When I was a kid, summer was always a mixed blessing. School was out, but there were also a lot more chores to do because we lived on a farm.

My younger brother and I solved the chore problem by taking long bike rides --- with books balanced in our bike baskets. We'd go to a little bridge about a mile from our house, crawl under the shade of the bridge, and read for hours. As long as we were out of my parents' sight, they couldn't holler at us, "Put that book down and go weed the garden!"

Here are some books that I would have loved to have read under that bridge:

THE ROBBER AND ME
by Josef Holub
Yearling Books
ISBN: 0440415403
224 pages

 

 

Weird events in old-time, small-town Germany. An orphan is rescued by a robber and tries to figure out the mysteries in his new home.

 

SECRET LETTERS FROM 0 TO 10
by Susie Hoch Morgenstern
Puffin
ISBN: 0141308192
137 pages

 

 

A 10-year-old boy with a totally predictable life becomes friends with a totally unpredictable girl and her crazy family.

 

JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY
by Jack Gantos
HarperCollins Children's Books
ISBN: 0064408337
153 pages

 

The title says it all. But you'll want to know the rest of the story...

 

A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO
by Richard Peck
Puffin
ISBN: 0141303522
148 pages

 

 

A YEAR DOWN YONDER
by Richard Peck
Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0803725183
130 pages

 

 

Both books put a whole new spin on visits to Grandma's house.

 

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