In keeping with our theme this week…exploring your local area, investigate what your library is offering.  You and your children may be delighted at what you discover.

Summer reading programs at local libraries offer youngsters fun and reading encouragement.  Our library, the Pease Public Library in Plymouth, NH, has excited young readers for many years.  I’m always impressed by what is planned for youngsters and the community.  Also, the children receive prizes, donated by local businesses,  for the number of books they read during the summer.

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Even, though my grandchildren are too old (high school and college age when the programs are geared for pre-school through grade 8), we do attend some of the family programs…movies, entertainers and projects.

I’ve taken Kara and Alex to these summer reading programs since they were in pre-school.  Then when I was no longer needed to help, I enjoyed the evening reading and using my laptop while I waited.

Visit your library and those in neighboring towns. We still check out many books and movies throughout the summer and enjoy them at home.

When I posted a reading list, 13 Kids’ Mystery Books, Michelle mentioned, in her comment, that Nancy Drew was her favorite as a kid.  She wondered why I hadn’t included this series on my list.

Perhaps I should have added Nancy Drew as a bonus mystery.  This was one of my favorites as a teen, too.  It’s good to see Nancy is remembered and even a favorite.

My daughter enjoyed Nancy Drew and collected the books for a time.  I don’t have any of my original books (have no idea where they went), but I’ve acquired one older copy among my children’s book collection.

Nancy was revived and modernized several years ago, when they made a TV series of her adventures.  She and her friends encountered more modern day situations and mysteries.  However, she was still the same curious, independent, adventuresome sleuth that fascinated me as a teen.

Do you have Nancy Drew memories?  Do your children enjoy these mysteries, or like my granddaughter, prefer the fantasies of today?

When discussing books with a children’s school librarian, I mentioned Twilight and the fact that so many youngsters are fascinated by Stephenie Meyer’s books.  The librarian said that the series becomes a little more risqué in the subsequent books.  So at that school, they limited the reading to Twilight, unless the student had written permission from the parents.

This was considered an appropriate policy, especially since students as young as fourth grade wanted to check out these books.  This gave the parents input into their children’s reading selections.

This raises some interesting questions:

Do you think a school should limit a student’s reading material unless he/she has parental approval?

Do you like the fact that a school will check with a parent first?

Do you think the school or librarian should simply let children of any age read whatever books are in the library?

As a mother and grandmother, I like the idea that I’d be consulted and give input into my child’s reading matter.  What do you think?

(Image: Pop Culture Graphics at Amazon)

“Lizzie’s mom wouldn’t let her read certain books, so she kept them in her locker at school and read them anyway,” my daughter shared with me about her friend years later. 

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 ”These weren’t ‘bad’ books,” Beth continued, “only books Lizzie’s mom thought didn’t go along with their religion.”

We had always read to and with Beth when she was younger and encouraged her love of books.

 I didn’t restrict the books Beth read.  Instead, when she was in high school, she shared with me, and we discussed why or why I didn’t think they were appropriate.  I thought I needed to teach her how to make judgments about her reading, movie and television (now Internet) watching before she was on her own.  If I said, “No,” to specific books, they might have more appeal.  Also, she’d read them anyway, as Lizzie did.

 Do you check on the books your children are reading and limit some of them?  Or do you feel, that as they grow older, they will read these books anyway.  So you need to teach them how to make good decisions?

Recently, there was a discussion on one of my online children’s author groups  (I’m a children’s author, as well as blogger) about children’s chapter books dealing with death.  Most of them are slated for young readers,  6-9 years old.

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I thought I’d pass this information along in case parents, grandparents and others would find this list of interest for reference.  Some books deal with death of a family member or friend; others are about the death of a pet.

• Remembering Mrs. Rossi by Amy Hest
• Love You, Soldier by Amy Hest
• Because of Winn Dixie
• Each Little Bird That Sings
• Sarah Plain and Tall
• The Higher Power of  Lucky
• Carolina Harmony
• Julia’s Kitchen
• The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
• Blackberries in the Dark by Mavis Jukes, about a boy visiting his grandmother after the death of his grandfather
• Sun & Spoon by Kevin Henkes
• Saying Goodbye to Grandma by Jane Resh Thomas
• Some of Us Survived: The Story of an Armenian Boy by
  Kerop Bedoukian,  an eyewitness account of the Armenian Genocide
  written from the author’s point of view when he was 8 years old.
• The Road from Home by David Kherdian  is the true story how Kherdian’s mother and  family were annihilated and driven from their historic homeland during the Genocide.

Do you have any to suggest that you think are particularly good at helping youngsters…and adults?

It’s Arbor Day (and my birthday!) today. It’s a gorgeous spring day, and it’s Friday. I can’t think of a nicer day.

The Arbor Day Foundation website has a terrific list of ideas on how to celebrate Arbor Day. If you are looking for a gift (like, for example, a birthday gift…) for someone who’s hard to shop for, consider giving an Arbor Day Foundation membership as a gift, or send an Arbor Day e-card. Not only do e-cards save trees, every Arbor Day Foundation e-card plants a tree.

Looking for some books to share with the green kids in your life? I received two early presents last night from my mother-in-law - picture books with beautiful earth-friendly messages from her own private collection (I think re-gifting is a wonderful thing. It means you care enough about someone to share something of your own with them):

The Earth Is Good - A Chant in Praise of Nature by Michael DeMunn and Illustrated by Jim McMullan

and

Mother Earth by  Nancy Luenn and Illustrated by Neil Waldman

I can’t decide which is my favorite yet. Both are simple and poetic. Suitable for young children. Perfect as reminders for all of us.

The sun is good; the day is good. The moon, the stars, the night are good. The earth is good…and you are good.