Summer Reading: Kids : NPR

Author Interviews

Many Arab-Americans Still Perceived As A 'Problem'

September 11, 2008 • The aftermath of Sept. 11 was a particularly difficult time for Arab and Muslim-American children in the U.S. Author Moustafa Bayoumi talks about some of the challenges chronicled in his new book How Does it Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America.

Critics' Lists: Summer '07

Great Opening Lines to Hook Young Readers

June 25, 2007 • If you're interested in getting your child or teen to keep reading during a hot, long, lazy vacation, offer them these cool summer books. Librarian Nancy Pearl's picks all have great first lines, three-dimensional characters and strong finishes.

Excerpt: 'Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman?'

June 20, 2006 • It's 1875 in London and the police have captured career criminal Montmorency. In the process he has been grievously wounded and it is up to a young surgeon to treat his wounds.

Hear an Excerpt from this Book

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Excerpt: The Sherwood Ring

July 25, 2005 • In this book originally published in the 1950s, young Peggy Grahame meets ghosts and gets involved in a mystery as she explores her family's ancestral estate.

Excerpt: Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds

June 29, 2005 • Written with elementary school students in mind, this book tells the story of Sammy Lee, a Korean-American kid who discovered competitive diving when he was a kid. But he couldn't practice much: His Fresno, Calif., hometown was segregated, and "colored" people were restricted to one day a week at the public pool — which was then drained, cleaned, refilled and off limits until the following week.

Summer Reading Picks for Kids: Full List

June 22, 2005 • Washington Post columnist for kids John Kelly offers these selections as a fun alternative to the usual summer reading-list fare.

'Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman'

June 18, 2005 • The police have captured career criminal Montmorency. In the process he has been grievously wounded and it is up to a young surgeon to treat his wounds. During his recovery Montmorency learns of the city's new sewer system and sees in it the perfect underground highway for his thievery.

Excerpt: 'How I Became a Pirate'

June 16, 2005 • Jeremy Jacob's day at the beach with his family is interrupted when a pirate ship sails into view, skull and crossbones flying. Soon he's enlisted to help the scurvy dogs bury treasure.

Hear a Reading from the Audio CD

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Excerpt: 'A Wizard of Earthsea'

June 15, 2005 • This story, recommended for fans of Harry Potter, tells the adventures of sorcerer Ged and the difficult tests he must face before he can attempt to re-establish the balance of power in his world.

Excerpt: 'Summer Reading Is Killing Me!'

June 14, 2005 • Author Jon Scieszka is intent on producing books that are an antidote to the dusty titles that populate summer reading lists. Here, kid-lit characters come to life when a summer reading list from school is accidentally put inside a magic book.

Excerpt: 'The Tarantula Scientist'

June 14, 2005 • This latest book in the "Scientists in the Field" series, recommended for fourth through sixth grades, explores how and why researchers study the biggest and hairiest spiders on Earth, taking readers from the rainforests of French Guiana to a tarantula-filled laboratory.

Excerpt: 'How to Train Your Dragon'

June 14, 2005 • "First catch your dragon" is the initial step in this loopy tale of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, "a smallish Viking with a long name." Read an excerpt from this title, part of our summer reading picks for kids.

Excerpt: 'The Magician's Boy'

June 14, 2005 • In this summer book pick for kids, a boy grows tired of his apprenticeship to a magician which seems to consist mainly of polishing wands and washing rabbits.

Excerpt: 'The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela'

June 14, 2005 • More than a century before Marco Polo packed his bags, a Spanish Jew embarked on a 14-year journey through France, Italy, Greece and into the Middle East, told in this colorfully illustrated book.

Excerpt: 'The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela'

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Excerpt: 'The City of Ember'

June 13, 2005 • As crisis looms, a city's leaders establish a city illuminated entirely by artificial light. But the lights begin to flicker, two 12-year-olds set out to bring light to their people. Read an excerpt from this recommendation for young readers.

Listen to an Audio Excerpt of 'City of Ember'

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Excerpt: 'Mighty Jackie, the Strikeout Queen'

June 13, 2005 • Jackie Mitchell's father told her she could accomplish anything, including playing baseball. The message sunk in. During an exhibition game in Tennessee, the 17-year-old southpaw struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Read an excerpt from this recommendation for young readers.

Excerpt: 'The Giant Rat of Sumatra or Pirates Galore'

June 13, 2005 • When a creaking ship, its bowsprit carved in the shape of a snarling rat, pulls into San Diego harbor it carries with it a 12-year-old cabin boy whose only desire is to get home to his family. Reviewer John Kelly calls the story, set in 1846, a "rousing, swashbuckling tale."

Excerpt: 'For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy'

June 13, 2005 • Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy is based on the true story of Suzanne David, a Cherbourg teenager who joined the Resistance after the Nazis invaded France. Read an excerpt from this recommendation for young readers.

Excerpt: 'The American Plague'

June 13, 2005 • The author draws on primary sources for this nonfiction book recommended by Washington Post columnist John Kelly, evocatively describing the medical missteps and political infighting that characterized an outbreak of yellow fever in 1793.

Excerpt: 'Each Little Bird That Sings'

June 13, 2005 • Death is no stranger to 10-year-old Comfort Snowberger and her family. They run the funeral parlor in their Mississippi town. Read an excerpt from this title, one of our summer reading picks for kids.

Excerpt: 'Toad Rage'

June 13, 2005 • Limpy the Australian cane toad is tired of watching his relatives get flattened by human motorists. His plan: convince the world that cane toads are worthy of respect. Reviewer John Kelly calls the book "Gross, funny and the perfect introduction to Australian slang."

Excerpt: 'Bindi Babes'

June 13, 2005 • "Of course we didn't want her," 12-year-old Amber Dhillon says of her Auntie, in this title from our list of summer book picks for kids. "We didn't need her."

Listen to an Audio Excerpt of 'Bindi Babes'

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