Have a Reading Summer
Get free books from the Barnes & Noble summer reading program: bit.ly/ MPBNsummer
During the last couple of months, many students, families and teachers have had to learn a whole new way of doing “school.” Adults have been challenged with lost jobs or suddenly working at home.
The Mini Page offers some ideas for books that will let readers escape, just for a little while. Summer is a great time to make a great escape! Read on!
• Author Sara Pennypacker and illustrator Jon Klassen introduce readers to a boy, Peter, and his beloved pet fox in “Pax.” But when Peter has to move far away, Pax must remain behind. Even in the face of danger, Peter’s love for Pax overcomes his fear.
• “Wink” is a new novel by cartoonist, writer and illustrator Rob Harrell. Ross is a seventhgrader whose new “normal” includes a rare eye cancer, making him stand out in the most uncomfortable of ways. But as he endures his treatments, he learns a lot about friendship.
• Readers who dive into “Escape This Book! Tombs of Egypt” will have a blast finding their way out of a series of adventures in this interactive book by Bill Doyle, and illustrated by Sarah Sax.
• If you’ve been working hard to wash your hands and keep your distance from others, you’ll appreciate “The Bacteria Book” by Steve Mould. There’s more inside than bacteria, with up-close looks at viruses, fungi and other tiny building blocks of our world.
• Your kitchen at home may be your science lab right now, so “Awesome Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids: 50 STEAM Projects You Can Eat!” could be helpful. Author Megan Olivia Hall packs this book with chapter after chapter of fun.
• All the changes we’ve been experiencing may make kids and adults feel anxious, or worried. Check out “A Little SPOT of Anxiety: A Story About Calming Your Worries” by Diane Alber. This short read helps us identify anxiety and learn how to settle it down.
• Readers looking for a laugh will appreciate “Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen” by Niki Lenz. Bernice is working hard to stop being a bully, and readers have all the fun while sharing her journey.
• “Because I Was a Girl” by Melissa de la Cruz shares the girlhood stories of a wide-ranging collection of women who are pioneers or high-achievers in their fields.
• One of the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is empathy: the ability to share another person’s feelings. “What Is Empathy? A Bullying Storybook for Kids” by Amanda Morin offers situations where readers can see conflicts from both sides, then learn to show kindness for others.
• We know that this pandemic is not the first of its kind. “Oubreak! Plagues That Changed History” by Bryn Barnard gives readers a deeper and longer view of the illnesses people have faced, from yellow fever to smallpox.
• Want to entertain your family while you’re all stuck at home? “A Whole Lotta Knock-Knock Jokes” by Mike and Heather Spohr will get everyone giggling.