By Emily VanLaeys

Contributing Writer

Summer is traditionally the favorite season of book-lovers because books can be enjoyed in a variety of outdoor locales.

Readers can dive into a good book while lying on a sandy beach or sitting beside a sparkling pool. Children can take a book and a snack to their tree house and hang out there for hours. Books find their way to backyard lounge chairs, front-porch rockers, park benches, mountaintop ledges and floating canoes.

Books keep us entertained while we’re en route to our vacation destinations.

Summer is the season when students can set aside the textbooks and required reading lists, and pick up something that’s just for fun.

A few local librarians have contributed their ideas for great summer reading.

If you’re looking for ideas, try one of these suggestions.

Marjorie Miller, library director at the Bovina Public Library, said:

"I recommend `Regeneration’ by Pat Barker for adults of both genders who like a serious summer read (but quick and engrossing), and especially timely given the conflicts our nation is currently embroiled in.

"If you love (J.R.R.) Tolkien, and you’ve never read his prequel to `The Lord of the Rings’ series, `The Simarillion,’ now is the time _ teens would enjoy this, too _ especially those interested in magic and fantasy who aren’t afraid of a book that is over 150 pages long," she added.

"Anyone of the female persuasion from 12 on up who has not read `The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ series, you can read them all in a week at the beach or lake, and I promise you you’ll enjoy every minute of them.

"For teenaged boys," she continued, "I recommend The `Pendragon’ series by D.J. MacHale or Nancy Farmer’s `The Ear, the Eye and the Arm.’"

MacHale’s character, Bobby Pendragon, is a modern-day teenager who discovers that he is a Traveler, someone who can ride "flumes" through time and space.

"The Ear, the Eye and the Arm" is a science fiction book that takes place in Zimbabwe in the year 2194. In this novel, the military ruler’s 13-year-old son and his younger brother and sister leave their technologically overcontrolled home and find themselves on a series of perilous adventures.

Dorothy Blackman, Edmeston Free Library librarian, makes these suggestions:

"`Tuck Everlasting’ by Natalie Babbitt is not a new book but is one of those unforgettable stories which children remember into adulthood. A young girl, Winnie Foster, meets an old family, the Tucks, in a magical wood. The Tuck family has an unbelievable secret which they reveal to Winnie. The story unfolds in the village of Treegap during several August days in the 1800s. In this short time, Winnie witnesses a murder and a jailbreak but stands by her new friends who are deeply involved. In the end she must make a heart-rending choice, which will dictate the path her life will take.

"`Lawn Boy’ is one for the guys especially, although girls will like it, too. Gary Paulsen, favorite author of many young adult books, and winner of three Newbery Honor prizes, has scored again," she continued. "Lawn Boy is the tale of a 12-year-old boy who needs cash. His grandmother’s gift of an old riding lawn mower, and his own ambition, soon provide him with spending money _ lots of it!

Just when he has all the lawn jobs he can handle, he meets Arnold the stockbroker who advises him about investments. Everything then gets wild and crazy as he gets rich and life becomes unbelievably complicated. This is an amusing, quick read."

A local writer also made her list.

"`From Fly Creek’ by area author Jim Atwell, is a great summer refresher," she said. It is comprised of selected columns from The Cooperstown Crier. Readers will see why Jim is an award-winning columnist as they enjoy his entertaining entries based on local doings. He has a wonderful way of presenting everyday happenings. The short pieces are perfect summertime fare: light yet meaningful."

For adults, Blackman suggests "The Tea House on Mulberry Street."

"Admirers of Maeve Binchy will savor this delectable first novel by Sharon Owens," she said. "Varied customers find a warm welcome in Muldoon’s Tea Rooms. One is quickly drawn into the lives of these colorful characters as they open their hearts to Penny and Daniel Stanley, the owners . This couple has problems in their own marriage and struggles with issues while working exceedingly hard to keep their business afloat. Problems are revealed in the back booths of the establishment and are often solved over a steaming cup of tea and a tasty dessert. This is a warm, comfortable read, much like the comfort food served in the Tea House."

Melinda McTaggart, librarian at the Worcester Free Library, recommended two books for adults.

"`The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell’ by Loraine Despres is a fun read about a woman maturing in the 1920s South," she said. "This book brims with all kinds of great characters. In 1920s small-town Louisiana, a woman who got her hair bobbed at a barbershop, bathed �indecently’ and spent her free time carousing with her best friend’s married Yankee brother, would hardly be considered the portrait of a proper lady. But protagonist Belle Cantrell isn’t after virtue; she’s after independence.

"`The Good Good Pig’ by Sy Montgomery is a charming memoir that chronicles Montgomery’s touching friendship with a generous soul, who just so happens to be a pig, and the valuable lessons she learns about family, community and the pleasures of the sweet, green earth," she continued. "If you love animals, this is a wonderful book."

Mary Holloway, who runs the youth summer book club at the Worcester Free Library, also recommends "Tuck Everlasting," so that’s two stars for Natalie Babbitt’s book.

Holloway’s other recommendation is "Esperanza Rising" by Pam Munoz Ryan.

In this novel for the middle-school bunch, Ryan uses the experiences of her own Mexican grandmother as the basis for a compelling story of immigration and assimilation, not only to a new country but also into a different social class. Esperanza’s life is turned upside-down when her father is murdered by bandits, and her mother decides to join the cook and gardener and their son as they move to the United States to work in California’s agricultural industry. Set against the multi-ethnic, labor-organizing era of the Depression, the story of Esperanza’s transformation from a spoiled "princess" to a strong, young woman, is satisfyingly complete.

These children’s books were recommended by the library’s president of the board of trustees, Joanne Chamberlin:

"Night Cars" by Teddy Jam and Eric Beddows is a picture book about a wakeful child who keeps his father up all night long watching the flow of city life on the street outside their window.

Also a picture book, "I’m Going to Grandma’s" by Mary Ann Hoberman is about a little girl’s first overnight adventure at her grandparents’ house. According to Publishers Weekly: "Even readers with the hippest urban grandparents may well find this as satisfying as a plateful of warm, homemade cookies."

David Kent, director of the Village Library of Cooperstown, has two adult suggestions for sports lovers.

"`Is This A Great Game, Or What?’ is by Tim Kurkjian, who is currently with ESPN, and has covered baseball for 25 years. His book covers many of the game’s little understood aspects, and illustrates his overwhelming love for the sport.

`Breaking Back,’ by James Blake, is his story of overcoming a turbulent year of physical and emotional hardship to become one of the world’s top five tennis players," he said. "It is an inspirational read."

Martha Sharer, children’s librarian at the Village Library, recommends the following:

"`Mommy In My Pocket,’ by Carol Senderak is a picture book about a little rabbit’s first day of school. She imagines her mother is small enough to fit in her pocket so she can take her along and overcome her fear of separation.

"`One More Sheep,’ by Mij Kelly, another picture book, involves a farmer who can’t keep from falling asleep when counting his sheep. The sheep try to devise a way to keep him awake and prevent a wolf from sneaking into their fold."

Eloise Henault, children’s librarian at Cannon Free Library in Delhi, suggests the following:

"`Napping House’ and `King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub,’ both by Don and Audrey Wood, have wonderful pictures with fun stories," she said.

"Young children enjoy reading series books and particularly popular are the `Magic Tree House’ series by Mary Pope Osborne and `A to Z mysteries’ by Ron Roy," she continued. "Older readers like to read fantasy _ particularly the `Harry Potter’ series by J.K. Rowling and the `Warriors’ series by Erin Hunter."

Harry Potter is a young wizard who fights evil, and the Warriors are a clan of cats with magical powers.

Cathy Johnson, director at Cannon Free Library, has some suggestions for adults:

"I would recommend the `Mitford’ series by Jan Karon. It is a series of seven books that tell the story of a small-town Episcopal minister, the many characters that he comes in contact with, and how they affect and change his life.

"People who enjoy family interaction books might enjoy books by Kristin Hannah," she continued. "For people who prefer suspense, the books by James Patterson are very popular, as are Stuart Woods’ books. Mystery lovers might enjoy Sue Grafton who writes a series of mysteries by the alphabet. She started with `A is for Alibi’ and is currently up to `S is for Silence.’"

OK, I’m not a librarian, but I am a book-aholic, and I’ve just got to recommend my favorite-ever summertime book: "The Solitaire Mystery" by Jostein Gaarder. Not only is it a very clever mystery, this story-within-a-story combines elements of fantasy, philosophy and adventure, all bound up in a tiny book the 12-year-old protagonist finds inside of a sticky bun. "The Solitaire Mystery" is the kind of book that one wants to read straight through before the inevitable return to ordinary life. I read this novel as an adult, sitting at the beach, my feet in the sand, while my family swam in the too-cold-for-me water. That night I discovered that I’d forgotten to slather sunscreen on my then red and swollen ankles, but the pain couldn’t spoil the satisfaction I felt from the time spent with such a spellbinding book.

That summer my 9-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter also read and loved "The Solitaire Mystery," a book that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages and both sexes. In fact, I’ll bet readers would love this book in the fall and winter, too.