If you love reading about friendship, mystery, and character growth, take a chance with Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures and Treasure in the Lake. Jason Pamment wrote both of these stand-alone books, and they convey a similar message. Both stories feature the main character learning something about themselves and how they perceive others. A lot of readers, including myself, recommend these titles for those who love the Aquicorn Cove and Tea Dragon Society series by Kay O’Neill.
In Treasure in the Lake, main character Iris and her best friend Sam have become distant over the years. They decide to reconnect but get trapped in the tiny town of Bugden…in the past. As they fight to return to their own time before a flood destroys them, they find themselves crossing paths with the young from long ago and learn about a long-lost friendship. They learn that you never know or appreciate what you have until it’s taken away.
In Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures, our main character lives in a world of giants. Ember is a tiny boy living among giants and it isn’t easy to fit in. With the help of his friend Lua, a kind turtle, he travels across the ocean to a school for little creatures, which is on an island filled with ferocious storms and strange cave dwellers. Ember has trouble here, too, as he tries to adapt and befriend his classmates. He stumbles upon a curious sea creature, and when it attacks, Ember and his classmates must band together to survive.
Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.
Max and the Midknights is a children’s series that mixes between graphic novel and a chapter book styles. These are great for readers who enjoy the ‘Big Nate’ graphic novels because they were written by BIG NATE himself. Parents know the true author, but let the kids be amazed. Follow this story as Max and his friends travel through medieval times, with foes and kings and magic.
In Max and the Midknights we are introduced to Max, Kevyn, Simon, Millicent, and Uncle Budrick: a group of young children and a single adult who travel through medieval times to overthrow an unjust king and restore the land of Byjovia to its original glory. Filled with humor, readers will love this story and the sequels. Finished book one and want more? Don’t worry. Follow the midknights in Battle of the Bodkins as they discover a new type of villain called Bodkins, who are trying to take over Byjovia. Continue with The Tower of Time, where you can travel through time and be reintroduced to a few villains and even friends in the conclusion to the epic series.
No matter if you have read the Serafina series, the Willa duology by Robert Beatty will have you wrapped and engulfed in its story. You can listen to the audio, read the physical book, have it on your Kindle and tablet. Follow Willow as she looks for the truth her clan has hidden from her and her generation. Determined to uncover her clan’s history, Willa makes her way through the forest making unlikely friends and learning not to judge a book by its cover or believe what everyone tells you. Sometimes, you need to discover the truth yourself. If that does not convince you, read this small snippet of Willa escaping a treacherous place and protecting those close to her.
“She could feel herself getting farther away from them with every step she took. Her heart swelled with hope that she was going to make it. But as she ran away, Lorcan pulled back his arm and hurled his killing spear like a javelin. It shot through the air and struck her in the neck with a shocking blow and knocked her to the floor. She looked down toward the end of the corridor, and the last thing she saw was Nathaniel’s children disappearing into the escape hole”.
The adventure does not end there. Guaranteed to bring you tears of both joy and sadness, Willa’s story comes to a loving, surprising, and happy conclusion in Willa of Dark Hollow.
Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.
It’s an equation for fun! Add an extra dimension to your summer days by connecting books from the library to a fun adventure in our region. Here are some ideas to get you started — each plan includes a picture book for everyone, a chapter book for family read alouds, and an outing within an hour’s drive.
Word Play
Meet Stegothesaurus (E HEO), the dinosaur with an incredible (inspiring, impressive) vocabulary and encounter an amazing array of words as well as a frightening, formidable, fearsome allosaurus…uh-oh, what’s another word for “trouble”?
Enter a magical library where the books aren’t just full of words, they’re actually alive! In The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings (CHILDRENS PRI, print and digital audiobook), Alex must learn how to battle the ancient magic in these books and save himself, the library and the kingdom. It’s anything but a quiet day at the library!
Journey to Planet Word, an interactive museum in Washington, DC. You’ll find walls alive with words; a library with a secret door and hidden surprises; and rooms to sing, tell jokes and give a speech.
Time travel with Calvert the Raven in The Battle of Baltimore (CHILDRENS FUQ) for a bird’s-eye view of the battle that inspired our national anthem in 1814, right here in Baltimore. Fast forward into the present with the thrilling Capture the Flag (CHILDRENS MES) in which the original Star Spangled Banner has been stolen from the museum! It’s up to Anna, Henry, and Jose to muster all their courage and detective skills to get this historic national treasure back.
Visit the Fort McHenry National Monument, site of the famous battle, where you can explore the historic battlements, cannon, and walls, interact with living history guides, or just have a picnic and enjoy the spectacular view of the Baltimore Harbor.
2400 East Fort Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230; open 7 days a week, kids 15 and under are free.
Explorers of the Wild
For an uncharted outdoor adventure, get inspired by Baltimorean Matthew Henson, whose determination led him to be one of the first to find the North Pole. I, Matthew Henson, Polar Explorer (CHILDRENS B HENSON W) offers a breath of cold, Arctic air this summer! Or share the adventure of friends Augie and Wyatt, as they build a fort then face the challenges of living in it with ingenuity, perseverance, and humor, in Fort (CHILDRENS DEF, print and e-audio).
Head to Cunningham Falls State Park, to hike to a waterfall, swim and canoe in a lake, camp, picnic, and fish.
14039 Catoctin Hollow Road, Thurmont, MD 21788; 8 am to sunset, April-October. See website for daily admission fees and campground/ cabin reservations.
Jean B. is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch who loves reading books for all ages when she isn’t enjoying the outdoors.
Join 2023’s Summer Reading Adventures with the best of adventure films. On Sunday, 6/25, at 2 pm, the Central Branch presents Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Released in 1981, Raiders is one of the most popular action films of all time. The series’ fifth installment arrives in theaters on 6/30, so now is the perfect time to revisit the original on the big screen. Don’t stop there: the HCLS collection of amazing films includes not only DVDs, but hoopla and Kanopy on-demand streaming videos.
The Oscar-winning 2018 documentary Free Solo follows climber Alex Honnold’s quest to scale Yosemite’s 3,000-foot vertical rock formation El Capitan without any safety equipment. Directed by filmmaker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and her husband, National Geographic photographer Jimmy Chin, also a climber, Free Solo keeps its audience on the edge of their seats. Viewers will be astonished by the effort needed to accomplish the feat and the risks involved for Alex and the crew.
Some of the best adventure films are great for all ages. E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial introduces a friendly alien who must be protected from adults and government officials harboring ulterior motives. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, an animated multiverse adventure, follows Miles Morales, teenager turned superhero, who must foil an evil madman and learn from fellow Spider-People. InSpy Kids, Carmen and Juni Cortez set out to rescue their international spy parents from a children’s show television host and an evil mastermind.
A sweeping, nearly four-hour epic, Lawrence of Arabia tells the story of archaeologist and military intelligence officer T. E. Lawrence in the Ottoman provinces during WWI. Lawrence’s complex mixed allegiance between British and Arab soldiers leads him to strike out on his own daring attacks. Lawrence’s book, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, as well as the Great Courses CD, Life Lessons from the Great Books, provide further insight into this fascinating historical figure.
The Princess Bridesatirizes fairy tales, damsels in distress, swashbuckling pirates, and miracle workers. Follow the trail of, “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Today it’s Episode IV, A New Hope, but back in 1977, it was the origin story of, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” Star Wars. Buckle up and travel through hyperspace.
As one of the movies’ greatest readers, Belle from Beauty and the Beast(also a live action film), sings, “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere.”
Cherise Tasker is an Adult Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch. When not immersed in literary fiction, Cherise can be found singing along to musical theater soundtracks.
Choose your own adventures as you read, explore, and experiment this summer. Visit hclibrary.org/summer for more details on Summer Reading Adventures for all ages.
GET STARTED For all ages! Find the summer reading adventure that’s right for you and your family. Separate game boards available for ages 0 – 5, 6 – 10, teens, and adults.
READ & DO ACTIVITIES Each time you read or do an activity, you complete a step toward finishing the game. Reading includes print books, e-books, audiobooks, magazines — whatever you like! Find additional activities, book lists, classes, events, and more at hclibrary.org/summer.
WIN A PRIZE When you complete your adventures (reading and activities), complete a finisher’s form available at any HCLS location or online. Pick up a prize (while supplies last) in person August 1 – 31.
Reading is always an adventure, right? A good book can make you an explorer of a different place, time, perspective, or personality. And you know where to find all kinds of books and knowledgeable “tour guides:” our six library branches. But the 2023 Summer Reading Adventure will take you beyond books and beyond buildings with exciting experiences for children and families. Besides reading together, you can build foundations for literacy and support the skills of young readers with a wide range of activities — whether you’re outside observing nature or inside creating and experimenting. We’re here to feed your adventurous spirit!
If you go to Savage Branch, you can explore the outdoor Storywalk, soaking up the beautiful words and images of Eve Bunting’s Flower Garden and Eric Carle’s Where is the Sun? as you stroll. Nature adventures happen weekly at Central Branch, weather permitting, with Wednesday morning classes on the patio — maybe you’ll observe an itsy-bitsy spider when you sing its song!
Wander through the Enchanted Garden at Miller Branch to find the two new resident foxes and learn their names, while observing the different kinds of flowers, herbs, and vegetables that are growing.
To add sports and engineering into your adventure, help create a giant miniature golf course at Glenwood Branch. You can learn all about the Cardboard Challenge at an information session on June 28, get a starter kit of supplies, and then put your engineering and creative talents to the test as you build your one-of-a-kind mini-golf hole at home. Everyone brings their creations back to the library in July, then plays a community golf game for the record books.
If you’re looking for an adventure in art, head to East Columbia Branch on Wednesday evenings where 6-9 year olds and their adults can learn about great artists from Kahlo to Kandinsky, then create masterpieces. Makers of all ages find fun at Elkridge Branch, where families can work their way through STEM exploration stations, preschoolers can participate in weekly STEAM activities, and teens can create a stop motion movie with LEGO™ blocks. And when the adventure winds down in August, stay tuned for the STEAM Carnival at Miller Branch – an opportunity to share your experiences, projects, and inspiration. Come to your libraries – adventure awaits!
For Teens:
Join the Quest! Earn treasure as you travel through books, stream music or movies, and have fun with experiments and games. Your local library contains everything you need to succeed. Stop by any branch to receive a gameboard and a Tshirt (while supplies last)! Visit online and in person with your ideas, questions, and enthusiasm.
For Adults:
If you thought that all the Summer Reading fun at the library was just for kids, think again! Visit any library branch to pick up a Reading Journal and participate in our adult Reading Challenge. Each journal contains 13 challenge prompts, intended to guide you through a year of reading.
Not sure what book to read for a certain prompt? A list of suggested titles chosen by our staff is provided for each theme. These challenges offer an opportunity to read outside of your comfort zone, discover new authors, and explore different genres.
To complete your Summer Reading Adventure, finish any three challenges or read three books of your choosing. Between August 1 – 31, visit any HCLS branch to complete a finisher’s card. Finishers are then entered into our end-of-summer prize drawings and receive a limited-edition prize while supplies last.
Kick off your summer reading journey with the online Adult Summer Reading Showcase on Tuesday, June 6 at 7 pm. Join our instructors online as we share our top picks for summer reads. With genre-spanning recommendations, from thrillers to nonfiction and everything in between, you’re bound to learn about some new books and authors of interest. You may find a few titles to add to your TBR (to-be-read) list!
Jean B. is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch who loves reading books for all ages when she isn’t enjoying the outdoors.
Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. She enjoys puzzling, reading, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor.
Piracy, historically and currently, is really not something that good guys do. However, the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels practices a variation of piratical nonsense that could have stepped out of an Austen novel (or maybe Bronte?). Lady Scoundrels don’t sail ships – they have access to a magic incantation that allows them to fly houses around the British countryside. We’re talking townhouses, manors, abbeys, and many other shapes and sizes of abodes, all the while on the lookout to protect themselves from the Great Peril: freckles.
It’s just silliness. India Holton’s novel recently provided the perfect antidote to real life. I will admit, it took a bit to come to terms with the sheer folly of it all – airborne houses and assassinations as a form of professional advancement, combined with social norms and rivalries straight out of a Regency romance.
Dear Reader, I adored it.
Our heroine, Miss Cecilia Bassingthwaite, wishes for nothing more than to be invited to the Senior Table of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. She has every confidence of achieving this signal honor, after all, she has undertaken thievery, successfully piloted a residence, and even been targeted for an assassination. The only concern, though, comes from her antecedents. Her father is entirely the wrong sort of scoundrel, who has committed unfortunate poetry as well as the actual murder of her mother. He believes himself to be the unrecognized, illegitimate son of Branwell Bronte, but he proves himself to be an absolute bastard (pardon my language).
Miss Bassingthwaite’s adventures begin shortly after her estranged father absconds with the entire senior cohort of the Wisteria Society (and their residences) and makes off to the dreaded, dreary Northangerland Abbey. (yes, yes, I know). She is accompanied on her rescue attempt by Ned Lightbourne (a man of many aliases), who comes from a good pirating family that experienced severe setbacks with the loss of their house. The entire scheme goes to perdition in a handbasket once Queen Victoria arrives on the scene (with Windsor Castle). The concluding negotiations left me grinning in appreciation of these ruthlessly practical ladies.
Ned and Cecilia appeal as a power couple with intense, immediate chemistry. Reader: I may have blushed. Their convoluted route to trust and, dare I say it, love, gives the entire story its emotional underpinnings. While it is a romance, Cecilia’s need to settle family affairs and become a Lady Scoundrel drives the plot. That she keeps stumbling over and eventually conspiring with Ned only adds spice to the mix. Her consternation about what to do with the extra complication of figuring out who Ned is – both in reality and in her regard – makes the high stakes at Northangerland Abbey even steeper.
In short, if you are looking for a bit of fluff and fun to read while sipping tea (maybe with a splash glass of sherry) that nonetheless celebrates competent women and the men who love them – you will enjoy The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels, available as an e-book and an e-audiobook. I am looking forward to reading the sequel, The League of Gentlewoman Witches.
Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).
CHAPTER CHATS 