength of their women.”

Mundy has theme-related lists of great reading for kids of all ages. Both libraries’ summer programs should be a real treat!