Book suggestions from Mary Laverty, a librarian in the Family Resource Center of the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Sometimes you need a story that makes you laugh
Preschool
“Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons,” (2013) by James Dean and Eric Litwin. Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt, the one with the four totally groovy buttons. When one falls off, does Pete cry? Goodness no! He just keeps on singing his song.
Youth
“Fortunately the Milk,” (2013) by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young. A little boy and his little sister awake one morning, milkless. Their mother is away on business, their father is buried in the paper, and their Toastios are dry. When father goes for milk, something goes wrong, and he doesn’t return. When he does, finally, he has a story to tell. There is time travel, treachery, adventure, and, fortunately, the milk he procured is rescued at every turn.
Adult
“Kids These Days,” (2014) by Drew Perry. The author paints a landscape of weird and beautiful Florida and its inhabitants, all original, hilarious, and utterly believable. At the center of the story is a portrait of a father-to-be who is paralyzed by the idea of taking responsibility for another human life when he can’t seem to manage his own.
Sometimes you need a story that lets you cry
Preschool
“A Ball for Daisy,” (2011) by Chris Raschka. A wordless story about love and loss. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy’s anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by another dog.
Youth
“Kepler’s Dream,” (2013) by Juliet Bell. A young girl makes her fractured family whole again with the help of a very special book. When eleven-year-old Ella’s mother has to be hospitalized to undergo cancer treatment, Ella spends the summer at “Broken Family Camp” with her grandmother, whom she’s never met. The situation is hardly ideal for either of them. Ella is afraid her mother may die, but her grandmother seems to care more about her library full of books than she does about her very own daughter. Then a rare and beloved book, “Kepler’s Dream of the Moon,” is stolen from her grandmother’s library. A dynamic story of family and forgiveness.
Adult
“The Book Thief,” (2007) by Markus Zusak. This remarkable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul. The setting is 1939 Nazi Germany. Liesel Meminger is a foster child living outside of Munich who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist: books.
