• Asked and Answered

Asked and Answered: Summer Reading | May 20, 2015

The ECC Board asked some of their favorite authors and illustrators, “What are you most excited about reading this summer?” See what they had to say and start your summer reading list!

“When it comes to summer reading there is way more than one favorite book! Honestly, I could go on ALL SUMMER LONG, there are so many good ones. But there are a few classic summer picture books I always turn to: Wave by Suzy Lee, a wordless picture book that perfectly captures our curious dance with the ever-surprising sea. I have also always adored the Caldecott Honor book Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets, in which a little girl naturally discovers the best way to make friends with animals. Spoiler: it’s not yelling and running at them and demanding friendship but rather quietly, peacefully hanging out in their habitat. I’ve loved this book my entire life and connected with its message, being a yeller and runner-at-er. And then of course, The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Crocket Johnson. It’s that perfect reminder, both literal and metaphorical, to believe in yourself, no matter what anyone says. That book is a masterpiece.
As for this summer I will continue my streak of reading graphic novels galore! Appropriately, next up ––This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki.” –Samantha Berger, author of Snoozefest, Crankenstein, and many more

“My favorite summer reading book is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn!” –Frank Cammuso, author of the Misadventures of Salem Hyde series

“The Seeing Stone, by Kevin Crossley-Holland, the first book of a trilogy about the young King Arthur that is part historical fiction, part fantasy. Funny, touching, and wise, the book is made up of 100 short chapters, perfect for dipping in and out of as you doze in the hammock.” –Karen Cushman, author of The Midwife’s Apprentice

“I can’t wait to read Robin Schneider’s new book, Extraordinary Means. I read someone describe it as Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain for the YA crowd. Mann’s book is a dark, poetic rumination written from a tuberculosis sanatorium, so this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it totally intrigues me. I also can’t wait to read Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy, because it looks great (I really like her writing and this has a great set-up—a plus-sized gal fearlessly enters the local beauty pageant and turns it on its end). I’m also going on tour with her this fall! Last but not least, I can’t wait for other people to read Paperweight, a first novel by a writer named Meg Haston, which I read this spring and thought was great—maybe the best book about eating disorders I’ve read in a decade or more.” –Cammie McGovern, author of Say What You Will and the forthcoming A Step Toward Falling

“For me, summer reading is about research and catching up on books I didn’t have time to enjoy during the year. To that end, I’m looking forward to reading Lisa Randall’s Warped Passages, Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe’s Hidden Dimensions, and the remainder of Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassin Trilogy, which concludes with Mortal Heart. Both should be a great adventure!” –Jennifer McGowan, author of the Maids of Honor series

“Anthill by E.O. Wilson. Our daughter gave me this book this spring and I am looking forward to reading it on our vacation. E.O. Wilson is one of the world’s leading biologists and naturalists. He has spent countless hours studying ants and how they live. When I was a kid I was crazy about ants. I had more than one ant farm and I was always checking books out of the library about ants. I also drew ants all of the time. Usually they were giant, bloodthirsty insects bent on destroying the world. When I thought about what I might do when I grew up, I often thought it would be cool to be an entomologist. But I also loved art and everything about creating art, so my career went in that direction. I still enjoy reading about ants and the incredible scientists who study them and the environment. While this book is Wilson’s first novel, I enjoyed his earlier books so I am looking forward to following him in this new direction.” –Jim Paillot, illustrator of Bedtime Math

“These are the books at my summer picnic table and it’s a bit of a potluck: Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee, Words Without Music by Phillip Glass, Dead Wake by Erik Larson, and Academy Street by Mary Costello. Can’t wait!” —Pam Muñoz Ryan, author of Echo

“This is a little bit of a cheat, because it’s not just one book, but my favorite summer read is the Harry Potter series. I don’t always have a chance to reread all seven books, but I usually try to revisit at least a couple of them every summer, and it’s something I look forward to all year!” –Jennifer E. Smith, author of Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between