Now that summer has arrived, kids can focus on books with some more lighthearted fare. No longer do they have to worry about finding the deeper meaning in the story, keeping vocabulary lists or coming up with discussion questions.
However, this doesn't mean they should stop reading. Kids who don't read over the summer can lose over three months of reading progress and studies show that kids who do read over the summer generally do better in school.
So let your children pick some fun books. Comics and magazines are great and yes they do count.
This week I am profiling some books that are lighthearted and have recipies scattered throughout each story. Your child can read one and whip up a delicous pie for desert, which might lead to some interesting discussions. But no pressure, this is summer after all!
To see all my book selections this week, visit my blog at www.onegreatbook.com
Title: A Tangle of Knots
Author: Lisa Graff
Target: Grades 4-7
Series: No
What this book is about:
Imagine a world were some people are blessed with a Talent. These Talents can range from whistling, knitting or even in the case of Cady the orphan, cake baking. Cady can tell when she meets someone exactly what their perfect cake will be. As she longs to be adopted into a family, her encounter with an errant truck driver starts her on a path to meeting individuals whose lives are completely intertwined. However, it is when someone tries to steal her Talent, that all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
Why I love this book:
There are really no throw away details in this book. Even the most offhanded action comes back to be relevant during this story. I have no idea how Graff kept all the threads in this story straight but I found myself rereading sections of the book to remind myself of what characters had done. I almost felt the book was too short for all the things going on.
I very much enjoyed hearing the voices of many different characters. I like it when an author gives us multiple points of view and I think it really helps kids understand the story. Figuring out how all the pieces of the story come together makes it a very satisfying read.
Who this book is for:
This book reminded me a bit of Scrumble, so I think that kids who liked that aspect of a Talent or a gift being realized will like this story. Kids who like baking will enjoy trying some of Cady’s recipes scattered throughout the story, which are tied to each character.
Final thoughts:
A lovely read that will certainly delight kids who like a good puzzle.
