Literary Links: Summer Reading program rich with adventures
Each month, the Columbia Public Library offers selections from its collection related to a current best-seller or hot topic. Librarian Whitley Abell compiled this month’s selections.
Adventure is just a page away this summer at the Daniel Boone Regional Library as we invite you to participate in our Summer Reading program: Adventure Begins at Your Library.
Summer Reading starts June 1, and is free and open to all ages. Countless adventures await on our library shelves. Here are just a few books to kick-start your journey as we step outside and into the great unknown!
In picture books (recommended for ages 0-5), one of my favorites is “Wonder Walkers” (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021) by Micha Archer. When two young children take a walk outdoors, their imaginations lead from one natural mystery to another. This book is the perfect starting point for little ones’ own wonder walks as they ponder what makes the world work.
“Fatima's Great Outdoors” (Kokila, 2021) by Ambreen Tariq follows a young immigrant family on their first camping trip in the Midwest. This joyful tale, written by the founder of the social media initiative @BrownPeopleCamping, fosters a sense of belonging as Fatima learns the ins and outs of camping, including pitching a tent, building a fire and warding off daddy longlegs.
“What a Map Can Do” (Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2023) by Gabrielle Balkan guides children through the art of map-reading. From bus maps to hiking trails, the book's adorable raccoon teaches kids to explore the world around them with a handy-dandy map.
For newly independent readers (ages 6-8), picture-book stars Stick and Stone are back in an early-reader graphic novel, “Stick and Stone: On the Go” (Clarion Books, 2023) by Beth Ferry. The pals stick together as they explore caves and face off against a new puppy. This delightful graphic novel is full of humor and adventure and is perfect for fans of the “Narwhal & Jelly” series.
“Treasure Map” (Scholastic Inc., 2023) by Brandon Todd is the first in the new early readers series, “The Adventure Friends.” Clarke and Miguel are ready to explore, as they map out their neighborhood and search for hidden treasure. Young readers might even get the itch to make their own neighborhood map, be it for treasure or for fun!
For older kids and preteen readers (ages 9-12), you can’t go wrong with small animals on big adventures. In “Haven: A Small Cat's Big Adventure” (Candlewick Press, 2022) by Megan Wagner Lloyd, a rescued cat teams up with an antsy fox on a journey to find help for Haven’s beloved human, Ma Millie.
“Survival Scout: Lost in the Mountains” (Roaring Brook Press, 2023) by Maxwell Eaton III kicks off a graphic novel series for aspiring adventurers. When Scout gets separated from her brother on a hike, she must find a way to make it back to civilization, all the while teaching readers how to survive in the wilderness.
For teens (ages 13 and older), “The Atlas of Us” (HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2024) by Kristin Dwyer clears a path through the Sierra Mountain hiking trails. Atlas James is directionless. In memory of her late father’s wish to hike the Western Sierra Trail, Atlas volunteers for a community service program cleaning up the trails. She spends four weeks in the wilderness, finding a sense of family in her trail mates and a way forward on her own.
A camping adventure wouldn’t be complete without a scary story, and the young adult horror novel “The Woods Are Always Watching” (Dutton Books, 2021) by Stephanie Perkins fits that bill perfectly. When best friends Neena and Josie set out on their first backpacking trip the summer after high school, they find themselves in a fight for their friendship and their lives as they face the horror lurking in the forest. Prepare yourself for all the scares with this one!
For adults, “Vanishing Edge” (Crooked Lane Books, 2021) by Claire Kells launches a mystery series perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. Investigative agent Felicity Harland and park ranger Ferdinand “Hux” Huxley team up to solve mysteries that occur within the National Park System — starting with an abandoned campsite and zero clues as to the cause of the campers’ disappearance.
For nonfiction readers, “Hudson Bay Bound” (University of Minnesota Press, 2021) by Natalie Warren follows Natalie and her partner, Ann Raiho, on a 2,000-mile canoe journey from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay, becoming the first women to complete that journey. Warren takes readers along on the journey as the pair tackles sexism, rapids and more on the Arctic waters.
And lastly, Lonely Planet’s “Under the Stars USA” (Lonely Planet Global Limited, 2022) is a perfect campsite guide for the U.S. From roughing it to “glamping,” this travel guide highlights the best places in America to sleep under the stars.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Literary Links: Summer Reading program rich with adventures
