EDUCATION EXTRA.
Byline: The Register-GuardEvery June, we ask our BookPicks reviewers to choose a favorite for summer reading. Here are this year's picks:
"Peter and the Starcatchers"
By Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Disney Press, 2004
Ages 8 to 14
Before Peter Pan found his magic, he endured a series of wild, swashbuckling pirate adventures. This is that story. If you happen to be taking a long road trip this summer, the Books on Tape version is delightfully pirate-y.
- Linda Ague, librarian, Cal Young Middle School
"A Northern Light"
By Jennifer Donnelly
Harcourt, 2003
Age 12 or older
Fact: On July 12, 1906, a murder took place on Big Moose Lake in New York's Adirondacks, and it haunts local residents to this day. Fiction: Sixteen-year-old Mattie works at the hotel where the sheriff brought the body, and narrates her version of the story. This novel expertly combines murder mystery, romance and historical fiction.
- Nicki Maxwell, retired librarian, Eugene School District
"Angus and Sadie"
By Cynthia Voigt
HarperCollins, 2005
Age 7 or older
Sweet and innocent without being silly, this is a dog story told from the dogs' view. Two sheep dog siblings learn what cats, sheep, snow and growing up are all about.
- Debra Bogart, youth services librarian, Eugene Public Library
"An Order of Amelie, Hold the Fries"
By Nina Schindler
Annick Press, 2004
Ages 14 to 18
Seventeen-year-old Tim sees a girl on the street and is instantly attracted. When a slip of paper with a name and address falls from her bag, Tim assumes they are hers and contacts her - but it turns out to be someone else. A perfect summer read, this funny, sweet love story is told through letters, e-mails and text messages.
- Kit Duchin, librarian, South Eugene High School
"Sledding Hill"
By Chris Crutcher
HarperCollins, 2005
Age 14 or older
Eddie Proffit has had a rough year. In one month he found his father and his best friend dead, both from freak accidents.
Although Billy Bartholomew is dead, it doesn't stop him from visiting his best friend. Freaked out at first, Eddie soon finds the visits a comfort.
- Christine Atkinson, youth services librarian, Fern Ridge Library
"The Naked Mole-Rat Letters"
By Mary Amato
Holiday House, 2005
Ages 10 to 14
When her father begins a long-distance romance with a zookeeper, 12-year-old Frankie sends fabricated e-mail letters to the zookeeper in an attempt to end the relationship.
- Wes Young, librarian, Lincoln Middle School
"The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane"
By Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick Press, 2006
Ages 7 to 12
Though the little girl who owns him adores the toy rabbit Edward Tulane, he cares only about himself - until he is separated from her. On a journey, his heart begins to open. This is a beautiful book with spectacular illustrations - a modern classic to share with a child before bed on hot summer nights.
- Susan Jewett, retired librarian, Springfield School District
"Four Things My
Geeky-Jock-Of-A-Best-Friend Must Do In Europe"
By Jane Harrington
Darby Creek Publishing, 2006
Age 11 or older
Delia and her best friend, Brady, are inseparable until Brady and her mother go on a summer Mediterranean cruise.
Delia writes a list of four things on Brady's hand that she must do, including finding a "code-red Euro-hottie."
Written in Brady's voice through letters to Delia, this entertaining book will make great summer reading for middle and high school girls.
- Janie Diment, librarian, Monroe Middle School
"Green Rider"
By Kristen Brittain
DAW, 1998
Age 15 or older
Take a trip into another world with this fantasy about growing up and learning to fit into your world in unexpected ways. Karigan G'ladheon sets out from school to home and has adventures that lead her in an unexpected direction. This is the first in a series of three.
- Melinda Warburg, librarian, Sheldon High School
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| Title Annotation: | Schools; BOOK PICKS |
|---|---|
| Publication: | The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) |
| Date: | Jun 12, 2006 |
| Words: | 634 |
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