Break may be filled with trips to the beach, swimming pools, sleepovers, camp and all those fun activities that make childhood summers so special.  But being the Savvy Auntie that you are, take it upon yourself to keep your nieces and nephews reading during those lazy, hazy days, too! 

Here is a list of really great books to keep their love of reading alive over the next few months:

Holes (by Louis Sachar)
For the 10 and up age group, this Newbery Medal winner is about a boy who spends one fateful summer at Camp Green Lake.  This place, however deceitful the name, is not comprised of swimming holes and campfires.  Rather, it is akin to a juvenile detention center where the punishment is to dig all day long in the hot sun.  In a tale of friendship, irony, and good vs. evil, this book will keep your nieces and nephews captivated from start to finish.

Stargirl (by Jerry Spinelli)
Recommended for readers 12 years and up, nieces and nephews struggling with staying true to oneself while dealing with peer pressure and conformity will adore Stargirl. The protagonist is an eccentric, mysterious character who seems to disregard all social norms.  Initially fascinated with her unique behavior, the popular girls recruit her to be a cheerleader. But, just like many kids painfully experience firsthand, popularity is a fleeting state that can be ripped out from under your feet without warning.  This complex story is brilliantly told from the perspective of a 10th grader and will generate a great discussion with your nieces and nephews about the complexity of teenage social circles.

The City of Ember (by Jeanne DuPrau)
For the 10 and older crowd, this enormously popular, action-packed book is sure to entertain this summer.  The City of Ember , with no sun, moon or start, has subsisted for 250 years on the light provided by streetlamps and the vast supply of everything they need to survive in storerooms.  But as resources start to run out, two twelve-year-olds embark on an exciting and frightening journey to figure out what the future holds for this city.

The Hunger Games (by Suzanne Collins)
Savvy Aunties, you may enjoy this book just as much as your nieces and nephews. For audiences 12 and older, this hugely popular book will soon hit the big screen.  Postapocalyptic  America must rebuild it’s weakened state through organized, televised “survival of the fittest” battles in which the weakest competitors die while his/her representative districts helplessly watch.  Rich in character development, this engrossing, brutal, fast-paced story is the first of a trilogy not to be missed.

Karen Gallagher is the owner of The Lollipop Book Club

Published: June 15, 2011