5 Books to Read this Summer

Summer reading lists may be a holdover from school days, but what about reading just for fun in the summertime? Today, The Park at Winter’s Run Blog has five summer-themed books to suggest to members of our apartment community, so head to your favorite bookstore or the Bel Air, MD library to stock up on books to read this month.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic. (Goodreads)

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn't get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate.(Goodreads)

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

Minutes before the train pulled into the station in Jenkinsville, Arkansas, Patty Bergen knew something exciting was going to happen. But she never could have imagined that her summer would be so memorable. German prisoners of war have arrived to make their new home in the prison camp in Jenkinsville. To the rest of her town, these prisoners are only Nazis. But to Patty, a young Jewish girl with a turbulent home life, one boy in particular becomes an unlikely friend. (Goodreads)

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

The summer of '28 was a vintage season for a growing boy. A summer of green apple trees, mowed lawns, and new sneakers. Of half-burnt firecrackers, of gathering dandelions, of Grandma's belly-busting dinner. It was a summer of sorrows and marvels and gold-fuzzed bees. A magical, timeless summer in the life of a twelve-year-old boy named Douglas Spaulding — remembered forever by the incomparable Ray Bradbury.(Goodreads)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

The story focuses on an impoverished, second-generation Irish-American, girl and her family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, during the first two decades of the 20th century. A coming-of-age journey many can relate to across the decades.

What are your favorite summer reads? Please share with us in the comments so we can read them too!