Splash into Summer

It’s that time of year again — summer reading! My two school-age children made great strides in their reading over the past school year. Future fourth-grader Noah found a true love of reading. He has made a leap from only reading from his favorite time travel and fantasy series. He now gives a wide variety of books a chance, even ones with a bit of pink on the cover!

And my future first-grader, Sky, is just months into her journey of being a reader. She loves tackling early readers and thrives on the success of being able to read a book entirely on her own. (Stone Arch’s Truck Buddies and the upcoming Little Lizard sets are among her favorites.)

So, over the past nine months, Noah’s and Sky’s teachers have built a wonderful foundation for my young readers. Now it's Mom and Dad’s job to build on that. Studies show that young learners’ math and reading skills slide in the summer. How do parents combat that? One of our favorite ways is the summer reading program at our local library. Nothing beats earning prizes while discovering new books.

Most libraries organize their summer reading programs around a certain theme. Our local library’s theme this year is “Make a Splash at Your Library.” Below is a list of Stone Arch Books that are perfect for this theme. Let me know your library’s theme, and I’d love to come up with a list for you.

Books that make a splash:

Bella’s Boat Surprise, by Christianne C. Jones — A My 1^st Graphic Novel that’s perfect for emerging readers.

Boss of the World, by Fran Manushkin — Our girl Katie Woo hits the beach with her pals JoJo and Pedro. This early chapter book is the perfect step up from readers.

Ora, the Sea Monster, by Cari Meister — A Level 3 reader, for the child who is nearly ready for chapter books, but not quite.

Princess Candy: The Marshmallow Mermaid, by Michael Dahl — Kids grades 2-5 will cheer on Princess Candy as she battles an evil mermaid in this graphic novel.

Shipwreck! by Jake Maddox — My favorite Jake Maddox novel; this adventure story, complete with sharks, is perfect for grades 4 to 8.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne, retold by Carl Bowen — Readers can tackle a piece of classic literature in a new way with this graphic novel from our Graphic Revolve series.

Julie Gassman

Senior Editor

Mystery Reader

The classrooms at my daughter Sky’s school have had many unexpected visitors this month, and yesterday, I got my chance to be one of them.

In honor of I Love to Read Month, the teachers put a call out for “mystery readers.” A mystery reader makes arrangements with the teacher to come in during class time to share a book with the class. They are often parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles. The best part is none of the children know who the reader will be until they lay eyes on him or her.

Yesterday I got my chance to be a mystery reader in Sky’s kindergarten class. I had convinced her that I would not be able to make it because I was all tied up at work. So it was fun to see her big smile when she saw that it was me.

Before I read, the class had the chance to interview me. They asked where I liked to read, if I bought books, if I visited the library. They also shared the names of some of their favorite authors, including Jan Brett and Eric Carle. One of my favorite moments was when the teacher said, “If you have even one book of your own, you have a library.” What a wonderful idea!

After the interview was complete, I picked up the book I had brought to share, Boss of the World by Fran Manushkin. Choosing a book was easy: I knew Sky would want me to share a Katie Woo book, and I love how Katie resolves her own trouble in this book.

For an editor, it is always interesting to see how the audience reacts to our books, and the class didn’t disappoint. Everyone listened so well, and they seemed to enjoy meeting Katie and her friends JoJo and Pedro. I left feeling happy and inspired. It is clear that a love of books is alive and well in Room 10.

--Julie Gassman, senior editor

Katie Woo poster giveaway!

When I first read author Fran Manushkin’s manuscripts for our Katie Woo series, I felt like I knew Katie. In fact, I felt like I was raising her! (Only my Katie is named Sky and doesn’t wear glasses.)

Fran has a wonderful understanding of children and how they think and react to situations. I think that is why Katie is so likeable. You feel like you know her, because she is just like the sweet, funny girl in your class, or down the street, or at your kitchen table. She loves clothes and her friends and spaghetti. Sure, she gets in trouble once in a while, but she always makes you laugh.

To celebrate Katie, we have a fabulous new poster — and we are giving four away! Be one of the first four readers to leave a comment and one will be sent your way.

Julie, senior editor at Capstone Fiction

Messages of Diversity

Last November, my then 4-year-old daughter, Sky, took part in a mock presidential election in her preschool class. The teacher showed the kids a photograph of each candidate, told them their names, and then let them vote. I was surprised that night when Sky informed us that she voted for “John McCain, because he sure looked like he would be a good president.” She was disappointed in the morning to learn her candidate lost, and she simply wasn’t sure Barack Obama would be a good president.


Something about her reaction left me feeling a little embarrassed. But after thinking about it, I realized that John McCain was the candidate who looked like all the other presidents Sky had ever seen. She, like so many children her age, didn’t fully grasp that anyone, no matter their color or gender, could be president.


I saw an educational opportunity there. With the books I choose to share with her, I can share a message of diversity. For example, I can read The End Zone, from our “My First Graphic Novel” series, so she can see that an African-American girl can be the hero among a football team of boys. And as Sky grows, there are countless Stone Arch titles with diverse characters just waiting to capture her interest and imagination. She can read Running Rivals, a Jake Maddox book, and discover two competitors—one black and one white—who work together to improve their skills. When she picks up a Claudia book, she’ll find that despite differences in cultural backgrounds, she and the quirky character have a lot in common.


And how does Sky feel about her Mr. President now? Well, she has fallen in love with the rhythm of his name, and while she clicks to cartoons, she often pauses on the news to listen to him speak. She has definitely developed a respect for our president. But I think it’s his fashionista-wife that has truly captured her heart. She just loved that gold inauguration suit!


Julie Gassman
Senior Editor
Stone Arch Books/Picture Window Books