August 11,  2009



Reading is such a fun thing to do because in reading you are also doing many other things, such as going to marvelous journeys and meeting new people. I am about to suggest a few of my favorite books.

I just finished “The Penderwicks on Gardam Street” by Jeanne Birdsall. It’s about four girls and their widowed father, and when he starts dating, the girls are troubled by the thought of having a stepmother. Read the book to see what happens! This book is the sequel to “The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy,” also a great book to add to your summer reading list! It won the National Book Award for children’s literature in 2007.

“I Was A Rat!” By Philip Pullman is a fantastic story of a boy who used to be a rat. He gets adopted by nice people, but there is trouble when a nosy newspaper reporter hears a twisted story from a dishonest carnie – and takes it to the press! This is a wonderful book to read this summer because the exciting plot will keep you occupied. It’s a twist on a classic fairy tale. Read it to find out which one!

The next four books are all available at the Ocracoke Library – and other libraries:

“The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick is a marvelous story, told mostly in illustrations and photographs, of a boy living in a train station in France. He is an orphan, and he is trying to fix the clockworks of an antique automaton so he can reveal a secret message. This book won the Caldecott Medal in 2008.

“Elijah of Buxton” by Christopher Paul Curtis is a wonderful book about an African-American boy living in Buxton, Canada, a town for escaped slaves. Elijah is the first one born free in the settlement, and this book is a wonderful experience as you follow Elijah in his adventures.

“Matilda” by Roald Dahl is about a girl who lives with a family who watches TV all the time, but she loves books and loves to go to the library. She figures out a magical talent she has. Read it to see what happens!

“Fever 1793” by Laurie Halse Anderson is a fabulous book about a girl living in the time of a terrible case of yellow fever spreading everywhere. Some pieces of it are very sad – be prepared!

And here’s a favorite author of mine – and some of her terrific books. 

The books are “Regarding the Trees,” “Regarding the Fountain,” “Letters from Camp,” and “Trial by Journal” (and more that I have not read yet, but am looking forward to reading, because all of her books are great!) They are all by Kate Klise and all funny and clever. They are written in letters and newspaper clippings – with lots of plays on words!

So I hope that you check out some of these books that I’ve talked about – and others, too- – this summer and have wonderful journeys in the all-year-long world of reading!

(Caroline Temple, who lives in Ocracoke, will be 11 years old in September.  She is entering sixth grade and will be home-schooled this year.)

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