Challenge Yourself

April 09, 2012

Remember when you were a kid and your English teacher handed you a list of recommended books for you to read over the summer? Did you read any of them, or just roll your eyes and throw the list away? If you threw away the list, you missed out on some great books. 

I just finished participating in the Librarian’s Challenge for MCPL staff to read Juvenile and Young Adult books. We all have our favorite genres and pretty much stick to that. However, I discovered there are many very good books in the J and YA sections of the library. The reading challenge led me to the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins and this year to Divergent by Veronica Roth. They are really good books, and I would never have picked them up except for the challenge.

Have you read Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan or Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell? Middle school kids will tell you that these are good, but don’t think of them as just a children’s book. I also recommend them. 

Challenge yourself to read one of these titles, or explore the shelves of the YA and J sections to find your own favorites.

Cindy K.
Camden Point Branch