Summer Reading (my faves!)

I did a stint as a librarian--think small, private school with 6th graders reading on a college level! It was challenging to find engaging books with no sex, graphic language, or obscenities. But I found some incredibly gifted authors, and I'd like to share my favorites with you. Please understand that although these books are suitable for middle and high schoolers, I find them delightful reads myself!

1. Lauren St. John writes about Africa and some of the social issues that plague this continent that should be our concerns, too. In The White Giraffe and The Last Leopard, she addresses the issues of illegal poaching. In Dolphin Song, stranded teens find themselves on a small island where illegal sonar testing is scrambling the brains of whales and dolphins. Excellent books.

2. Elizabeth Wein -- do you like the King Arthur legend? Wein has done her research! I've read A Coalition of Lions and The Lion Hunter and enjoyed both tremendously. Think a combination of ancient Britain and ancient Ethiopia, and you have stories that span continents and cultures. A young boy has to tread carefully, not only around lions, but also around people who will kill him if he can't determine who is friend and who is foe.

Wein also has a series about young female pilots during WWII that I'm anxious to read!

3. Gabrielle Lord writes the Conspiracy 365 series. Cal Ormond has 365 days to find the Ormond Singularity, a treasure for which his father paid his life. At least 2 other gangs will do ANYTHING to get the treasure first. The fast action will keep you or your teen reading for hours!

4. Wayne Thomas Batson is an author/co-author (with Christopher Hopper) of several amazing series. The Curse of the Spider King and its sequel, Venom's Song, feature some amazing teens who live on earth but who have the ability to see more than what is usually visible. Check out Batson's other series as well.

5. For an interestingmodern-day twist on an old fairy tale, check out Lex Keating's The Silent Swan. A girl who won't fall at the feet of the local high school star? Throw in plenty of baseball and Tam, a no-nonsense, sullenly helpful teen who can cook like a goddess and is fighting to create a home so she can get her brothers out of foster care, and you have a top notch romance!

I have about ten more authors to recommend, but I'll save those for the next post. Happy summer reading!