SoBoBlog.com: news, rumors and oddments by and of the citizens of South Baltimore

by Colleen Wolfe
soboblog@baltimoreguide.com

The Pratt kicked off its summer reading program for kids and adults this past Saturday, which runs through August 4. This year’s theme, Reading Road Trip, gets participants in the traveling mood with activities and books about hitting the road. Quite an appropriate theme for summer reading since this is the time most of us pack up the kids and the car for vacation.
Usually I am an avid reader, sometimes voracious with a couple of books going at the same time. But lately I have been in a reading funk, not exactly sure what my reading mood is. So I thought if I followed in the Pratt’s lead and devoted this week’s article entirely to book recommendations I’d get some ideas for my own summer reading list and hopefully you would as well.
When I decided to do a column on books I put the word out to everyone I could think of to start sending me their recommendations. And boy did I get a great response. It’s great to see that reading is such a favorite pastime for so many. I wanted to thank everyone who emailed me with their titles. And if you have any more books to share go to www.baltimoreguide.com and click on Blogs, then “Comment on this Article,” to post your suggestions.
A couple of books in the Pratt’s adult reading program are “The Accidental Tourist” by Baltimore’s own Anne Tyler and “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac. I’ve never read either of these but I often take a break from newer books to delve into a good classic. Kerouac’s anthem to the bohemian lifestyle and free spiritedness just might make it near the top of my list this summer.
After a few months of a reading hiatus I kick started my summer reading last week with two books I think many will enjoy. First is “The Color of Water, A Black Man’s Tribute to his White Mother” by Andrew McBride. The author weaves his own memories as one of 12 children growing up in Queens with the memories of his mother who grew up in poverty as an orthodox Jew in the rural South and then was disowned by her family for marrying a black man.
Next was something very quick (I read it in a few hours) but a real treat by one of my favorite authors, W. Somerset Maugham. “Up at the Villa” is a story that goes along masquerading as a sweet story about a young widow who captures the attention of two very different men, one staunch and serious, the other crass and carefree. As she considers them both she gets caught up in a situation that completely unravels her life. If you’ve never read Maugham, or if your idea of a classic is anything that showed up on your required reading list from high school and is better read with Cliffs Notes, this is a book that may change your mind about reading the classics. It’s short and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
And if you give it a try and decide this Maugham guy is for you, then I’ll recommend another one by him, one of my two favorite books of all time, “The Razor’s Edge.” The 1946 film by the same name with Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney is also one of my favorite films of all time.
While trying to put together a list of books to suite everyone’s tastes I decided to go right to the source, the Light Street librarians. Here is a list of books you may want to check out on their recommendations.
For fun fiction: “Girls Who Gossip” by Theresa Alan, “Plum Lovin’” by Janet Evanovich, “Shopaholic & Baby” by Sophie Kinsella.
For your darker mood: The new Dean Koontz thriller “The Good Guy” and “Catching Genius” by Kristy Kiernan.
And some non-fiction picks: “Grave Matters” by Mark Harris, “Barbaro: a Nation’s Love Story” by Tom Philbin and Pamela K. Brodowsky, “The Book Club Companion” by Diana Loevy, “MySpace Unraveled: a Parent’s Guide to Teen Social Networking” by Larry Magid and Anne Collier, “Best Kept Secrets” by Matt Lake, and “Weird Maryland: Your Travel Guide to Maryland’s Local Legends.”
I have to chime in on this last book, “Weird Maryland.” I picked it up in a bookstore one day out of curiosity and couldn’t put it down. It’s filled cover to cover with all of the great urban legends, folklore and myths that are still getting retold years and years after they first started. If you ever told creepy stories as a kid about Black Aggie, the Bunnyman, or Glenn Dale Hospital you’ll want to get this book.
I got loads of recommendations from friends and neighbors as well. Here are a few that caught my interest. My Locust Point neighbor Meg MacGill recommends a book that fits in very nicely with the Pratt’s travel theme. “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert is the story of a recently divorced woman who embarks on a yearlong journey to Rome, India and Bali.
My friend Lisa Bradley turned me on to “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. Although marketed as a young-adult book, this story about a 9-year-old girl who comes to live with a foster family in Germany during World War II sounds like it is more for adults or very sophisticated teenagers. Narrated by Death, the young heroine copes with the death of her brother, the loss of her parents and hardships of being a foster child in a rough working class neighborhood by stealing books.
For Jodi Picoult fans, her latest book, “Nineteen Minutes,” came out in March. Picoult is known for taking on controversial issues. And this latest book doesn’t sound like it is for the faint of heart. Set in a small New Hampshire town, Nineteen Minutes tries to imagine what would make a teenager wake up one day and decide to go on a shooting rampage at school.
Monica Robles of Federal Hill recommended “Moloka’I” by Alan Brennert. This is a fictional story about the real life leper colony that existed in Hawaii for more than 100 years. The book’s heroine is Rachel, who contracted leprosy at age 7 and grows up living in a quarantined settlement with other lepers.
I love historical fiction and frequently when I read a novel I like about a particular time in history I often try and find a non-fiction companion. So when I read a synopsis of this book and found out it was based on a real place I did some research. If this story interests you, you might also want to check out the non-fiction book “The Colony, The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Moloka’i” by John Tayman.
Another Locust Point neighbor, Dawn Kearney, recommended “The Time Travelers Wife” by Audrey Niffeneger. Kinda takes the Pratt’s travel theme to a new level.
And in keeping with the travel theme there’s “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson. This one I think I’ll have to pick up. It’s the author’s experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail. And while hiking itself may not be funny, this book is filled with humorous anecdotes. And I just gotta find out about the bear.
Caitlin Huddleston, the Light Street branch’s new children’s librarian, was good enough to send me some recommendations for the kids.
In the 4-8 age category:
“Black? White! Day? Night!” by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a lift-the-flap book about opposites.
“Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes. Henkes’ mouse heroine loves her teacher Mr. Slinger until he takes away her musical purse because she can’t stop playing with it in class. Lilly decides to get revenge by drawing a nasty picture of Mr. Slinger. But remorse soon sets in when she finds the kind note he put in her purse.
“Hi! Fly Guy” by Tedd Arnold. A friendship blossoms between a boy and his highly intelligent pet fly.
“How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?” by Jane Yolen. Every parent will instantly recognize the antics every kid implores to postpone bedtime anyway they can.
“Fancy Nancy” by Jane O’Connor. Nancy loves everything frilly and pretty and she has her heart set on teaching her family how to be fancy as well during a night out at the local pizza place.
“Miss Nelson is Missing” by Harry Allard. Miss Nelson is a sweet teacher who has the most rotten class ever. When she doesn’t arrive to class one day, the children think they have driven her away forever. They are thrilled until they meet Miss Viola Swamp, possibly the meanest teacher ever.
“John, Paul, George and Ben” by Lane Smith. History gets a humorous twist as we get a look at the founding fathers in their younger days.
“Babymouse” by Matthew and Jennifer Holm. In this graphic novel series, Babymouse dreams of glamour, excitement and adventure, all with a vivid imagination.
“Ivy and Bean” by Annie Barrows. Bean is a real tomboy and Ivy is anything but. But these two opposite personalities find some common ground and become fast friends.
For the older kids
“Al Capone Does My Shirts” by Gennifer Choldenko is for kids in grades 5-8. Moose moves to Alcatraz in 1935 when he is 12 years old so his father can work as a prison guard. Moose isn’t too happy about living on Alcatraz until he meets Piper, the warden’s daughter, who is always getting Moose into trouble.
“The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin, for ages 9-12, is a humorous mystery with great characters.
I could keep going. I received so many recommendations it’s hard to choose. Please post more of your recommendations on line at www.baltimoreguide.com and click on Blogs. And every week throughout the summer I’ll include a new recommendation from a Guide reader at the end of my column.