A Personal Summer Reading Program

July 01, 2011

It's summer time! Ever since I was a kid and participated in the Summer Reading Program, and later as a student, I loved that I could read as much as I wanted, when I wanted, and what I chose to read. That was all the incentive I needed.

Some memorable reads were The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (it truly was an epic read as it took most of the summer and several volumes because only the Large Print was available at the library), and Jaws by Peter Benchly (much scarier to read than the film was to watch). Now, many, many years later, I look forward to summer reading and start the season with a carefully chosen book to celebrate. But this year, the Summer Reading Program has begun, the school year has ended, and I'm still searching for THE BOOK. Yikes! What to do?

I've looked through MyList which I created on the MCPL website, asked my reading friends for recommendations, and browsed the very helpful online resources at MCPL. I even consulted Gladys Hunt's Honey for a Woman's Heart. Hunt has written several excellent reading guides for children, teens, and adults. Now I've narrowed it down to 2 titles, so I'll flip a coin and get reading.

What are the titles, you ask? Watership Down by Richard Adams and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Hmm...I detect a theme developing...

Anna P.
Raytown Branch