Perfect Book, Perfect Tree: Summer Reading for You and Me

Let’s find the perfect tree. It may be in our backyard, in a friend's backyard, at a neighborhood park, or at a place we visit when we're vacationing.  Each tree is unique—just like each of us—and we need to get to know the tree that we’ve chosen. We’ll look at its shape and height and color... we’ll notice how it feels and how it smells. We’ll observe funny-looking knotholes and peculiar markings on its bark. Next, we’ll find a comfortable spot near that perfect tree. We may sit on a blanket or a beach towel or a lawn chair—or maybe we’ll just plop ourselves down on the soft grass in the shade of the tree.

Reading Outside by Hannah W.

At last we’re settled in! Watch how the sunlight peeks through the leaves, how the branches sway in the breeze… listen to the sounds of summer all around us. And now for the best part: let’s open our books and start reading. Later, it will be time for a snack (warm chocolate chip cookies and ice-cold lemonade might hit the spot). But first, let’s pick a book to read in the shade of that perfect tree. Here are some suggestions from fellow Reading Road Trippers:

The Penderwicks by Grace T.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (RL 4.6). While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four sisters share adventures with a local boy—much to the dismay of his snobbish mother. Grace T. says, “My favorite character in the book is Batty, the youngest sister, who won’t go anywhere without her butterfly wings.” We can learn more about The Penderwicks. Click on the red-highlighted words to get started!

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (RL 4.0). In 1935, a twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island, encountering challenges in his new home and with his autistic sister. Peter D. likes the story’s extraordinary setting and “what Moose does to get his sister into school.”

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Drew S.

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (RL 5.0). In letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals problems dealing with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and finding his place in the world. Drew S. reports, “I love this book because it could be real… It is sad, happy, and sometimes funny.”

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (RL 6.6). After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left. Charlotte B. shares that the book “makes me want to keep reading. It is sad… but at times happy. It is very descriptive and gives me an image in my head.”

The Get Rich Quick Club by Dan Gutman (RL 4.1). Summer vacation in their small Maine town does not look too promising until twelve-year-old Gina and four of her friends make a pact to become millionaires before school starts in September.

Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath (RL 5.9). In a small fishing village in British Columbia, eleven-year-old Primrose recounts her experiences and what she learns about human nature and the unpredictability of life in the months after her parents are lost at sea. Let's take a look at an Everything on a Waffle book trailer:

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy) by Barbara Kerley (RL 4.9). Thirteen-year-old Susy Clemens wants the world to know that her papa, Mark Twain, is more than just a humorist and sets out to write a complete biography of the American author and icon.

Rules by Cynthia Lord (RL 3.9). Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence—and then her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic. Curren D. appreciates the humorous elements of this worthwhile story and recommends the book to a wide audience: “My second-grade brother loves this book, too!” 
Rules: No Toys in the Fish Tank by Curren D.

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by New Jersey resident Wendy Mass (RL 5.0). Just before his thirteenth birthday, Jeremy Fink receives a keyless locked box--set aside by his father before his death five years earlier--that supposedly contains the meaning of life. Sarah P. likes the wide range of emotion that Jeremy’s story brings out: “It makes me laugh, cry, and feel bad for the characters.”  Let's watch a book trailer for Jeremy Fink:

A Mango-Shaped Space, also by Wendy Mass (RL 6.8). Thirteen-year-old Mia sees a special color with every letter, number, and sound.  Afraid that she is crazy, she keeps this a secret until she becomes overwhelmed by school,  changing relationships, and the death of her much-loved cat, Mango. Gracie L. recommends the book to friends who are looking for something “different, exciting, and interesting” to read. We can learn more about A Mango-Shaped Space by clicking on the red-highlighted words.

Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 by Mary Pope Osborne (RL 5.1). A Quaker girl's diary shares her experiences growing up in the Delaware River Valley of Pennsylvania and her capture by Lenape Indians in 1763. Grace T. enjoys learning about the history of the time period in this book from the Dear America series.

by Pam Munoz Ryan (RL 5.8). When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father. Kimmy T. admires title character Naomi “because she can stand up for herself.”

Loser by Jerry Spinelli (RL 4.8). Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Donald Zinkoff's optimism and enthusiasm-- and the support of his loving family-- do not allow him to feel that way about himself.

Fifth grade math and science teacher Mrs. Pafford enjoys sharing Loser with her students. Here's an idea: let's read aloud with family and friends in the shade of our perfect tree!

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban (RL 6.3). Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ, finds that her musical skills have a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life. Avory X. suggests this book to “all the girls who want to go for their dreams,” while Molly B. believes that the story would appeal to “people who try something they don't want to try… and end up liking it.” Defne S. recommends the book “because it teaches you how to go for what you believe in.” Emily B. likes the cast of characters, describing the story as “detailed, fun, and creative,” while music-lover Nicole T. thinks that people who play musical instruments will find a lot to like in the story.
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Defne Selen

Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen (RL 5.9). In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years. Lena P. describes Flipped as “interesting realistic fiction… it makes you want to keep on reading, and it teaches a lesson.” Annie D. enthusiastically endorses the book, stating, “It shows that if at first you don’t like something… you can definitely flip!”

There’s a special tree in Flipped: a sycamore tree. The character Julianna tells her father about climbing the tree… “about the view and the sounds and the colors and the wind, and how being up so high felt like flying. Felt like magic.” Let’s find the perfect book and the perfect tree… and capture the perfect summer magic of reading beneath a tree!