Books Even Busy Boys Will Come Inside For

Look at my muddy sons!  This photo brings back fun memories.  In our family, summertime meant lots of outdoor playtime, swim lessons, and jaunts to the beach.  But we also encouraged trips to the library and summer reading. 

How could books ever compete with sunny days full of bikes and mud??  With choices like the ones below (as promised, I'll be blogging about fun summer reading for the month of June).


Books Even Boys Will Come Inside For...eventually:
The Stories Julian Tells (series) by Ann Cameron. 

I immediately went out and found this book at the library after reading Jim Trelease's summary in his Read Aloud Handbook. "The author takes six short stories involving Julian and his brother and weaves them into a fabric that glows with the mischief, magic, and imagination of childhood. Though centered on commonplace subjects like desserts, gardens, loose teeth, and new neighbors, these stories of family life are written in an uncommon way that will both amuse and touch young listeners." It really engaged our boys' imaginations.


The Great Brain (series) by John D. Fitzgerald. (ages 8-12)

This book was an all time favorite of my oldest son, about the hilarious adventures of an Irish-Catholic family in Mormon Utah in 1896.  Tom - a.k.a. "the Great Brain" - is a 10-year-old genius con man, always interested in making a profit (and always learning a lesson.)


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl (ages 8-12). 

These books made a huge impact on my oldest son.  Along with Norman Jester's The Phantom Tollbooth, Roald Dahl's books introduced him to imaginative fantasy through quirky humor and fun wordplay. Dahl's books are about childhood justice and delight, full of imagination and the best kind of storytelling. Charlie Bucket lives with his mother and four bedridden grandparents in their one-room home. Charlie wins a trip into the magical, fantastical world of Williy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. A satirical look at want and need, greed and generosity, all remedied through the methods of the eccentric candy maker. Not to be missed!


Maniac McGee, by Jerry Spinelli (ages 9-12). 

This is the story of a 12-year-old runaway boy. As a stranger to the town of Two Mills, he is naively ignorant of the racial divide between the East and West sides of town. He's also unaware that his life will become legend as he performs one amazing feat after another (like running 49 touchdowns in a single game!) You won't believe the miraculous things he does - the most courageous being the healing of the division in the town and the end of the racial prejudice there. Good contemporary fiction.

The Indian in the Cupboard (series), by Lynne Reid Banks. (Ages 8-12) 

Exciting, absorbing, and thought provoking story, alive with magic as two boys discover they can bring their toys to life by putting them in an old medicine cabinet that one of them receives - along with a small plastic Indian - for his birthday. They are faced with the responsibility of this tiny person and the consequences of their actions. Gives new meaning to the phrase, "the dignity of human life".


Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls.

I guarantee your boys won't be able to put this book down! (If you missed it, you can read my past post here). Independent Readers: grades 5 and up. Family Read Aloud: ages 9 and up.

A BOY AND HIS GRANDPA ENGAGE IN SOME MONKEY BUSINESS

My 10-year old nephew is a kindred spirit with me when it comes to good books, and he gets very enthusiastic about giving me recommendations for my blog.  Recently he lent me his copy of Summer of the Monkeys and I could barely put it down!  It shot to the top of my own list of favorites, and I can guarantee that it will engross even the most reluctant readers. This is a touching story, with a satisfying ending.
For Independent Readers: grades 5 and up
As a Family Read Aloud: ages 9 and up 

Book Description: The last thing a fourteen-year-old boy expects to find along an old Ozark river bottom is a tree full of monkeys. Jay Berry Lee's grandpa had an explanation, of course--as he did for most things. The monkeys had escaped from a traveling circus, and there was a handsome reward in store for anyone who could catch them. Grandpa said there wasn't any animal that couldn't be caught somehow, and Jay Berry started out believing him . . .
But by the end of the "summer of the monkeys," Jay Berry Lee had learned a lot more than he ever bargained for--and not just about monkeys. He learned about faith, and wishes coming true, and knowing what it is you really want. He even learned a little about growing up . . .
This novel, set in rural Oklahoma around the turn of the century, is a heart-warming family story--full of rich detail and delightful characters--about a time and place when miracles were really the simplest of things...

Why Kids Will Like It: Author Wilson Rawls (who also wrote Where the Red Fern Grows) knows how to draw kids into this action-packed story, writing in the first person from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy named Jay Berry, and sneaking some life lessons into the often hilarious narrative.  His description of the relationship between Jay Berry and his grandpa is poignant and enviable:

My grandpa was one of those old, slow-moving, boy-loving kind of grandpas.  We had been pals for as long as I could remember.  He'd do anything for me, and I'd do anything I could for him.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when, after weeks of trying to figure out how to capture the monkeys (this involved some unbelievable bravery and persistence on the part of Jay Berry), the boy's grandpa decides they need to visit a library, because, "I don't care what kind of a problem a man has, he can always find the answer to it in a library."  They take a trip to town, taking along the boy's ever-faithful companion, his dog "Rowdy".

This excerpt had me laughing out loud:
I had always known that my old hound had a beautiful voice, but I had never heard it ring like it did in that silent library.  The deep tones rolled out over the floor, slammed against the walls, bounced off the ceiling, and made books quiver on the shelves.  Boys and girls all over the place started screaming with laughter.
Like a shot out of a gun, the little lady came from behind the counter and over to Rowdy.  She stopped right in front of him.  With her hands on her hips, she stood there looking at him.  Rowdy thought he had found another friend and was acting like he was very proud of what he had done.  He just sat there, mopping the floor with his tail and panting happily.
I all but turned my chair over as I came up out of it.  I rushed over and grabbed Rowdy's collar with both hands.  I thought the lady would be angry and was going to jump on my dog -- but she wasn't wasn't the least bit made.  I could see a twinkle in her eyes and she was smiling.
"Son", she asked, "is this your dog?"
"Yes, ma'am," I said.
"I've been a librarian here for a good many years," she said, "but this is the first time I've ever had a hound dog ask if he could come in my library.  I'm honored."

Boys and girls alike will get caught up in this story about Jay Berry, his grandpa, his sister Daisy, and his dog - it's an imaginative tale full of adventure, sibling rivalry and love, family, faith, animals, and even some fairy folklore.  I think this quote sums it up quite well:

Grandpa smiled and said, "...You know, an old man like me can teach a young boy like you all the good things in life.  But it takes a young boy like you to teach an old man like me to appreciate all the good things in life.  I guess that's what life's all about."

Amen.