Cool Reads for a Hot Summer’s Day

Appealing books for summer reading are just a click away

By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2005

<a name="RIF Reading Planet—Book Zone">RIF Reading Planet—Book Zone</a> <a href="http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/bookzone/default.mspx" target="_blank">www.rif.org/readingplanet/bookzone/default.mspx</a>
If kids want to find a book to read this summer, this colorful Web site will really encourage them to search and find one. Users can search by author, title, keyword, age (up to age 13), or topic. Kids may also post their comments on any book and read submissions written by others. Consider having your summer readers add their comments as well! Created by: Reading Is Fundamental, Inc., Washington, DC.<a name="The BookHive—Find a Book">The BookHive—Find a Book</a> <a href="http://www.bookhive.org/books" target="_blank">www.bookhive.org/books</a>
This kid-friendly Web page can help youngsters up to age 12 easily locate cool selections for summer reading. Here you can choose from among more than 25 popular topics (such as fantasy or mystery) or check out the latest titles by clicking on the “recently reviewed” or “newer books” links. Kids can also search for a book by title or author/illustrator by clicking on “Quick search.” Created by: The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, NC.<a name="Guys Read—Find a Book">Guys Read—Find a Book</a> <a href="http://www.guysread.com" target="_blank">www.guysread.com</a>
Getting boys to read books in the summer—or anytime—can be a real challenge. This totally guy-friendly site includes wonderful book selections, and requires a Java-enabled browser. Created by: Jon Scieszka, author of the “Time Warp Trio” series. Detour: For tweens and teens (both guys and girls) check out the “Get Real” recommended books at <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2005/booklists.htm" target="_blank">www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2005/booklists.htm</a>—and give them a jump on Teen Read Week coming up in October.<a name="Reading Rockets—Find a Book Database">Reading Rockets—Find a Book Database</a> <a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/books/findabook.php" target="_blank">www.readingrockets.org/books/findabook.php</a>
This nifty database lists all the titles recommended by Reading Rockets, a nonprofit literacy project. You can search the database by genre, topic, age (infant to adult), reading level, and keyword. Recommended reads (with some in Spanish) include ISBN numbers, for librarians interested in ordering books, as well as links to Amazon.com, for parents who want to purchase them. Created by: PBS station WETA, Washington, DC. Don’t Miss: For timely, printable lists of books on popular kid topics, such as “young detectives,” click on “Monthly Recommendations” at the top of the home page.<a name="Reading Rainbow—Take a Look, It’s in a Book">Reading Rainbow—Take a Look, It’s in a Book</a> <a href="http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/books" target="_blank">pbskids.org/readingrainbow/books</a>
Hear any good summer-reading recommendations? That’s what you get on this site, which offers audio clip descriptions of recommended books and reviews written and spoken by kids. The alphabetical lists of recommended books correspond with each Reading Rainbow episode, but can be used independently by kids interested in first hearing all about a book they’re considering reading. Created by: PBS station WNED, Buffalo, NY and GPN Educational Media, Lincoln, NE.