Por CHELSIE HARRIS<\/p>\n
Happy summer, La Mesa! This is the busiest season at the library because kids are out of school and parents are looking for ways to keep \u2018em busy \u2014 and reading is a great, safe and fun way to do that. Our Summer Reading Challenge launched on June 1 and continues through Aug. 31. All ages can sign up online at sdcl.org\/summer to complete activities in exchange for prizes.<\/p>\n
This summer is extra special for La Mesa because we\u2019re welcoming a new children\u2019s librarian to our team. Her name is Ramona and she has already jumped right in providing storytimes and fixing up our children\u2019s area to make it better than ever before. This month, we\u2019re highlighting Ramona\u2019s top-rated reads!<\/p>\n
For children, she recommends \u201cAll the World\u201d by Liz Garton Scanlon. This Caldecott Honor picture book is a calm and peaceful read for young ones and their caregivers. With a gentle rhythm and positive message about appreciating the world around us, it\u2019s a great bedtime story to read again and again.<\/p>\n
\u201cJourney,\u201d by Aaron Becker, is another Caldecott Honor book for children. This is a wordless picture book best for kids ages 4-8. A little girl is bored and draws herself a door that leads to adventure. Whether she\u2019s exploring a castle, a city, or a forest, there is so much beauty and intricacy in the illustrations that words aren\u2019t necessary.<\/p>\n
Have a tween looking for something to read this summer? \u201cLarklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space,\u201d by Phillip Reeve, is a science fiction adventure of a house that hurtles through space. Join Art Mumsby and his sister Myrtle as they embark on an escapade to save the universe.<\/p>\n
And, of course, Ramona loves the \u201cHarry Potter\u201d series by JK Rowling!<\/p>\n
Ramona doesn\u2019t only read children\u2019s books though. She\u2019s also an avid reader of adult fiction, and here are a few of her favorites.<\/p>\n
Nominated as one of America\u2019s best-loved novels by PBS\u2019s \u201cThe Great American Read,\u201d \u201cReady Player One,\u201d by Ernest Cline, brings readers into a dystopian world of 1980s pop culture and nostalgia.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlackout,\u201d by Connie Willis, follows the adventures of time-traveling historians as they are thrust into World War II Britain during the Blitz and begin to think that they can change the past.<\/p>\n
Author Donna Tartt won the 2014 Pulitzer Price for \u201cThe Goldfinch,\u201d but Ramona favors her earlier work, \u201cThe Secret History.\u201d A group of classics students fall under the cult-like spell of their charismatic professor, ultimately leading to disaster.<\/p>\n
If you love fantasy, then check out \u201cName of the Wind\u201d by Patrick Rothfuss. Also called \u201cThe Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One,\u201d this book takes place in the fictional world of Temerant and follows the life of Kvothe as he travels through childhood tragedy to happiness as a young man and ultimate exile from his hard-earned success.<\/p>\n
Stop by the library to meet Ramona and check out the exciting programs we\u2019re offering all summer long!<\/p>\n