Red, White, and Blue: My July Reading Picks
I'm not going to lie. Sometimes I struggle to be proud to be American. There is so much about our history (and present) that is truly awful and hard to claim as our own. And yet, despite all that is cringeworthy, it can't be denied that there is still plenty to celebrate.
I haven't visited every state (I've only been to 19 out of 50), but the more I see of my country the more amazed I am by how vast it is, and by how much it changes from coast to coast. From the rocky coasts of Maine to the Midwestern plains, from the sky scrapers of New York to the cavernous depths of the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf coast to the Pacific Northwest, it is America the beautiful, indeed.
When I looked back over my favorite reads in the last 12 months, I was surprised at how many of them were set in a specific place in the U.S. While my reading didn't cover the whole country, I hit more states than I realized.
So if you're looking for a patriotic read this month, these are all books that I truly enjoyed reading, and would happily recommend to you and your family.
PICTURE BOOK - Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey
MASSACHUSETTS. This childhood classic by the author of Blueberries for Sal tells the story of a couple of mallards who raise their ducklings on an island in the Charles River, where a friendly police officer feeds them peanuts. When the ducks decide it's time for a move, Mother Mallard must lead her ducklings through the busy city all the way to Boston Public Garden. Filled with McCloskey's iconic illustrations and plenty of New England charm, this one deserves a place on every child's shelf.
PICTURE BOOK - One Morning in Maine, by Robert McCloskey.
MAINE. One Morning in Maine is one of Robert McCloskey's lesser-known stories, but every bit as sweet. Fans of Blueberries for Sal will appreciate this sweet story about Sal and her baby sister Jane, who were inspired by McCloskey's own daughters. Sal has her first loose tooth, and when it falls out before she can put it under her pillow, she makes a wish on a seagull feather instead. She then joins her father and sister on a boat ride to town for supplies. This one is a favorite with my 5 year old.
PICTURE BOOK - Goldfish on Vacation, by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Illustrations by Leo Espinosa
NEW YORK. Goldfish on Vacation is inspired by the true story of how a dilapidated fountain in New York City was transformed into a summer playland for the neighborhood children and their goldfish, breaking them out of their boredom and bringing some excitement to their lazy summer days. It's a super cute story in it's own rite, and those familiar with Sally Lloyd-Jones will recognize and appreciate her narrative style. Plus, the illustrations are adorable.
CHILDREN'S FICTION - Save Me a Seat, by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
NEW JERSEY. Save Me A Seat chronicles the first week of 5th Grade from two points of view. Ravi is the new kid. His family just moved to America, and while he was a top student and athlete at his school back in India, he struggles to find his place in room 506. Joe's best friends recently moved away, and now he is starting the school year friendless - and with a closely guarded secret. Over the course of the week, both boys learn some very important lessons.
CHILDREN'S FICTION - Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
NEW YORK. Ten-year-old Auggie was born with a super rare combination of chromosomal abnormalities that made his face look like, in his words, "Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse." Auggie has always been homeschooled because of all the surgeries he needed, and he liked it that way because he hated the way people looked at him and his unique face. Wonder tells the story of how Auggie began at a real school for the first time in 5th grade - and how his classmates received him.
TWEEN FANTASY - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, by Rick Riordan
NEW YORK. Percy has always had a hard time in school, but lately the weirdest things keep happening. One of his teachers turned into a monster and tried to kill him! When Percy's mom finds out, she sends Percy away to Camp Halfblood for the summer, where all the campers - including Percy himself, he learns - are demigods. Percy ends up on a quest across America, from Mount Olympus (now floating above New York City) to the gates of the Underworld (in Los Angeles). A creative reimagining of Greek Mythology for the American tween.
TEEN FICTION - To All the Boys I've Loved Before, by Jenny Han.
VIRGINIA. Lara Jean has lots of crushes. Every time she loves a boy, she she writes him a letter, addresses it, then hides it away in her closet in a hatbox, a gift from her deceased mother. With the letter written and hidden away, Lara Jean and forget the crush and move on. But one day, all five letters of her secret letters are somehow sent, and Lara Jean must deal with the fallout of her unintended professions of love. Though the books are meant for a teenage audience, I thoroughly enjoyed every book in this smash-hit series.
TEEN FICTION - Dear Martin, by Nic Stone.
GEORGIA. Justyce McAllister is at the top of his class and headed for the Ivy Leagues. But that doesn't stop his classmates - and the police - from making racist assumptions about him. As Justyce tries to make sense of why people treat him that way - and what he should do about it - he turns to the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., writing the iconic historic figure a series of letters. When an encounter with an off-duty officer leads to gunfire, Justyce finds himself under attack in more ways than one.
TEEN FICTION - Wild Bird, by Wendelin Van Draanen
UTAH. Ever since her family moved to California, fourteen-year-old Wren has been on a downward spiral of anger, drug use, and criminal behavior. Her parents feel like they've tried everything to help her, but Wren continues down her destructive path. But early one morning, Wren is roused from a deep sleep by a police officer, who escorts her to Utah, where Wren has been sent by her parents to a wilderness rehab bootcamp. Wren must spend the next eight weeks learning to face her own demons, all while learning how to survive in the unforgiving desert.
TEEN FICTION - With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevedo.
PENNSYLVANIA. Emoni loves to cook, and every time people eat her food they say there is something magic about it. She dreams of becoming a chef, but as a teen mother, she knows that the time and money it would take make that practically impossible. When Emoni gets the opportunity to take a culinary arts class at school she wants to jump at the chance, but she's worried about losing the study hall...and about how and if she will be able to pay for the class trip to Spain. But Emoni decides to loosen her grip on the rules she's set for her life and let her talent fly free.
TEEN FICTION - Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds.
NEW YORK. Fifteen-year-old Will's older brother Shawn was shot and killed last night. Will knows the expectation: he will find Shawn's killer and end him, continuing the cycle of violence his family has suffered through as long as he can remember. With his brother's gun in hand, Will leaves his apartment the next morning with the intention of doing what he know he must do. But when he steps into the elevator he is confronted with his past and is forced to contemplate the true cost of revenge. Written in verse, this is quick, powerful read in an unique format.
TEEN FICTION - A Study in Charlotte, by Brittany Cavallaro.
CONNECTICUT. Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson are the descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. When they end up at the same boarding school in Connecticut, their relationship has a rocky start. But when a classmate dies under suspicious circumstances, Charlotte and Jamie are framed for the murder. So together they must solve the case and clear their names, and become friends - or something like it - along the way. A really fun retelling/reimagining of the classic Holmes stories.
TEEN FICTION - Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli.
ARIZONA. Everyone at Mica Area High School is pretty much the same, and life is simple that way. The unspoken rule: no one steps out of line. So when a new girl who calls herself Stargirl shows up, her bizarre behavior throws everything off balance. At first, her quirky kindness wins people over. But when she crosses a line, the crowd turns on her. Even so, average-Joe Leo Borlock falls for her, and must struggle with how to navigate the new social pressures at school and beyond. A touching look at the struggle for popularity and a celebration of the weirdo in all of us.
TEEN FICTION - The Pigman, by Paul Zindel.
NEW YORK. Staten Island teenagers John and Lorraine play a practical joke on a stranger named Angelo Pignati. But through a strange turn of events, they end up befriending the lonely old man. They spend time at his house, accompany him on his cherished visits to the zoo, and more. But before long, things get out of control and Mr. Pignati ends up dead. The book is told as John and Lorraine's version of the story of the Pigman. Written in the 1960s, the book is a bit dated, but the the angsty teenage feels and behavior still ring true today.
TEEN FICTION - Pride, by Ibi Zoboi.
NEW YORK. Zuri Benitez has pride: in her neighborhood, in her heritage, in her family. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in to the building across the street, Zuri is sure this means the beginning of the end for Bushwick - rich people always throw out the broken people along with the broken things. But Zuri's older sister Janae falls for the older of the two Darcy boys, and Zuri must learn to face her own prejudices as the relationship between the two families evolves. An interesting, own voices retelling of Price and Prejudice that places the story in modern day Brooklyn.
CLASSIC - Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut.
NEW YORK. Billy Pilgrim grew up in upstate New York and planned to be an optometrist...until he was drafted into World War 2. When Billy finds himself at the Battle of the Bulge, he is taken prisoner by the Germans, and is transported to a POW camp before moving on to the beautiful and ill-fated city of Dresden, where he is put to work manufacturing malt syrup. Billy's narrative of his story is told in a disjointed, non-linear fashion as he recounts one vignette at the time to illustrate the horrors of war and how his life was never the same. A modern classic, and one of America's great anti-war books.
CLASSIC - East of Eden, by John Steinbeck.
CALIFORNIA. East of Eden recounts the stories of two families who settle in the Salinas Valley and how their lives are intertwined. Samuel Hamilton and his family live on a farm that lacks the one thing it needs to thrive: water. Adam Trask brought his wife to California to farm the rich, fertile land. But when Adam's wife gives birth to twins and immediately abandons the family, Adam struggles to reconcile the life he imagined with the life he actually has. The story of Adam and his sons echoes the famous story of Adam and Eve and their rival sons, Cain and Abel. A sweeping epic, and one of my all-time favorite books.
ADULT FICTION - Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng.
OHIO. Ng's debut novel tells the story of a Chinese American family living in 1970s Ohio. When Marilyn and James Lee's favorite daughter Lydia is found drowned in the local lake, the family's delicate balance is undone. In their own ways, James and Marilyn struggle to come to terms with the tragedy as they seek to find out how and why it happened, and their own parts they may have played. At the same time, their other two children are dragged along for the ride. A powerful story of family and loss, both of love and of dreams.
ADULT FICTION - Miller's Valley, by Anna Quindlen.
PENNSYLVANIA. Miller's Valley has been losing it's battle with flooding for a long time. For as long as Mimi Miller can remember, the government has been threatening to do something about it. The Miller family has always lived in the valley, and as major change slowly becomes inevitable, Mimi and her family must find a way to adapt. As Mimi grows up, she learns more and more about her family's history and secrets, and about who she is as well. Miller's Valley is a tale about family, memory, friendship and identity.
ADULT FICTION - The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt.
NEW YORK. And NEVADA. When Theo Decker's mother is killed in an explosion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Theo miraculous survives. Since his father is out of the picture, Theo is sent to live with an old friend on Park Avenue. But Theo has a secret: he sort of unintentionally stole a famous painting from the museum. As Theo grows up bouncing from New York apartment to abandoned Las Vegas suburb and back again, the painting is always there, and it leads him to places he often doesn't want to go. I read it months ago and I'm still thinking about it. Read it before the movie comes out this September!
ADULT FICTION - The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah.
ALASKA. Ernt Allbright is a Vietnam War veteran, and ever since he came home he hasn't been the same. His temper is unpredictable, he can't hold a job, and his family is constantly on the move. On impulse, Ernt decides to move his wife Cora and their thirteen-year-old daughter Leni to Alaska to live off the grid. At first, life on the frontier seems like just what the Allbrights needed, but it doesn't take long for the dark, cold winter to lead the family back into chaos. As Ernt becomes more unstable, it becomes clear to Leni and Cora that the true danger lies not in the wilderness, but right in their own home.
ADULT FICTION - Caroline: Little House Revisited, by Sarah Miller
KANSAS. I loved the Little House books as a child, and I recently read the first two aloud to my five-year-old daughter. As I read, I kept thinking over and over, "Oh my gosh, what is going through Ma's head right now?!" When I saw this retelling of the story through Ma's eyes, I knew I had to take it home. This story highlights the resiliency of mothers, and speaks to all those tense and tricky situations in the original books that Laura simplified as she told her family's story from a child's point of view.