Summer Reading Picks
Summer is here so let’s celebrate with a book, or a few! Here are the books on our summer reading list, books we’ve already read and recommend, and books we think kids will enjoy.
Feel free to send us your comments or suggestions and we will regroup in September.
Happy reading and have a great summer!
Carolyn’s Picks!
I recommend for adults:
Love Anthony by Lisa Genova
“I’m always hearing about how my brain doesn’t work right…But it doesn’t feel broken to me.”
Lisa Genova, an American neuroscientist and author, uses her medical background to create stories about characters with brain illnesses – in this case, learn about autism through Anthony’s world. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll travel along this unforgettable journey with the protagonist. Very enlightening read!
On my summer reading list…
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
The gift I enjoy giving the most is a book. As a child, my parents regularly went on trips to the bookstore with my brother and I. We only had two English bookstores in Quebec City (now only one), so when visiting my grandmother in Montreal, we would plan outings to Chapters, Indigo, and Babar. And we couldn’t wait to get home to read them – reading in the metro was a must. This passion that my parents gave us, and the gift of reading, is one that I love to pass on. Last Christmas, I bought this book for a family member… though everytime I gift a book, not much time goes by before I get my hands on a copy of my own (yes, even for children’s books). So this is my summer read, the written work of such an accomplished, smart, passionate, hard-working man: Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield.
I recommend for kids:
What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
“I didn’t want it. I didn’t ask for it. I really didn’t like having a problem, but it was there.”
What do you do with a problem? I can tell you what I do… I obsess, I analyse and I stay awake all night.. Until I sit down and tackle it. Children face problems everyday – small problems or big ones, or even momentaneous ones. This beautifully illustrated inspires children and adults alike to look at their problems anew.
Elizabeth’s Picks!
I recommend for adults:
The Girl on the Train by Paul Hawkins
“A sinister and twisting story that will keep you guessing at every turn, The Girl on the Train is a high-speed chase for the truth.”
I couldn’t put it down!
On my summer reading list…
The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
Donalyn Miller is a dedicated teacher who says she has yet to meet a child she couldn’t turn into a reader. Her approach, however, is not conventional. A must-read for every teacher who is inspired by reading!
I recommend for kids:
How Full is your Bucket? by Donald O. Clifton, Mary Reckmeyer, and Tom Rath
Each of us has an invisible bucket. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it’s empty, we feel awful. This book illustrates the importance of having a full bucket throughout the day.
Manon’s Picks!
I recommend for adults:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
This book is absolutely incredible! Once you start, you won’t be able to put it down. It is both hilarious and incredibly moving. Hope you’ll enjoy reading it.
The book is about a brilliant 9 year old boy named Oskar whose father died on September 11th. Oskar is an inventor with a great imagination, who tries to find the lock that belongs to a mysterious key he finds in his father’s closet.
On my summer reading list…
By the Numbers by Jen Lancaster
A hilarious new novel of the “sandwich generation.”
I recommend for kids:
The Piggy Bank Thief by Martha Freeman
Although a stolen piggy bank is normally no big deal, this particular bank belongs to seven-year-old Tessa, whose mother is the president of the United States. It contains an old valuable coin that archaeologists are trying to uncover. Tessa and her sister Cammie must find the thief and the coin, or their mother will have a major scandal on her hands.
Bev’s Picks!
I recommend for adults:
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
What makes people successful?
If you don’t find this one, his other titles are also recommended as reads that will stay with you!
On my summer reading list…
The Nature Of The Beast by Louise Penny
I have been a fan of Louise Penny since she released her first book. Quebec comes alive with our own inspector Armand Gamache.
In August, another title is due to be released. Read them all!
I recommend for kids:
The Eleventh Hour Mystery by Graeme Base
My grandson turns 11 in July and this is the book I gift all 11 year olds in my circle. There is a mystery to solve that requires a keen sense of observation.