In June, there are a lot of things to celebrate: Father’s Day, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and, more universally, summer. This month marks the beginning of beach reading, the kick-off to evenings on screened porches and weekends on comfortable chaises. With gardening books for perennial planters, cookbooks for backyard barbequers, inspirational books for graduates and every kind of dad-friendly book, we have the novel or non-fiction tome to suit your every need.

Dede writes: Curtis Sittenfeld has followed the great success of her first novel, Prep (081297235X), with a new novel, The Man of My Dreams (1400064767). It must be difficult for a young writer to present new work after all the hoopla about the first effort, but lucky for her, the new book is good, too. Maybe she is just talented! This novel is about a sad girl and her search for love and meaning in life. Doesn’t sound promising, does it? But you come to respect this young woman and want to cheer her on. This is a peek into the minds and hearts of the younger generation. Alice Munro writes, “This is a courageous and refreshing novel.”

Julia Glass, National Book Award winner for her novel Three Junes (0385721420), is in much the same predicament as Curtis Sittenfeld. Her first novel was a big, almost unexpected success, and now she has a new book The Whole World Over (0375422749) to be read and judged. We are happy to report that this second novel is rich and engaging with one of her memorable characters, Fenno, making another appearance in this second novel. Michael Cunningham is an admirer of both books.

Anne Tyler needs no cheering on from me since each new book of hers is welcomed with great interest and respect. Digging to America (0307263940) is her new novel—as always, set in Baltimore. Two families meet at the airport to welcome their adopted babies from Korea. This chance meeting affects the rest of their lives—the exuberant and “crunchy” all-American family and the reserved Iranian-American family become unlikely but fast friends. Anne Tyler’s late husband was Iranian-American, so she has special insight into her characters in the novel. She truly makes ordinary life spellbinding.

Winchester Reads, in its fifth year, has chosen Roland Merullo’s In Revere, in Those Days (0375714057). More than just a coming of age story, it is a tale of the American immigrant experience. We invite you to read the book and to join us when Roland Merullo speaks on Wednesday, October 11^th at 7 p.m. at the Jenks Senior Center. Books are discounted 10 %, and you can take a flyer about this year's project. Winchester Reads is sponsored by the John and Mary Murphy Educational Foundation and is made possible by the additional support of Book Ends, Friends of the Winchester Public Library, the Multicultural Network, Winchester Public Schools and many enthusiastic volunteers.

Alice writes: As Publisher’s Weekly said, Philip Roth’s latest novel is “a slim but dense volume,” comparable to his greatest works but short enough to read in an afternoon. In Everyman (061873516X), he deals with many of the same themes from his other novels. The story opens with the funeral of the “everyman” and swings back in time to vignettes about his growing up, his three marriages, his affairs, his alienation when he moves to a Jersey Shore retirement community, his affection for his daughter—the pain and joys of an average life. Aging and death are shadows throughout the novel, and Roth has spun a tale about universal fears and desires.

I’m an F. Scott Fitzgerald fan, having written my college thesis about him and his writing. Part of my interest in him crosses over into his personal life, into where he got his inspiration for the characters and plots of his novels and short stories. It’s never been a secret that Fitzgerald’s first love was a Chicago debutante named Ginevra King, and this relationship is the basis for Gatsby’s Girl (0618537252). In this light but reflective look at their relationship, Caroline Preston weaves an engaging novel that will interest readers with no interest in the real historical relationship.

I got clued into Tony D’Souza’s Whiteman (0151011451) because one of my friends served in the Peace Corps with him. It is set in Cote d’Ivoire, a politically unstable country from which my friend (and D’Souza, I imagine) were evacuated in the midst of their two-year stint. This story is a fictionalized version of the Africa D’Souza knew as an aid worker. Employed through a group known as Potable Water International, protagonist Jack Diaz never establishes any sort of work related to this mission but instead works on AIDS education with his village “brother.” He learns to hunt in the rainforest, to harvest yams, to speak the language and understand the local customs. The novel shares the experience of dislocation, of cultural understanding, of lust and a search for purpose.

Next up for book group, on Tuesday, June 13^th from 7-8 p.m., we’ll discuss Jim Lynch’s The Highest Tide (1582346291). In his debut novel, Lynch follows a precocious 13-year-old growing up in the tidal flats of Puget Sound. A self-taught expert of marine life, Miles O’Malley spends his summer nights in his kayak looking for unusual sea creatures. When he finds a rare giant squid, he attracts the attention of the nation. Later discoveries and predictions throw him further into the limelight. In the midst of a media blitz, Miles is struggling to sort through his personal life. His parents are separating; his elderly neighbor and best friend Florence is dying; and Miles realizes that he is in love with Angie Stegner, his former babysitter and now a troubled girl in a local rock band. Hormones become entangled in and linked to the sea life described with poetic fullness in this story.

FROM THE CHILDREN’S ROOM:

Marilyn writes: We admit to a bit of prejudice. My Father the Dog (0763622222) is by Elizabeth Bluemle, a fellow bookseller and co-owner of The Flying Pig Bookstore in Charlotte, Vermont. We think, however, that anyone would be captivated by the humorous text and delightfully quirky illustrations. This children’s picture book is a perfect Father’s Day gift but would be a welcome addition to a youngster’s library at any time of year. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

In Monster Blood Tattoo Book One: Foundling (039924638X), author D. M. Cornish has created a uniquely imagined and detailed world. In this world, people and monsters have been in conflict for centuries. We follow the adventures of our young hero, Rossamund Bookchild. A foundling raised in an orphanage, he sets out into the adult world with a kind, brave and slightly naïve heart. In his travels, he will discover that the world is full of surprises and that sometimes people can be just as predatory as any monster. Recommended for middle school readers.

In Charlie Higson’s Silverfin (0786838663), we were introduced to the young James Bond, and follow his adventures in the Scottish Highlands. In Blood Fever (0786836628), the second book in this series, James is back at Eton. Summer vacation is approaching, and he’s looking forward to the school trip to the beautiful island of Sardinia and visiting with his cousin Victor. But all is not as it seems. It will be up to James to reveal the island’s strange and deadly secrets. Student reviewer Colin, aged 13, writes, “Blood Fever was an exciting and fast-paced book. I couldn’t put it down.” Recommended for middle school readers.

This month also brings us James Patterson’s Maximum Ride: School’s Out—Forever (0316155594), the sequel to Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (0446617792). Mutant bird-girl Max is once again in the position of trying to keep the world safe from an array of threats. Meaghan, aged 10, writes, “This book is the perfect sequel…there’s never a dull moment.” Perry, aged 14, writes, “School’s Out—Forever has an awesome heroine and plenty of action. I loved it!” Recommended for middle school readers.

Isabel writes: Callahan Cousins 3: Keeping Cool (0316736937) by Elizabeth Doyle Carey is wonderful for fans of The Beacon Street Girls series as there is nothing objectionable in this novel aimed at 4^th through 7^th grade readers. The third book in a four-part series, this time the four cousins are spending the summer at grandmother Gee’s rambling seaside estate off the coast of New England. The girls soon discover being joined at the hip isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.

Last Day Blues (1590891047) by Julie Danneberg is a good end-of-the-year picture book. From the author of First Day Jitters (158089061X), we return to Mrs. Hartwell's class where everyone is excited to leave for summer vacation. The only problem is that the kids don’t want their teacher to miss them while they’re gone. With vibrant and busy illustrations by Judy Love, the story portrays a hectic, fun classroom where the teacher is not all that different from her students.  

On the Seashore (0794510698) by Anna Milbourne and Erica-Jane Waters is a sweet picture book with illustrations reminiscent of Mary Englebreit. With sparse words, the story follows a little girl as she explores tidal pools and the beach, discovering all sorts of creatures and plants. Perfect for pre-schoolers starting their summer months, the book encourages curious youngsters to notice the wonders of the seashore.

Pat writes: With June being a month of change for all school-age children, we have many titles that are applicable for gift giving. Eve Bunting’s Little Bear’s Little Boat (0395974623) is a perfect book for the preschooler. Children who experience the growing pains of moving on will experience Little Bear’s feelings as he outgrows his little boat and smile with satisfaction as he finds a solution that works for both him and his little boat. Simple yet charming text with clear, uncluttered illustrations make it a wonderful read-aloud book.

Oh! The Places You Go (0679805273) by Dr. Seuss address graduates of all ages—from nursery school to medical school. In typical Seuss style, rhyming and fast-paced, he lets us know that things don’t always go perfectly fine and that there will be “bang-up and hang-ups that can happen to you, “but if you keep at it one step at a time, continuing to work and not giving up, “you will succeed, you will, indeed, 98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.”

Originally published in German, Sebastian Meschenmoser’s Learning to Fly (192913293X) is a great gift for any age. Beautiful pencil drawings that resemble etchings guide this simple story of a penguin learning to fly. Near-wordless sequences depict the many ways a man and his penguin, never losing faith, try a variety of different stunts in the hopes that the animal can become airborne. While the reality of a penguin flying is far-fetched in reality, the message is clear: never give up. 

Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons (006058081X) by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a new title perfect for many ages. Cookies are yummy and the cookies in this book also have something special to say. Beautifully illustrated with Jane Dyer’s watercolors, each page describes a little bite of wisdom for all of us to remember. “Cooperate means, how about you add the chips and I stir. Modest means you don’t go around telling everyone you make the best cookies even if you know it to be true. Respect means offering the very first cookies to your grandmother.” In baking, we can learn life’s lessons.

Judy H.: My Last Skirt (0618574905) by Lynda Durrant is an historical novel for middle school readers. The novel is based on the true story of Jennie Hodgers, a young Irish girl who immigrates to America during the mid-1800s. In Ireland, Jennie dresses up as a boy because she could earn more money doing “men’s work” for her family. Jennie keeps her male identity when she moves to America and ultimately enlists in the Civil War in the 95th Illinois Infantry as a male, Albert Cashier. The book gives an excellent picture of both sides of the Civil War and tells the fascinating true story of Jennie Hodgers (Albert Cashier) who was given a full military burial upon her death in 1915.