Re: [LM_NET] HIT: Summer Reading for Teachers and Librarians (Part 1)

[Sara Kelly Johns <sarakellyjohns@YAHOO.COM>]

HBi, Jan--you have some GREAT suggestions here, some
of which are already in my summer pile, some of which
will be added due to your posts. But...The Number One
Ladies Detective Agency series, by Alexander McCall
really are not mysteries. 

I love mysteries and picked up the first one because I
thought it was. Instead they are fascinating stories
of Zimabawe and some terrific characters written with
the musical lilt of Africans speaking English. Read
one and you'll read 'em all as quickly as you can. 

May I add the Adriana Trigiani Stone Gap series to
your list. I love the bookmobile librarian character!
She's rather outrageous, thank heavens.

Happy summer, Sara Kelly Johns

--- Jan Birney <stmark6614@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

> As promised, here is a list of suggested summer
> reading for teachers and librarians. Some beach
> reads, thrillers, inspirational reading, Sci-Fi, and
> interesting non-fiction. I have tried to include a
> wide range of literature and have avoided some of
> the more popular best-sellers, not because I don't
> think they're worth reading, but because by
> definition, best-sellers don't need to be on
> anyone's list--everyone already knows about them. I
> will copy and paste your suggestions, leaving out
> your names. Thank you all for your woonderful
> suggestions. Here goes:
> 
> Zorro, by Isabel Allende
> 
> a captivating, modern version of the famed legend.
> Bookmarks Magazine
> 
>  
> 
> Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, by
> Mark Haddon. This is about an autistic boy who
> writes of his experience while being held for
> murdering his neighbor’s dog. Everyone says it’s a
> good book, although my description makes it sound
> ghastly. 
> 
>  These is My Words, by Nancy Turner, and its sequel,
> Sarah’s Quilt.
> 
>  Fire Sale, by Sara Paretsky (I think this one is a
> thriller/mystery—haven’t read it).
> 
>  
> 
> The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini 
> 
> America, by John Stewart, the host of The Daily Show
> on Comedy Central. I think this book falls into the
> category of satire.
> 
>  A Place to Call Home, by Deborah Smith 
> 
> The Stephanie Plum series of books, by Janet
> Evanovich—mystery/comedy
> 
>  The Number One Ladies Detective Agency series, by
> Alexander McCall—I have two of these books at home.
> Haven’t read them yet, but they look like good
> mystery stories.
> 
> The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by
> Michael Chabon—this author is such a wonderful
> writer (we have his Summerland in the JH Library and
> it’s beautifully written), so although this novel is
> long, I think it would be a super summer read.
> 
>  
> 
> Skinny Dip, by Carl Hiaasen. Everybody says this is
> a funny book. I noticed it for sale at the book fair
> but I don’t think it’s appropriate for middle
> schoolers (the kids pretty much ignored the book on
> the shelf—too many pages).
> 
>  The House on Beartown Road, by Elizabeth Cohen. I
> read this one. It was great! Read it! The author
> cares for her baby daughter and her dad, who has
> Alzheimer's Disease, after her husband abandons her
> in their country farmhouse. This description makes
> the book sound like a real downer, but trust me, it
> is an uplifting, compelling story that is very
> appealing. You will admire this strong woman.
> 
> An Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, by Amy
> Rosenthal. This book is very much like The
> Know-it-all: One Man's Quest to Become the Smartest
> Person in the World, by A. J. Jacobs, the guy who
> read the entire Encyclopedia Brittannica cover to
> cover. But Amy Rosenthal's book is shorter and
> funnier. I'm still reading Know-it-All and it's fun
> but I sense that Jacobs lacks some of the
> self-confidence of Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.
> Anyway, read 'em both--you're bound to like at least
> one of them and you'll pick up some great trivia
> along the way.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> Jan Birney, Library Media Specialist
> Jockey Hollow Middle School
> Monroe, Connecticut 06468
> stmark6614@yahoo.com
>               
> ---------------------------------
>  Sell on Yahoo! Auctions  - No fees. Bid on great
> items.
> 
>
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Lake Placid Middle/Senior HS LMC
34 School Street
Lake Placid, NY 12946
518-523-2474, ext. 4132
FAX: 518-523-4861
johns@northnet.org
SaraKJohns@aol.com

"Information is the currency of democracy." -- Thomas Jefferson

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