Summer Touch and Feel

Summer Touch and Feel
Bright Baby Touch and Feel
board book ages 0-3

This is a pretty little book of summery illustrations and photographs, but I found that there wasn't enough "touch and feel" for a book that is supposed to be "touch and feel".

Catching Genius

Catching Genius
by
Kristy Kiernan
Adult Fiction

The first thing I noticed about this book was the Adirondack chairs on the cover. I remember that my coworker who was always in charge of the Adult Summer Reading program used to look for books with Adirondack chairs on the covers to use in the display. It is a quintessential image of summer contentment to sit facing the water, catching rays, reading a paperback, and as far as library displays go, it will not offend our more delicate patrons by showing a scantily clad swimmer.

As to the plot, it is not necessarily light summer reading, but it could serve that need. Sisters Connie and Estella are reunited when their mother decides to get rid of the summer home that no one is using any more. They have to face their memories - good and bad - as they pack up the home. They had some happy times there until one of the sisters was diagnosed with an exceptionally high I.Q. and ended up spending too much time with her math mentor, eventually leaving home because of her gift. The sisters see this as the end of their normal, fairly well-off childhood. Is high I. Q. a blessing or a curse? They have seen it both ways. Now a nephew is identified as being gifted in music. Will it be a blessing or curse for him? How can they protect him from those who might exploit his talent? There is some romance and heartbreak thrown in, but it is not really a romance book.
This book could be used in a discussion by gifted students or their teachers or parents. A reader's guide is included in the paperback version.

Harriet and the Roller Coaster

Harriet and the Roller Coaster
by
Nancy Carlson
Children's fiction, book plus cassette
ages 3-8

George teases Harriet that she is too chicken to ride the roller coaster. Can Harriet work up the courage to try the coaster? I am dreaming of summer and amusement park rides on this cold January day in Ohio thanks to Nancy Carlson! Cedar Point! King's Island! County Fair! State Fair! Here I come!

Her story is straightforward and rather realistic except for the main characters being a cartoon dog and a rabbit riding amusement park rides. I especially liked that the dog is wearing a Hawaiian shirt with dog bones on it - doggy summer fashion.

Rattletrap Car

Rattletrap Car
by Phyllis Root and Jill Barton
children's fiction, ages 3-6.

Boy, howdy! This is a humdinger of a book. Papa takes the children to the beach on a hot day, but it isn't that simple getting there. What starts off as realistic gets more and more fantastic as the day goes on. If you haven't heard a good tall tale in a while, here is a whopper of a book for you!
It is a fun, summery book. I suppose I could call it historical fiction since it looks like it is set in about 1920-1930, but it is more of an Americana tall tale.
It might be amusing to have children or teens act out this book on stage along with some other car books or other Depression era books, etc. It might be paired with "The Relatives Came".