3 books provide summer alternative for kids

Parents, have you been hearing choruses of “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do!”? A good book can really come in handy about now.

Whether you enjoy the bounty of a pick-your-own strawberry farm or like venturing into the woods to wrestle with thorns to savor the incomparable sweetness of wild raspberries, I’m sure you’ll agree that those pleasures are some of the best summer has to offer. Gail Gibbons, Maine summer resident, has come up with some real food for thought with “The Berry Book.”

With succinct descriptions and lively illustrations, Gibbons provides the perfect introductions to this juicy topic. From the life cycle of the strawberry to the uses of lesser-known berries, there are facts that will surprise kids and even a few parents. Did you know that scientists include bananas, cucumbers and tomatoes in this category? Bet you’ll never guess what animal cranberries are named after.

But the hands-on projects – perfect for family quality time – are by far the best part of the book. Young gardeners will take great pride in growing and harvesting their own strawberries. And who could pass up the chance to prepare (and eat!) blueberry pie, strawberry jam, and raspberry ice cream? Consider “The Berry Book” a fine investment that will continue to pay dividends for summers to come.

Few intermediate-grade students can resist a good mystery. Claudia Logan’s “The 5,000 Year Old Puzzle,” illustrated by Rockport’s Melissa Sweet, combines learning with the opportunity to play sleuth.

In 1924, two years after the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, Egyptologist Dr. George Reisner and his team are investigating an even older site. In this historical episode, researched through Reisner’s actual records, the fictional character of Will Hunt serves as narrator. This appealing red-haired, freckle-faced boy brings a youngster’s face and point of view to the unfolding adventure. Readers are challenged to discover whom the tomb belonged to and why it was so well hidden.

Will starts his quest with high anticipation. Even the less than glorious aspects of archaeology – meticulous record keeping, numerous fleas – do little to dim his high hopes. Readers will feel the suspense build as the team comes ever closer to discovering the identity of the tomb’s inhabitant.

Sweet’s intriguing photo-albumlike format lends visual sophistication to the unfolding drama. Actual photographs and artifacts are interspersed with more whimsical drawings.

Will’s postcards to his best friend, Sam, are especially amusing. Well-placed sidebars give information on topics ranging from grave robbing to the curse of the pharaohs.

Young women navigating the complex and constantly changing scene of middle school will really enjoy Maine author Cynthia Voigt’s “Bad Girls in Love.” The fourth in a series starring best friends Mikey Elsinger and Margalo Epps, it takes its heroines into eighth grade where not having a steady boyfriend has become a serious liability. Neither girl has gone on a date or been kissed. They don’t want to stay ignorant when it comes to love, sex, and everything in-between. But the information they seek is very elusive.

When formerly inconspicuous Shawn Macavity gets the lead in a school play, he becomes the most desirable boy in the eighth grade. Boisterous, athletic Mikey is struck speechless. Margalo is left wondering whether her outspoken chum has been kidnapped by aliens.

Mikey sets out to capture Shawn’s heart with the single-minded determination she’s previously reserved for sports competition. Unfortunately, in the love arena, her rivals have unfair advantages. And it becomes increasingly clear that the object of her affections is not the least bit interested. Any girl who has ever been rejected or asked to be “just friends” will savor the way she bounces back.

Readers who enjoy the book have three earlier volumes to check out.