7 Super Summer Spots for Reading (and the books to read there)

Summertime reading evokes lazy afternoons stretched out under a tree on a blanket, or swaying in a hammock.  Here are some local spots  for young people who might want to take their reading on the road to enjoy a new best seller or classic.

Lake Forest Library Courtyards – These “secret gardens” flank the front entrance and are only open during the summer months.  As the chipmunks scurry by, read Brian Jacques’ Redwall series to find out what is REALLY going on with woodland animals.

 Attend  Canterwood Crest, a private boarding/ riding school and dip into the first chapter before you even go home.  Or read what Michelle Obama has done with   The First Garden to encourage healthy eating.

 Lake Forest Beach – After beach volleyball and cooling off in the lake, relax with the classic Swallows and Amazons.  You’ll wish you were with these British children as they spend the summer  exploring  the lake in their own boats.  Or go to Key West with Turtle in Paradise and commiserate with her as she goes to stay with relatives she doesn’t (yet) know.

South Park, West Park, Northcroft Park ... – Bring a couple of the new “hot” picture books like Pete the Cat and Duckling Gets a Cookie  along in the stroller to read after some strenuous swinging and sliding, while you sip some drinks under a shady tree.

Local Coffee Shops – Meeting up with with some friends at Starbuck’s or Caribou Coffee?  While you wait, bring along a copy of popular best sellers  Rick Riordan’s Lost Hero or Veronica Roth’s Divergent.  Lost Hero takes up where the Lightning Thief  leaves off, with new characters discovering they are descended from ancient gods.  Divergent takes place in a dystopian Chicago (hmm, what happened to the city that works?) where our heroine must make difficult life choices and finds herself along the way.  Books make pretty good conversation starters!  

Market Square – The heart of Lake Forest has many benches for relaxing, people watching and reading.  Take a break here with The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  If you haven’t seen the wonderful movie, it’s about 2 children who discover a clockworks invention hidden in a Parisian train station.  Part graphic novel, the pencil drawings won a Caldecott Award.  Fans of Erin Hunter’s Warriors series might want to see if the manga version has created a good visualization of the fearsome cats.

 Lake Forest Open Lands – Our city is lucky to enjoy so much open green space.  Open Lands Park is an oasis in town at Deerpath and Green Bay Roads.   In Chomp. the newest Carl Hiaason book for young people, a Florida Everglades wildlife refuge is the setting for a survival show where not everyone  may survive.  If you want a book with local flavor, start in on Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer, set in Chicago environs.  Three precocious youngsters solve a puzzling mystery using clues the author has provided the reader.   

Your Own Back Yard – Camping out!  A summertime classic.  With a tent, a flashlight and some creepy stories, you’ll be up all night. Scary Stories to tell in the Dark will definitely send you under the covers.  If you prefer laughing to shrieking, try the comix adventures of  Big Nate as he gets in and out of trouble.

Remember, in addition to the well-thumbed paperback, so many books are now available in audio form, or to download onto an eBook reader.