{"id":5072,"date":"2026-07-21T12:06:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5072"},"modified":"2026-07-21T12:06:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:06:31","slug":"snapp-shots-east-bay-librarian-offers-up-kids-summer-reading-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5072","title":{"rendered":"Snapp Shots: East Bay librarian offers up kids\u2019 summer reading list"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>When I was a kid, they used to make us read as a punishment for being naughty. I always thought that sent the wrong message to children: that reading is something to fear. They should have been giving us reading as a reward for being good instead.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5070\">Berkeley teen completes 21-mile North Channel swim<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Years later, at one of my college reunions, we had a guest speaker: the great historian John Morton Blum, who told us, \u201cYes, you can learn a lot by reading; but in the final analysis, the best reason to read is that it\u2019s just so much fun!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In that spirit, every year I turn this space over to Kiana Borjian, the librarian at St. Paul\u2019s Episcopal School in Oakland, and ask her for a list of books for kids to read for enjoyment over their summer vacation; and every year she comes through.<\/p>\n<p>This year, however, she has some advice for parents too: \u201cAcclaimed children\u2019s author Mac Barnett released his first-ever book for grown-ups \u2014 \u2018Make Believe,\u2019 a treatise on the significance of children\u2019s literature in and of itself. He insists that we do children a disservice when we fixate on reading them books that achieve a purpose, like increasing literacy or imparting a moral.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost amazing children\u2019s books are amazing simply because they are well-told stories: linguistically delightful, artfully captivating and emotionally and imaginatively evocative. These recommendations are made with this perspective in mind: that children\u2019s literature should be first and foremost for children, not for the dreams and goals that grown-ups sometimes have for their children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you are a cool grownup, though, you\u2019ll like these books too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For kids in kindergarten through second grade, Borjian\u2019s list includes \u201cDim Sum Palace\u201d by X. Fang: \u201ca gorgeous picture book that hops to and from the world of dreams and dim sum,\u201d she says. \u201cI was captivated and delighted!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Also on the list for those ages is \u201cTigers &amp; Tea with Poppy\u201d by Barbara Kerley and Rhoda Knight Kalt: \u201cExplore the Natural History Museum, and dive into the work of wildlife artist Charles R. Knight in this sweet picture book from the perspective of grandchild and grandfather,\u201d Borjian says.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Remaining on the K-2 list are \u201cThe Red Fruit\u201d by Lee Gee Eun (\u201ca simple tale you simply don\u2019t want to miss!\u201d), \u201cHo\u2019onani, Hula Warrior\u201d by Heather Gale (\u201can inspiring true story that celebrates nonbinary identity and indigenous Hawaiian culture\u201d) and \u201cMasters of Disguise: Camouflaging Creatures and Magnificent Mimics\u201d by Marc Martin (\u201cbecause seek and find books are fun!\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5068\">Medicaid funding is restored to Planned Parenthood, but the pause cost California clinics<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Third through fifth grades:<\/strong> For this age group, she recommends the \u201cDidi Dodo, Future Spy\u201d series by Tom Angleberger (\u201cfor ridiculous and dramatic romps to solve some food-themed mysteries\u201d) and \u201cFifth-Grade Top Dogs\u201d by Jerry Spinelli (\u201cfor a funny, tender and close-up view of fifth grade life\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Also recommended are \u201cStyx and Stone\u201d by Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge (\u201cthe new Greek mythology-inspired book we didn\u2019t know we needed \u2014 the lovable Simon of Athens escapes from the underworld after nearly 3,000 years into the contemporary world\u201d) and \u201cThe Forest of a Thousand Eyes\u201d by Frances Hardinge (\u201cIn this wondrous dystopia, nature is at war with humans, and main character Feather embarks on a harrowing journey, learning about the nature of survival and cooperation\u201d).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Middle school:<\/strong> \u201cGraciela in the Abyss\u201d by Meg Medina (\u201cunderwater ghost adventure to defeat evil, need I say more? Written with the gentle clarity of a classic\u201d). \u201cWhen Tomorrow Burns\u201d by Tae Keller (\u201ctells an unforgettable story of three middle schoolers navigating the literal and figurative wildfires around them \u2014 which seem to have been prophesied in a book they found many years ago in the forest. A very special novel that gives us special insight into the wisdom of trees and tweens\u201d).<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe Moon without Stars\u201d by Chanel Miller (\u201ccreative and earnest Luna gets launched into unexpected popularity as the result of her zines that she makes with her dear friend Scott. The story captures the unrelenting insecurity and bullying typical of middle school life, as well as the strength and sincerity it takes to grow amidst it all\u201d).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally:<\/strong> I\u2019d like to add a suggestion of my own. In the third grade, I discovered Freddy the Pig, the hero of a delightful series of children\u2019s books by Walter Brooks, the man who also created Mister Ed the talking horse.<\/p>\n<p>Acclaimed author Adam Hochschild calls the Freddy books \u201cthe moral center of my childhood universe,\u201d and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff calls them \u201cfunny, beautifully written gems, among the best children\u2019s books ever written.\u201d I have 22 of them, and I reread them whenever I can. They never disappoint.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5066\">Arellano: Two Lorenzos from Mexico. One fulfilled his American dream. ICE killed the other.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Martin Snapp can be reached at catman442@comcast.net.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From St. Paul\u2019s Episcopal School in Oakland, she gives her annual recommendations for vacation enjoyment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Snapp Shots: East Bay librarian offers up kids\u2019 summer reading list - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5072\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Snapp Shots: East Bay librarian offers up kids\u2019 summer reading list - 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