By Elaine Bayly Librarian at Moscow Public Library
The theme for Summer Reading this year is Build a Better World. To me, Build a Better World means finding a way to actively improve the lives and communities around us. This can be done through broad sweeping efforts as well as small, day-to-day actions, that often go unnoticed. The following are a selection of new books that encapsulate the Build a Better World theme.
Children from Italy, Japan, Peru, Uganda, Russia, India, and Iran show and tell where they live, what they eat and how they dress. This book takes place over the course of a single day and illustrates how children from different parts of the world go to school, play, spend time with their family and help their communities. This book is wonderfully illustrated and a great way for children to compare and contrast their lives to different children around the globe.
“The Book of Mistakes,” by Corinna Luyken Picture book
“The Book of Mistakes” shows how you can take a mistake and turn it into something beautiful and meaningful. Every page contains an illustration that links to the next. The illustrations and story show that one thing can lead to another and what’s important is how you look at what is in front of you.
“See You in the Cosmos,” by Jack Cheng Juvenile fiction (also available on Overdrive in audiobook format)
This is the story of 11-year-old Alex, a biracial boy who loves astronomy. Alex is an aspiring astrophysicist who wants nothing more than to share what humans are like via an iPod that he launches into space on a homemade rocket ship. Alex journeys by himself to a rocket launching competition, forms relationships along the way and reveals more of his family life through his iPod recordings. This book is guaranteed to make you feel a range of emotions and is ultimately about searching for belonging and finding what you are passionate about.
“Quicksand Pond,” by Janet Taylor Lisle Juvenile fiction
A summer vacation that leads to the formation of a friendship between two girls, Terri and Jessie. There are themes of friendship and adventure throughout that center around a mysterious pond where people have been rumored to disappear. This book speaks to the importance of feeling like we belong somewhere, the joys of connecting with another and the necessity of confronting our past.
“The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas Young adult fiction
A novel about race relations in our country narrated by 16-year-old protagonist, Starr, after she witnesses the death of her childhood friend, who was shot by a police officer. Over the last few years, news headlines about the shooting deaths of African-American boys and men have evoked strong reactions. “The Hate U Give” provides readers with the perspective of a teenager who has been dramatically impacted by one of these shootings.
“The Pearl Thief,” by Elizabeth Wein Young adult fiction
A prequel to “Code Name Verity,” Lady Julia Beaufort-Stuart is looking forward to summer vacation in her grandfather’s Scottish property when a perplexing accident occurs that leads to her waking up in the hospital with no memory of what happened. Julia befriends two longtime workers on the property to aid in solving the mystery and along the way, experiences the prejudices the workers have endured, which may lead the workers to be framed for a crime they did not commit.
