Books to Keep the Kiddies Reading all Summer Long
By Holly E. Newton

Click to Buy	Let's begin with the picture books. Flotsam, by David Wiesner, is the Caldecott winner for this year and it's brilliant!  A young boy discovers a waterproof camera on the beach that displays some of the most incredible and magical images ever!  You will surely revisit this book again and again.  Here is a book that families will want to keep forever.
Click to Buy	The King's Highway, retold and illustrated by Howard Fullmer, is the type of story that every family should read aloud again and again.  A young shepherd hears about the King giving his kingdom to the individual who best travels his road.  The wonderful lessons taught in this inspiring tale will surely motivate all who read it!
Click to Buy	Henry's Freedom Box:  A True Story From the Underground Railroad, by Ellen Levine, is an amazing story about a young slave who is sick of the abuse and misuse of his African family and who decides to escape to freedom by mailing himself to Pennsylvania.  The exquisite paintings, by award winning Kadir Nelson, are as breathtaking as the story.
Blue 2: A Pop-Up Book for Children of All Ages, by David A. Carter, is every bit as incredible as Carter's first book, One Red Dot. If you could only buy one pop-out book for the year, this is the one to get!  Carter is a master paper engineer and he pulls out all the stops for creating objects of paper that literally explode off the page. The Mailbox, by Audrey Shafer, is my favorite book of the year!  It's so well written and full of mystery and suspense that everyone age nine through adult should read it.  Twelve-year-old Gabe has been in the foster care system most of his life when his uncle is located.  When he finds his uncle dead from a heart attack, his life changes once again.
Click to Buy	The Invention of Hugo Cabret , by Brian Selznick, has to be one of the most creative and unique fiction books ever published.  By the time you see young Hugo looking from behind a clock, you've just turned 45 pages of wordless pictures.  The book interweaves both storyline and pictures throughout.  Hugo desires to build something very astounding, something that he is keeping hidden and secret.
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, by Wendy Mass, is a story that fills you with the need, along with Jeremy Fink, to find the meaning of life.  Jeremy has opened a package from his father who died suddenly five years earlier.  His father made this package for Jeremy's 13 th birthday, but there are no keys to open the box.  Jeremy's quest begins as he tries to find the essential keys that will open this important box from his father.
Click to Buy	All of the Above, by Shelley Pearsall, is based on a true story about an inner-city group of students, and their teacher, building the largest tetrahedron.  Pearsall incorporated fictional characters that reflect the lives of lower income kids and how they overcome personal obstacles to build this mathematical object in order to get into the Guinness Book of World Records . The heart of this book lies in the souls of these kids.
Click to Buy	The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, is a tale of adventure, loss and love. Edward Tulane is a stuffed toy rabbit who is spoiled and self-centered. He belongs to a rich girl who recently set sail for Europe. But his adventure is about to begin when he is accidentally thrown overboard into the ocean.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, is the first in a thrilling three-book series about adventures in Greek mythology.  The author places the protagonist into a modern-day setting, making this story unique and exciting. Percy is about to go on a quest that's very difficult, and you'll feel a part of the adventure from beginning to end.
Click to Buy	Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull, and illustrated by Brandon Dorman, is an exciting fantasy about thirteen year old Kendra and her younger brother, Seth, who are about to discover a most incredible world hidden within their grandfather's property. Here is a journey of discovery, adventure and magical creatures.
Click to Buy	Fundorado Island:  Redbeard's Discoveries and His Adventures too, by Captain Redbeard, is a hilarious book that begs to be read aloud.  The vantage point of the entire book is from the captain's point of view, so of course it's written in pirate language. So, join in the fun and read this gem to your youngsters.  But beware, they won't want you to stop until the very end!  Arrrrrgh!

Holly Evans Newton has taught kindergarten through 7th grades for 25 years. She received her B.S. from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and her M.A. from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. She has three sons who have served full time missions, two younger daughters, plus four adorable grandchildren. She has been married to Dale Karl Newton for 34 years. She is currently serving as ward organist and Relief Society pianist in Phoenix, Arizona.

Holly is the recent recipient of the prestigious Literacy Award presented to her by the International Reading Association. She writes a weekly children's book review for the largest distributed newspaper throughout mid-Missouri. She was seen for eight years on the NBC affiliate in Missouri and now is on the NBC affiliate in Phoenix for her weekly children’s book reviews. She presents book presentations to schools where her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm are valued by educators, students and parents. What sets her apart from other reviewers is her goal to find the best books for kids by reading books cover to cover and making sure there is no inappropriate language or sexual content. You can find her past book reviews on her website: www.newtonsbook.com

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