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Summer's first holiday is here already, but there is a more serious meaning behind all the parades and picnics that may have children asking questions about the meaning of Memorial Day, originally created in 1868 as Decoration Day to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. Here is a colorful collection of kids' books that will answer some of those questions and give parents the opportunity to discuss broader issues of patriotism and service to America. Look for these using the Amazon and WorldCatalog search boxes here on BookBag.
Memorial Day Surprise, by Theresa Golding, illustrated by Alexandra Artigas (Boyds Mills Press), Ages 4-8. Marco goes to the Memorial Day parade and learns the importance of the holiday beyond picnics and parades. This is a good book for young readers who may wonder what all the excitement is about, with simple and bold illustrations that capture the eye as well as the imagination.
The Wall, by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald Himler (Sandpiper), Ages 4-8. A boy and his father have come to the Vietnam War Memorial to look for the boy's grandfather's name among those who were killed in the war. Bunting's understated prose captures the meaning of the memorial to the American people, especially to those who lost loved ones. Himler's gauzy watercolors are a perfect addition. A sensitive and moving picture book, and a great discussion book as well.
F is for Flag, by Wendy Cheyette Lewison (Grosset & Dulap) Ages 4-8. June 14 is Flag Day, but with so many American flags proudly displayed on Memorial Day this book is perfect for reading together with a young child. F is for Flag shows in simple terms how one flag can mean many things: a symbol of unity, a sign of welcome, and a reminder that everyone in America is part of one big family.
Memorial Day, by Jacqueline S. Cotton (Children's Press) A picture book that explains the meaning and importance of the holiday. Large and colorful photographs tell the story in simple and easy-to-understand concepts for young readers that gives parents the chance to talk about the deeper ideas of patriotism and history.
Let's Get Ready for Memorial Day, by Lloyd G. Douglas (Children's Press) Ages 4-8. Some of the first concepts children learn about are those connected to holidays and traditions. In Let's Get Ready for Memorial Day, Amy makes a flag for the holiday and takes it to a war memorial with her father. A strong and important lesson about the sacrifices many people make to keep America strong.
School's nearly over and this means lots of time to read just for fun. Here are some books that will be great summertime reads on the beach, by the pool, or just sitting down in the air conditioning. Look for these titles using the Amazon and WorldCatalog search boxes here on BookBag, and get ready for a summer of fun!
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, by Josh Berk (Alfred A. Knopf) Fiction. Will Halpin isn't just the new kid at Coaler High School, he's the chunky, deaf new kid in a mainstream school for the first time--so adjusting won't be easy. There are neither interpreters nor closed-captioning at Coaler, but luckily, Will is a skilled lip reader who's very observant of his surroundings. It's a talent that comes in handy when geeky Devon Smiley recruits him to help investigate the suspicious death of the school's quarterback during a field trip. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin is a crass, goofy novel with a bit of mystery, a touch of romance, and a fantastically memorable main character.
The Adventures of Jack Lime, by James Leck (KCP Fiction) Mystery. Meet Jack Lime: high school student, private eye, narcoleptic. (No, that doesn't mean he's a tattle-tale--it means he's got a condition that causes him to fall asleep at some very inconvenient moments.) He's the guy you talk to if you've got a problem, and in this book he investigates three of them: a missing bike, a kidnapped hamster, and the disappearance of the star of the quiz bowl team on the night before a tournament. This spoof of hard-boiled detective novels and noir films is a quick, fun read that fans of Jack Ferraiolo's The Big Splash are sure to enjoy.
Stuck on Earth, by David Klass (Frances Foster Books) Science Fiction. Ketchvar III of the planet Sandoval has come to Earth to determine whether the human race is worth saving, or whether his fellow aliens should wipe them all out. Taking up residence in the brain of 14-year-old Tom Filber (Ketchvar is small and rather snail-like and simply crawls up Tom's nose), he reports back to his spaceship everything that he observes...and bullied, unpopular Tom's life is far from peachy. Will humanity be euthanized, or will Ketchvar find something worth saving? Stuck on Earth is hilarious, surprisingly thoughtful, and has some twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages.
Fever Crumb, by Philip Reeve (Scholastic Press) Science Fiction. Fans of the author's Hungry City Chronicles will be thrilled with this prequel set in a bleak, futuristic London still centuries away from the world depicted in that series. Young orphan Fever was adopted by Dr. Crumb of the Order of Engineers and has been raised to be supremely logical. When Fever leaves the order for the first time to assist an archaeologist who may have found remnants of Scriven technology (the Scriven, London's mutant overlords, were overthrown and exterminated many years before), her mind is flooded with memories that aren't her own. Could the murmurings of the city-dwellers be true? Could Fever be part Scriven? Readers who enjoy steampunk fantasy, superb world-building, and fast-paced adventure will love every minute of intrigue in Fever Crumb.
Meanwhile: Pick Any Path: 3,856 Story Possibilities, by Jason Shiga (Amulet
Books) Graphic Novel. You never know where a seemingly small decision--say, a choice between vanilla and chocolate ice cream--might lead. In this book's crazy-complicated world, you decide which flavor young Jimmy should choose, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. By following the series of tubes that connect different sets of comic-book panels, you can create thousands of different stories based on which way you go -- it's like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, only bigger, better, and definitely weirder. With mad scientists, adventure, puzzles, amazing machines, and plenty of surprises, Meanwhile is a funny, absorbing, and mind-bending read -- backward, forward, upside-down, or right side up.
Memorial Day weekend is almost here, and that means summer vacation is coming soon! More time to read just for fun ... and just for laughs. Here are some books for younger readers that are sometimes goofy, sometimes beautiful, and always exciting. Look for these on BookBag's World Catalog and Amazon links, and get ready for summer!
Calvin Coconut: Dog Heaven, by Graham Salisbury; illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers (Wendy Lamb Books) Realistic Fiction. When Calvin's teacher assigns the class a paper on the topic "What I Want So Badly I Can Taste It," Calvin isn't sure what to write. But after thinking about it, he realizes that he really, really wants a dog. Can he write a paper that's persuasive enough to convince his mom? Like the first two books in the Calvin Coconut series, this 3rd volume is filled with details about life in Hawaii (Calvin's home) and is a fun, feel-good read.
The Very Little Princess, by Marion Dane Bauer; illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles (Random House) Fiction. Ten-year-old Zoey and her mother have always been "a family of two." Then, one morning Zoey's mom tells her that they're going to visit Zoey's grandmother, whom Zoey has never met. When Zoey finds a beautiful doll at her grandmother's house and the doll suddenly comes to life, Zoey thinks it's a dream come true...until the doll, who believes that she is a princess, begins ordering Zoey around. If you enjoy this story, which has a bit of magic to it but is also about real-life family problems, you might also like Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur.
Mokie & Bik, by Wendy Orr; illustrations by Jonathan Bean (Henry Holt) Fiction. Fraternal twins Mokie (who's bigger) and Bik (who's faster) live on a houseboat with their artist mother and their nanny, Ruby, the only one besides the twins who understands their special language. Mokie and Bik's father is off at sea and their mother is often "arting," and when Ruby isn't paying close attention, the two of them get into all kinds of scrapes and adventures. If you enjoy this boisterous romp of a story, be sure to check out its sequel, Mokie & Bik Go to Sea.
The Hidden Boy, by Jon Berkeley (Katherine Tegen Books) Fantasy. Even though no one in Bea Flint's family remembers buying a raffle ticket, the Flints have won a "Blue Moon Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure Holiday." Departing in a vehicle called a "busmarine" via a local car wash, the Flints are in for an adventure, all right: before they even reach their destination--the very strange land of Bell Hoot--Bea's younger brother Theo disappears. Readers who enjoy bizarre, whimsical imaginary worlds, fast-paced stories, kooky characters, and strong girl heroes will zip through this 1st volume of the Bell Hoot Fables series and be eager for more.
I Barfed on Mrs. Kenly, by Jessica Harper; illustrated by Jon Berkeley (G.P. Putnam's Sons) Realistic Fiction. Poor Cleo; she ate WAY too many pancakes for breakfast on the morning of her friend's swim party, and she gets car-sick in the van on the way there. How can she possibly face her friends or have fun at the party? If you liked the humor and everyday mishaps in the first two books of this easy-to-read series, Uh-Oh, Cleo and Underpants on My Head, you'll love I Barfed on Mrs. Kenly -- and fans of Judy Moody or Sara Pennypacker's Clementine books will like Cleo, too.
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia (Amistad) Historical Fiction. It's 1968, and 11-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, are traveling from their home in Brooklyn, New York to Oakland, California for the summer. Despite the objections of Big Ma, their grandmother, the girls' Papa believes it's time that the sisters get to know their mother, Cecile--who left them all behind just after Fern was born. Delphine and her sisters are nervous and excited, but when they arrive, it's clear that Cecile didn't really want them to come. Much more interested in her poetry than her daughters, Cecile sends the girls to day camp ... and it turns out to be one crazy summer indeed.
There are more sports for kids than baseball and football. Here are books featuring stories about soccer, stock-car racing, and even rodeo that readers will find fast and fun. Look for these on BookBag using the WorldCatalog and Amazon search boxes, and discover that competition comes in all kinds!
Bull Rider, by Suzanne Williams (Margaret K. McElderry Books) Fiction. Cam O'Mara comes from a ranching family, but unlike most of the O'Mara men, he's much happier riding a skateboard than a bucking bull. Then Cam's older brother, Ben, comes home from Iraq paralyzed and depressed, and Cam decides to carry on the family tradition of bull-riding. He finds out that he likes it--and he sets his sights on prize money that could help Ben get the rehabilitation he needs. This tough and tender small-town story of family, competition, and the wild world of the rodeo circuit is a powerful and affecting read.
Box Out, by John Coy (Scholastic Press) Fiction. High school sophomore Liam Bergstrom is thrilled to have moved up to the varsity basketball team from JV. But when he decides to take a stand against his coach, who leads mandatory prayer meetings before every game and whose racist attitude pushed the team's African-American star player to quit, Liam's position on the team isn't the only thing in jeopardy. With plenty of exciting on-court action and just as much drama off of it, Box Out is a thought-provoking sports novel about an ordinary guy who's just trying to find his own path.
Out of Reach, by V. M. Jones (Marshall Cavendish) Fiction. Thirteen-year-old Philip "Pip" McLeod hates playing soccer--mostly because of his father's obnoxious behavior on the sidelines at games. He's also just not as good at soccer as his older brother, and never good enough for his grumpy, critical dad. So when Pip tries out the rock-climbing wall at a new sports complex in town and realizes that he's a natural, he starts practicing there in secret to prepare for the regional climbing championships. Set in the author's native New Zealand, this uplifting story will have you cheering for Pip as he finds his own way to shine.
Boost, by Kathryn Mackel (Dial Books) Fiction. Thirteen-year-old Savvy Christopher is 6'2" and a talented basketball player; her big sis, Callie, is a cheerleader. When an injury ruins their dad's golf career, the family moves from their swanky New Mexico home to an aunt's sheep farm in Rhode Island, a major adjustment. Savvy is thrilled when she makes the exclusive 18-and-under basketball team The Fire; getting to play on a great travel team makes up for having to share a room with Callie, being teased about her height, and having to work on the sheep farm. But when steroids are found in Savvy's gym bag, she'll have to fight for her spot on the team. A bit of mystery, complex family relationships, and plenty of exciting on-court action make Boost a riveting read.
Throwing Like a Girl, by Weezie Kerr Mackey (Marshall Cavendish) Fiction. When her family moves from Chicago to Dallas during her sophomore year of high school, Ella Kessler falls in love with softball. Ella has never played a team sport before, but she discovers a hidden talent for the game that makes her transition to a new school easier, despite her mean-girl teammate Sally's attempts to ruin things for her. Then Ella gets matched with cute senior Nate, Sally's brother, for a super-secret project, and things heat up both on and off the field. With ample details of game play and the trials and tribulations of high-school social life, Throwing Like a Girl hits a home run.
Super Stock Rookie, by Will Weaver (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) Fiction. In this second volume of the Motor series (after Saturday Night Dirt), teen stock-car racer Trace Bonham tries out for 
corporate-sponsored Team Blu and makes the cut. Torn over whether or not to desert his amateur beginnings, Trace decides to sign on with Team Blu and soon learns that there's a lot more to professional racing than he'd realized--and not all of it is good. Packed with action, authentic racing details, and sharp dialogue, Super Stock Rookie is an exciting story that will thrill racing fans. The next volume in the Motor series, Checkered Flag Cheater, was published in late April.
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