‘‘Let them have the freedom of choosing the children’s books they like,” she said.
For children, Todd Stewart, owner of Vertigo Books in College Park, recommends books that are part of a series.
For younger children ages six to nine, he suggests the ‘‘Magic Tree House” series by Mary Pope Osborne, which follows the adventures of two young children through time.
The staff of the Bowie branch library suggests ‘‘There is a Bird on Your Head!” from a new series by children’s author Mo Willems, which is a story about birds who decide to make their nest on an elephant’s head.
Older readers, ages eight to 12, who may be feeling the effects of ‘‘Harry Potter withdrawal” can enjoy ‘‘The Squire’s Tale” by Gerald Morris, which Stewart described as a ‘‘great adventure.”
In addition to more contemporary books, librarians suggested including a few classics on students’ reading lists, including the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary; ‘‘Judy Moody” and ‘‘Stink” books by Megan McDonald, and ‘‘Clementine” by Sara Pennybacker.
For children 10 and older, Stewart suggests adventure stories ‘‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians” by Rick Riordan, and ‘‘The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing” by M.T. Anderson, which takes place during the Revolutionary War era. .
Ramsey suggests books by author Mildred Taylor for students ages 11 and older, which she frequently discusses with students when she visits area schools.
The books follow a black family beginning in the early 1900s through the 1960s.
‘‘They always end very positively,” Ramsey said. ‘‘Even though [the family] has gone through horrible things in the story, they always rise above the people persecuting them.”
Ramsey also suggested ‘‘The Light in the Forest” about a young man who is kidnapped by Native Americans and as a child and does not want to go back to his birth family and becomes ‘‘trapped between two cultures.”
For teen readers, librarians recommend ‘‘Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson, about a teen who becomes an outcast after calling the police at a party and ‘‘I Am the Messenger” by Markus Zusak, about a cab-driver who receives mysterious messages.
Stewart also said books by author Stephanie Meyer have been popular with teens. Meyer’s latest book ‘‘Breaking Dawn” is scheduled to be released Aug. 2.
For a local flavor, local authors have books geared toward children and teens, some of which are based on Prince George’s County.
Mary Downing Hahn, an author who grew up in College Park, has two books set in College Hill, influenced by her College Park upbringing.
In her books, ‘‘Stepping on the Cracks” and ‘‘As Ever, Gordy” which take place in College Hill, Downing Hahn said she wanted to capture the memories she had of her childhood of friends, school, and riding the streetcar.
‘‘There were a lot of woods then, that are built over now, that we could play in,” she said.
Downing Hahn’s book ‘‘All Around the Farm” is based on her mother’s visit to a farm in Beltsville in the early 1900s.
Downing Hahn said her books that are most popular with children are the ghost stories, which are geared toward children ages nine to 14, such as ‘‘Wait Until Helen Comes,” ‘‘The Old Willis Place,” ‘‘Deep and Dark and Dangerous” and ‘‘All the Lovely Bad Ones.”
‘‘Maybe [children] like to escape into a world where children in the book can confront something dangerous, a ghost of some kind, and prevail, win over the ghost or the danger or whatever it is,” Downing Hahn said.
The Prince George’s County Memorial Library system hosts summer reading programs for children and teens throughout the summer months. For more information, visit www.pgcmls.info.
E-mail Megan King at mking@gazette.net.
Summer reading list
The following is a sampling of books listed on the 2008 summer reading list, published by Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. For the complete list, visit www.pgcmls.info.
Kindergarten
‘‘I Love Saturdays y Domingos”
By Alma Flor Ada; illustrated by Elivia Savadier
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
A girl has fun every Saturday with Grandpa and Grandma and cada Domingo con Abuelito y Abuelita.
First Grade
‘‘Joshua James Likes Trucks”
By Catherine Petrie
Illustrated by Joel Snyder
Publisher: Children’s Press
He likes big trucks and little trucks, trucks that go up and down. ‘‘Joshua James just likes trucks.”
Second Grade
‘‘Days with Frog and Toad”
By Arnold Lobel
Publisher: Harper & Row
Toad leaves his house a mess; Frog likes things neat. Frog tells a scary story; Toad doesn’t believe him. They are different, but they are still close friends.
Third Grade
‘‘Rafi and Rosi”
By Lulu Delacre
Publisher: Rayo
Or Rafi and Rosi: Carnival! Sometimes it is hard being a younger sister. Just ask Rosi Coquí. Share some adventures with Rafi and Rosi in beautiful Puerto Rico.
Fourth Grade
‘‘Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez”
By Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Harcourt, inc.
Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to improving working and living conditions for migrant farm workers who had the longest hours, lowest wages and shortest life spans of any group of Americans.
Fifth Grade
‘‘George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides”
By Rosalyn Schanzer
Publisher: National Geographic
Some think that King George was a ‘‘Royal Brute.” Others say that George Washington was a traitor. ‘‘There are two sides to every story.”
