For many children, summer is the ideal time to read.
“Nothing is better than staying inside and reading a book,” San Marino Toy & Book Shoppebook manager Candace Moreno said about beating the heat.
But even if the children in your life aren’t big readers or need a nudge in that direction, there are books for every type of kid and helpful local experts – librarians, booksellers, parents and other kids – who can direct them toward books they’ll love.
“Things are different now than when I was younger,” said Angela Encinas, children’s librarian at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Libraryin downtown San Bernardino, Calif. “There’s competition with the internet and games, but overall I think kids like books that are funny or that they can relate to.”
So with that in mind, we asked local experts across the Southland for suggestions on what kids might enjoy reading this summer.
Series such as Harry Potter, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants books continue to be hugely popular across the land.
For more recommendations, see our big list of summer reading picks online.
But there are other trends among the younger set.
Brein Lopez, manager of Children’s Book World in Los Angeles, said the hottest book subject for kids of all ages is Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. This includes the great big Hamilton book about the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical but also picture books and starter biographies.
“It’s not even the parents instilling it in them,” he said, adding that the kids who come in looking for Hamilton books not only “know all the songs,” but “they’ve already got their tickets” for the Hollywood Pantages in August.
There are other types of historical works vying for children’s attention.
Krizia Virbia, library services supervisor at the Covina Public Library, Covina, Calif., sees interest in biographies, especially the “Who Was?” series, which runs the gamut, including Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks, Michael Jackson and Venus and Serena Williams.
“Once the kids read one of the books, they’re engaged,” Virbia said, also mentioning a related series, “I Survived,” focusing on real events, such as the destruction of Pompeii and the attacks of Sept. 11.
According to Maureen Palacios, owner of Once Upon A Time in Montrose, Calif., “the books that our community of readers are clamoring for are somewhat tried and true genres: adventures, magical journeys, realistic and graphic novels.
“Early readers love animal stories, and any kind of critter story is perfect for that crowd,” said Palacios.
Others she mentioned include “Blackthorne Key” by Kevin Sands, a historical fiction thriller, “Amina’s Voice” by Hena Khan, which she says is a perfect book for young girls starting middle school, and the “Sherlock Sam” series by A.J. Low, which offers a modern take on the kid detective a la Nate the Great, but in Singapore.
San Marino’s Moreno also sees stories about spies and detectives as popular choices, especially Stuart Gibbs’ “Spy School,” “Spy Camp” and “Evil Spy School,” although it may be because “Spy School” was selected for the store’s book club, Moreno said.
Lopez agrees on Gibbs’ “Spy” series and includes other mystery picks such as “Belly Up,” about a hippo who turns up dead, and “Space Case,” about a lunar scientist found dead on a moon colony.
“They’re humorous books but they also have messages about animal rights and the environment,” Lopez said.
Graphic novels by female authors about growing up in the 1970s and ’80s are also popular for tweens. These include Raina Telgemeier’s coming-of-age memoir, “Smile,” Jennifer L. Holm’s “Sunny Side Up,” about a young girl who’s packed off to live with her grandfather in Florida for the summer, and Cece Bell’s “El Deafo,” which chronicles her hearing loss in kindergarten and imagines herself as a superhero.
As well as comic books and graphic novels, Evan Coates, the youth services supervisor for the Torrance Public Library, Torrance, Calif., said horror novels are very popular this year. And that’s fine by him.
“At the library, we find that when it comes to getting kids reading for the summer, it doesn’t matter what they are reading,” he said. “We’re happy as long as they’re reading.”
Coates said popular titles include “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH,” by Robert C. O’Brien, and “The Spiderwick Chronicles” series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.
“That is a great fantasy novel that takes kids and puts them in fantastical situations. … It really encourages them to explore,” Coates said.
Exploring can also mean looking into social issues.
The Long Beach Public Library, Long Beach, Calif., which just launched its summer reading program, includes on its list “A Boy Called Bat,” by Elana Arnold, which tells the story of a veterinarian mom who brings home a stray baby skunk that her son Bat, who has autism, takes on the challenge of helping; and for older middle-school readers, M.G. Hennessy’s “The Other Boy,” about 12-year-old Shane, who has been concealing the fact he was born a girl until one of his classmates learns he is transgender.
Whether kids are interested in adventures or biographies or graphic novels, our experts often echoed a guiding principle for parents and kids to consider.
“For me personally, it’s all about fun,” said San Bernardino librarian Encinas. “That’s my philosophy. As long as the children are reading and are interested in what they are reading, it doesn’t matter what they read. Make it enjoyable and not a chore. Let them pick what they want. Parents come in and ask what books their kids should read, some above their reading level, and that can really frustrate a child. When they’re read to move up, they will.”
Sandra Barrera, Richard Guzman, Suzanne Sproul and Erik Pedersen contributed to this story.
