Make lemonade

There's something enticing about a hot summer day, an inviting shade tree, and an ice–cold glass of lemonade. In our fast–paced world of cell phones, Internet, and 100–channel television programming, these simple things can slow the pace. Add a good book, and the world we know disappears. Time is suspended. We can take our very own vacation right in our own back yard.

Here are some suggestions for reading under that shade tree. They certainly will transport you to the world of your imagination. I've tested every one of them. They all go well with lemonade.

Word After Word After Word by Patricia MacLachlan (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2010, $14.99, ages 7 and up)

MacLachlan once again shows her mastery of the use of simple words to convey great meaning. This time she puts a visiting author with a group of children from various backgrounds. The visiting author uses somewhat unconventional teaching techniques and the results are amazing. The students create stories that show the power words can have over every aspect of their lives, including their own teacher.

This is not just a story for kids. It's for teachers who wish to inspire their students. It's for writers of all ages who want to improve their craft. And for readers who love to read books that touch the soul.

Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord, illustrated by Derek Anderson (Scholastic, 2010, $16.99, ages 3 and up)

What makes Hot Rod Hamster so much fun to read (besides Anderson's bold and lively illustrations) is that it requires the reader to interact with the book.

Hamster is building a hot rod for the big race, but there are so many decisions to make. What kind of car? What should be painted on the car? What type of wheels? And with each decision comes the question, "Which would you choose?"

A perfect book for reading aloud and getting listeners involved.

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve (Dial, 2010, $16.99, ages 9 and up)

For Polly Peabody, what's most magical about her family's farm is not the chocolate rhubarb, the giant rhubarb, or her best friend, Harry, who is a rhubarb plant that talks to her. It's not the giant insects or the lake that no one can die in. What's magical about the farm is that every Monday at 1 p.m., it rains.

The only time it didn't rain was the day her brother was born. But now, it has stopped raining. The rhubarb is suffering, and worse, Polly's brother is ill. Polly must face her worst fears to figure out why before her best friend and her brother fall victim to the impending drought.

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (Little Brown, 2010, $16.99, ages 2 to 10)

Laugh–out–loud funny is the only way to describe this whimsical, imaginative picture book about who would win if a shark and a train competed in various events. The humor, which comes both from Lichtenheld's hilarious illustrations and Barton's often unusual competitions (high diving, playing video games, giving carnival rides), is both kid and parent friendly.

Pay close attention to the comments Shark and Train make, along with the signs inserted into the pictures. All offer a great deal of humor.

This is a must–have for library and home shelves.

Dream of Night by Heather Henson (Atheneum, 2010, $15.99, ages 10 and up)

Take one teenage girl damaged by a mother who abandons her. Add one horse, starved and neglected to the point of death. Put them together with a caretaker who has her own wounds, and what do you get? A poignant story of patience, trust, and healing that readers will love.

Told from all characters' points of view, Henson is able to convey to readers the deep pain each one faces, and what they must overcome to begin to trust the world again. Definitely her best work yet.

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josée Masse (Dutton, 2010, $16.95, ages 6 and up)

Singer creates a masterpiece in Mirror Mirror by presenting both points of view in well–known fairytales. Done before? Sure. But not like this. Singer gives each character a unique voice through poetry. When readers look closer, they'll find something very special about each poem: The opposite point of view is the same poem, line for line, in reverse!

Masse's rich and equally beautiful illustrations masterfully depict the opposing points of view while helping younger readers identify each character's fairytale.

The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen (Feiwel & Friends, 2010, $16.99, ages 12 and up)

When 15–year–old Mason discovers his mother and most of the town work for a powerful company that is turning kids into autotrophs (people with the ability to perform photosynthesis), he realizes he must expose the company for its horrific experiments. But he soon finds himself on the run with one of the experimental teens.

Running from the company has put not only his life, but also his mother's life, in danger. But she is running from The Gardener, a being the autotrophs seem to fear more than anything else.

Fast–paced and heart–pounding, this is a must–read.

Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don't) by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Michael Emberley (Knopf, 2010, $17.99, ages 4 and up)

Finding that one book that turns a nonreader into a reader can be a challenge. Miss Brooks valiantly spends the year trying to help the narrator of this book do just that. And Miss Brooks doesn't stop even when she's told her choices are "Too flowery" and "Too furry."

Eventually, Miss Brooks finds a book the narrator can love, warts and all.

Librarians and teachers will love this one. So will all those kids looking for the perfect book.

The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan; illustrated by Peter Sís (Scholastic, 2010, $17.99, ages 9 and up)

Based on the childhood events of poet and Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda, Ryan gives readers an exquisitely written depiction of how this artist was shaped from infancy by the world around him. Ryan's use of prose, poetry, and thought–provoking questions create a tale of determination, resilience, and compassion. Alone, the story stands strong, but with Sis's trademark illustrations, the text is as alive as the Chilean rain forest itself.

Make lemonade. (June 2010). Reading Today, 27(6), 32.