Kid Tested, Librarian Recommended: Tantalizing summer stories

There are so many great reasons to READ! Books are a great way to Relax and Enjoy a story, to go on an Adventure or to Discover something new. I've picked books to help you discover something that sparks excitement. Or perhaps you will find yourself captivated by a dashing (or wicked) character. Maybe you'll devour a rip-roaring adventure. And when it gets hot outside, just chill with an old favorite. Whatever you seek, you can find it inside a good book. Here is an eclectic collection of books that include all (well, some of the many) reasons to READ.

The Vacation by Polly Horvath

When 12 year old Henry's parents traipse off to Africa to be missionaries, he is stuck in an unairconditioned car with two bickering aunts on a road trip with no destination. Along the way he meets his grandfather for the first time, accidentally spends four days floating in a swamp, and learns some important life lessons about surviving in an unpredictable world. Often hilarious, occasionally heart-rending, The Vacation will take readers on a trip that is only enjoyable to read about but is nevertheless sure to entertain with laugh out loud dialogue, quirky characters, unexpected twists, and a life map that points Henry and readers alike to the conclusion that "the best journeys never end."

Can You Discover An Alien? An Interactive Monster Hunt by Cristina Oxtra

Choose Your Own books are chock-full of adventure and discovery! Your mission in Can You Discover an Alien? is to pick from wisely from 36 choices that lead to 11 different endings. Investigate infamous alien encounters in places like Area 51 in Nevada or Fairbanks, Alaska. Uncover facts about extraterrestrial life and space exploration. Decide where to look for the next clue and (hopefully) catch an alien! Perhaps the toughest decision of all will be which book to choose next: Can You Track Down Bigfoot? Can You Net the Loch Ness Monster?  Can You Catch the Kraken?

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic written by Jennifer Trafton & illustrated by Brett Helquist

Oppressed yet irrepressible Persimmony Smudge is in the midst of a peppy adventure about magical pots, deportment, poison-tongued jumping tortoises, pepper, a pouty young king and poetic soldiers. She discovers her island is perched on top of a slumbering giant and there's a perfidious plot to steal his gold belt. Can Persimmony gather proof in time? Can she persuade the island's inhabitants to work together in time to save the island? 

You probably won't relax as you read of Persimmony's perilous escapades. However, if you enjoy tummy-tipping sensations, this roller-coaster ride of a book is for you!

A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn

Slow down and relax with this time-traveling tale. Stir together one grandmother, one mother and one granddaughter for a complicated dish spiced with memories of the past, struggles of today and a sweet family love that transcends time. Traditional tastes of home transport many of us to memories of the past, but Maya's grandmother teaches her to magically use food as a literal connection between then and now. Isn't it magic how knowing more about the past gives you a better understanding of today? Bonus recipes included.