Throughout August we’ve been featuring kids across the country, talking about the books they’re reading this summer.
Tricia O’Connor, 17, suburban Pittsburgh, Pa.
I read Julie and Julia. I thought it was better than the movie, but I liked them both. I was kind of mad though to find out afterwards that Julie supposedly cheated on her husband and got divorced. Earlier this summer I re-read all four Twilight books. I watched the Twilight movie which made me want to read the first book again—and then I just had to go through the other three.
And, of course, I re-read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince because of the movie coming out, and couldn’t stop there so I read Deathly Hallows again, too. I’m not sure what I’ll read next because my two favorite series are done. Well, I do have to read The Awakening for school, but I haven’t done it yet.
Sean O’Connor, age 12, suburban Pittsburgh, Pa.
I finished the first Harry Potter book and I’m ready to start the second one. We saw the movie a long time ago, but the book had way more stuff in it. My favorite part was when Professor Quirrell tried to get the philosopher’s stone from Harry. That was a pretty cool fight.
Gavin O’Connor, 10, suburban Pittsburgh, Pa.
I’ve been reading the 39 Clues a lot this summer. I’m on the fifth one. We had to go and get it the day it came out. The first store my mom took me to didn’t have it, so Tricia took me to a different store. All the 39 Clues books have lots of action. In the fourth book Dan and Amy were in Egypt, and then they were in a submarine and almost got killed. They also left their au pair in Egypt and got fake passports—Dan’s has a mustache! Sometimes I go online and play the game, too, because it has extra stuff. But I really like the books.
Meghan O’Connor, 8, suburban Pittsburgh, Pa.
I’m reading The World According to Humphrey. It’s about a hamster. I’m only on the fourth chapter, but I really like it because Humphrey is funny and cute. At my school Ms. Murin’s fourth-grade class has a pet hamster, but I’m just going into third grade this year. And I’m reading another book about Geronimo Stilton because it’s about Hawaii. I didn’t finish that one yet either. We don’t have a list from school about what books to read over the summer—you can read whatever you want. But when you get into fourth grade you have to read a bigger book.
Clare O’Connor, 5, suburban Pittsburgh, Pa.
I can’t read. But I lost a tooth. My first one. I put it under my pillow. I didn’t even ask the tooth fairy for anything and she left me three monies.
Vivien Makos, 12, Homewood, Ill.
I went to sleepaway camp for the first time and as a going-away present, my parents gave me the final book in the Percy Jackson series, The Last Olympian. I’d read the earlier books and I really like how he mixes up mythology and modern times. It turned out to be a great book for camp because it kept my mind off the mosquitoes. I got into swapping books with two of the girls who shared my tent, so I read some of their manga, like Ouran High School Host Club and Fruits Basket.
When we went to pick up my brother at debate camp, I knew I’d be in the car for three and a half hours, so I took My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison—it’s all about being transported to different places. I also finally read the sixth Harry Potter book—I had skipped over it because I was impatient to get to the final book, and didn’t think I’d miss much. But it really filled out the story of Voldemort’s life, so I’m glad I went back. Summer is also when I do a lot of re-reading. I just read The Dragon of Lonely Island by Rebecca Rupp for the fifth time—it’s all about storytelling, loneliness, and brother-and-sister relationships, and it’s a mystery, too.
Ike Makos, 15, Homewood, Ill.
One night during debate camp, some friends and I were walking around Ann Arbor and we saw an old guy with a really long white beard who was selling paperback books for $5 a piece from two big folding tables on the sidewalk. I’m really into history and saw The Portable Machiavelli and I figured, Why not? So I read it over the next three weeks and it was pretty interesting. Ann Arbor also has an amazing used bookstore, Dawn Treader Books, so I got other things to read there: an illustrated encyclopedia called Russian Military Power, Doctor Seuss Goes to War, and the third and fourth books in Harry Turtledove’s Worldwar series—he’s one of the best alternate history writers and I’ve read a lot of what he’s written. Right now, I’m re-reading Fitzpatrick’s War, a fictional memoir set in a steampunk future. It’s really detailed and the technology is really cool. I kept checking it out of the library because it’s out of print, so my mom finally got it for me at Powells.com as a birthday present.
Hannah Frith, age 13, Cambridge, Mass.
The first book I read this summer was actress Kristin Chenoweth’s autobiography, A Little Bit Wicked. It was very interesting; I learned a lot about my favorite actress. The second book I read was The Schwa Was Here, an AMAZING book, so well written. I was addicted from the first page. Then I read the most touching book, Saffy’s Angel. My friend gave it to me as a gift for my birthday. Then I read The Diamond of Drury Lane, which takes place in London in the 1500s. If there wasn’t a lot happening at one part, I knew action was just around the corner. Many times I heard people commenting when I laughed out loud or gasped randomly. I then read Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. It was very well written. I am in the middle of Walk Two Moons and liking it very much. Next up, I’m going to read When You Reach Me, Over Sea Under Stone, The Adoration of Jenna Fox and The London Eye Mystery.
Brigit Davidson, 9, Newport News, Va.
I started the summer by re-reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret, one of my favorite books. I also read the new Allie Finkle book. I love Allie Finkle and all her rules. My best friend, Olivia, and I are both reading all of the Emily Windsnap mermaid books. Olivia is also in my book club and my favorite book I read in book club this summer is Love, Ruby Lavender. It was heartwarming and sweet and it has the best setting. It made me cry when the chick that is supposed to come into the world dies but it is also funny like when the bucket of paint falls on Melba Jane’s head. I am also madly in love with Charlotte’s Web. I almost can’t take my eyes off it, with Fern’s love for her pig and the fair and the death of Charlotte. Right now I am reading The Westing Game for book club. It has taken a while but it is just now getting good.
Liam Davidson, 12, Newport News, Va.
When my school year ended, I immediately started to re-read the Percy Jackson series because the movie is coming out next year. Then my mom surprised me with a prequel to the Bone series about Rose (Grandma Ben). It was very exciting and different. I love all the Bone books. I wish there could be more. I also read the advance reader copy of a book called Leviathan, which was this fantastic story that twisted the history of World War I but in a good way. A great book, I have to say. I also read Keeper because it was on the middle school reading list but it was not nearly as good as the other books I read. Now I am reading Whirlwind [book two in David Klass’s Caretaker trilogy] because I read Firestorm last year. They are both terrific.
Conor Davidson, 15, Newport News, Va.
Reading is not optional at my house so already this summer I have read a lot of books, some of them voluntarily. The first book I read was Catching Fire, the second installment of the Hunger Games trilogy, which I read even before my mother (a book reviewer) did. It’s the best book I've read this year. It somehow lived up to the expectations set by the first book, throwing unexpected turns in the plot, and wrapping up with an exciting cliffhanger that can be read in a number of ways. After that, I was “encouraged” to read something off the high school summer reading list. I chose Fahrenheit 451, which was utterly confusing and which I’m still not sure I understand. But because whoever puts together the summer reading list is kind, I was able to next choose Life As We Knew It, about a world wrecked by a change in the moon’s orbit which caused tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Awesome. It showed how even in the toughest times, family triumphs. Moving from planetary to personal apocalypse, I then read Going Bovine, which was very long but very, very funny. I think Going Bovine is a book I will reread, maybe more than once. Finally, I just finished Strokes of Genius, a book detailing the 2008 Wimbledon final. It was terrific, doing a great job of giving the proper amount of detail and backstory to understand why the match between Federer and Nadal was such an epic showdown.
