For those looking for a funny summer read, heartening adventure, or puzzling plot line to keep a young mind reeling, these books encompass a wide range of times, topics, tales for any reader!
 | Danny the Champion of the World: While definitely not the most famous book by Roald Dahl, this book is a fantastic story of suspense, adventure, and excitement. It begins begins as a simple story about Danny who lives in a gypsy wagon with his eccentric and loving father who seems to be perfect in every way. The real the fun begins when Danny learns about his father's secret hobby — the illegal poaching of pheasants from the land of a rich obnoxious neighbor. |
 | Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: Mr. Lemoncello is the best game-maker in the world, and he just built a new library in the town of one of his biggest fans, Kyle Keeley. Kyle is lucky enough to be one of 12 kids invited to the library first for a night of fun and games, but when the morning comes and they can’t get out, they realize they must play the ultimate game in order to escape. In an incredibly unique twist, the author has the reader participate in solving the crazy puzzles, riddles and clues of the game! |
 | Book Scavenger: This series is undoubtedly playful and unique. Emily and James participate in Book Scavenger, a game in which you must solve puzzles to find Garrison Griswold’s famed novels hidden all over the country. But in an unfortunate turn of events, Griswold has been attacked, and Emily and James are in grave danger, They must solve the puzzles that Griswold had left before his attackers come for them, too. . . . |
 | The Candymakers: Four brilliant kids are chosen to compete in the ultimate candy making competition in this whimsical book that will be sure to satisfy young readers with a sweet tooth! Told from the perspective of each of the four contestants, this book is full of juicy twists that will keep the reader turning those pages. While some characters take a while to warm up to, young readers quickly learn that there is much more to everyone than meets the eye, and that even the nastiest people sometimes have the kindest hearts. |
 | Fortunately, the Milk: An odd title for an equally odd but impossibly hilarious tale. Dad forgot the milk again, and when he goes to the store to get it the next morning, it takes him a very long time to come back. When he finally does, he returns with the milk and a strange story of what happened to him. The story includes a time travelling dinosaur and the Queen of the Pirates, among other things. The book is a must-read for those who love to laugh and feed their imagination! |
 | Chicken Trek: Like the best of Dr. Seuss, “Chicken Trek: The Third Strange Thing That Happened to Oscar Noodleman,” is a wonderfully weird and loopy journey revolving around young Oscar, who unfortunately breaks his inventor cousin Dr. Prechtwinkle’s prize camera. In order to earn the money to pay back his cousin, Oscar embarks on a rambunctious mission to win a nationwide chicken-eating contest. The task? To eat a "Bagful o' Chicken" at every single “Chicken in a Bag” fast food restaurant in America. The fun, cartoonish illustrations do a great job of highlighting the comedic moments in the story, as Oscar and Dr. Prechtwinkle race across the country in a Pickle-Car. A wacky road trip book that will have you laughing out loud! |
 | The Blackthorn Key: Christopher Rowe is happily apprenticed to the well-respected apothecary, Master Blackthorn, who loves to test Christopher’s skills with new recipes and puzzles. When a series of apothecaries are murdered in the name of a mysterious cult, however, Christopher is called upon to use his skills to solve a cryptic message from Master Blackthorn and protect his dangerous discovery. Set in 1660s London, this fast-paced, adventurous middle grade read balances light-hearted humor with heavier plot elements and a lot of page-turning action. For readers who can’t get enough, there are two more books in the series. |