7 days ago
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- New York Times
Lemony Snicket's Anti-Summer Summer Reading List
It's summertime, and the living is queasy. People are sweatier, the weather is sweltering and everywhere one looks, from campfires to barbecues, the air is thick with the discomfiting patina of enforced fun. Those of us who wince at the sound of giddy laughter, who find frolicking wearisome and who desperately search picnic baskets for a cocktail know exactly what to do when June lurches into view: Hide indoors with a pile of books until the autumnal chill arrives. Here are some suggestions for this wretchedly cheerful time of year.
The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily
It is difficult for me to begin any list of books without my favorite book in the world. The best literature lives in a space of endless possibility, and this novel (in prose and verse) starts with a gallery of characters that includes a portrait of a werewolf who 'may not appear in our story … but one never knows.' If the magic wands, sea serpents and gambling dens fail to amuse you, perhaps you will find the king who allows his personal obsessions to overwhelm his civic responsibilities somehow relevant in this day and age. The moments I love most are when the author, Buzzati, takes issue with the illustrations, which are by Buzzati. (Ages 8 to 12)
Leo: A Ghost Story
'This is Leo. Most people cannot see him.' The opening lines of this picture book — written by Barnett, our new national ambassador for young people's literature — give us a much-needed shiver on these unbearably hot days, and Robinson's cool-blue paintings keep the temperature just right inside, where a ghost tries his best to get along with new, living housemates. I'm not much for handing out literary prizes, but 'Leo' wins the silver medal in the Best Children's Book Containing Robbers category. (Ages 3 to 6)
And the gold goes to …
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