Summer Reading Book Recommendations: Week 9

Some of the most popular books in the library are graphic novels, so this week's summer reading recommendations from our daily tweets are all books in that format.

You can see the full presentation HERE.

Like the caption indicates, this week's titles are nearly all books in a series or in planned series, and with the exception of Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust, are all based on chapter books. Often we see that our readers move between the chapter books and graphic novels with ease and re-read their favorites as they come to love the stories and the characters.

Two of our featured books in series will have additional titles published in the coming school year:

•  Supernova: Amulet 8 on Sept. 25, 2018

•  The Lost Air: Wings of Fire 2 on Feb. 26, 2019

Only two weeks before we return to classes--have you found a book or two that you'd like to look at and perhaps check out? We're excited to see you soon!

Summer Reading Book Recommendations: Week 8

This week's focus for summer reading book recommendations is historical fiction.

CLICK HERE to access the full presenation

War-time setting are always popular with historical fiction, and this week's titles are no exception. Both The Dollmaker of Krakow and Four-Four-Two are set during World War II; however, The Dollmaker of Krakow is also a bit of a fairy tale or fantasy set against the atrocities Jews in Krakow faced, and Four-Four-Two explores the same time period from a soldier's perspective. Another war story in this week's group of recommendations is A Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen. This book tells the story of Charley Goddard, a 15-year-old from Minnesota who fights in 4 of the 5 most deadly battles in the American Civil War. In reality, Goddard didn't fight in all 4 of these battles, but don't let that bit of artistic license stop you from reading about the harrowing experience of war for the teenager.

If you're looking for historical fiction that isn't tied to a war, All the Broken Pieces and I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 might interest you. Set in the years following the Vietnam War, All the Broken Pieces is a novel in verse and sports story that combines war guilt, baseball, and families. The focus on family is also part of the story in I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871. If you've read other books in the I Survived series, you will likely enjoy this one, too!

If historical fiction is a genre you like, stop by and we'll talk about other titles you may want to try! See you soon!

10 Haunting Holocaust Books for Kids

Are you interested in reading Holocaust lit? One title--Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys--is an Iowa Teen Award nominee for the 2013-14 school year.

But if you're looking for more titles, PragmaticMom.com has created a list of reads you may be interested in: 10 Haunting Holocaust Books for Kids.

Some titles certainly look familiar, such as The Book Thief or Number the Stars. But have you read the new Prisoner B-3087? Or how about the graphic novel Maus? If the Holocaust is a topic you'd like to read more about, these historical fiction--and nonfiction titles--are a great place to start!