tuesday october 23
Whether it be Halloween, Christmas, etc., I love a good seasonal picture book. They’re perfect for when you feel like you’ve read the child in your life every one of their books, a million times. It’s great to share a fresh, topical story: although sometimes with all the picture book choices out there, it’s hard to single out the best ones. Lucky for you, that’s what I get paid to do. I have a great author/illustrator to recommend, for all of your holiday picture book needs. Dav Pilkey has sweet, funny books about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, so you will be all set, at least until the Fourth of July. In the meantime, here’s a few suggestions for you and your family, so, enjoy!
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tuesday august 28
It’s not often that I find myself reading the same book at the same time as my two oldest nieces, ages nineteen and twelve. But recently the three of us have all been looking for a way to fill that Harry-shaped hole in our hearts, now that Mr. Potter has left the building. It turns out that having found how
Harry’s story ends, we have all started rereading the series. J.K. Rowling has written such a memorable set of stories that when you start rereading
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, meeting the characters somehow feels like you are looking at some old family photographs that you are thrilled to rediscover.
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friday may 25
Of all the concerts I would love a ticket to this summer, the Rock Bottom Remainders is the one I’d really like to catch. This literary supergroup is composed of such authors as Dave Barry, Matt Groening, Stephen King, and Amy Tan, among others. These writers have once again temporarily abandoned their spots on the bestseller list to form a band that raises money for literary charities.
The band plays Friday, June 1, in New York City. If, you're like me, and can’t escape to New York right now, at least we have their band memoir, Mid-Life Confidential: the Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude. I have seen the band perform once on CBS’s The Late Late show, and I have read their book. I can tell you that their book is very funny, and their playing is not as laughable as you might fear.
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friday may 18
With the new pirate-themed exhibit coming soon to the Museum Center, and the final movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy opening next week, the swashbucklers’ invasion of the Queen City is upon us.
There are many literary pirate treasures to uncover here at the library: from classics, to newer tales of adventures of yore. There are even books that will teach you how to speak like a pirate, just in case you want to learn how to talk the talk to avoid walking the walk (down the plank).
With all these riches, though, it’s important that the youngest buccaneers not be overlooked, and aye, indeed, Matey, we’ve got just the books for them as well! How I Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long, and Edward and the Pirates, by David McPhail, are two stories bound to enthrall the youngest adventurers, while tickling their funny bone at the same time.
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thursday april 19
When I was ten years old, our family visited Washington, DC. The thing I really remember about that trip is how on the last day, my brother wandered off on his own at the Smithsonian, and almost made us miss our flight home. Luckily for him, my parents’ relief at finding he was safe made them forget to worry about the possibility of being out the price of those plane tickets.
With Spring having arrived (finally!), now seems like a great time to see Washington once more. And while there are plenty of excellent, traditional travel guides to the city, there’s another option for people who enjoy a bit of satire mixed in with their sightseeing prospects.
Washington Schlepped Here: Walking in the Nation’s Capital, by Christopher Buckley, fits the bill perfectly. Buckley’s book is a travel guide/ comic history lesson about the city on the Potomac.
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