Summer Reading

School is out for summer. When I was a child that meant two things; that I could spend all the time I wanted swimming and sunbathing, and that I could read all the books I wanted. Every June, on my birthday - which by the way was the last day of lessons for Greek schools-, my mother would take my brother and I  book-shopping in my favourite bookshop, Kedros. We could get as many as we could read. So every summer, I would make my reading list and I read my way through it like a hungry man on a desert island. It is summertime again and apart from the books I am taking with me on my "desert island", the island of Zakynthos, I thought of making a small reading list for our young ones. 

1. Enid Blyton: The Famous Five (series)

Photo via Wikipedia. 
Click here
for more information.

There is nothing like a good mystery to exercise the brain.  The Famous Five is a series of mystery books for children written by Enid Blyton in 1942. One might say that something written so long ago cannot appeal to today's children, but I think that in this particular case one would be wrong. The Famous Five travel through time. You don't have to be a grown up to solve mysteries. These children are clever, autonomous, trusted by their parents due to their sensibility and common sense. They are a team and they work like one. Above all they help people through their mystery solving and they have fun while they are at it. There are many reprints that you can buy online, in a good price, too.

2. Gertrude Chandler Warner: The Boxcar Children. 

 A mystery series for children, written by G.C. Warner, an author and primary school teacher. The amazing adventures of four orphan siblings that manage to take life into their own hands and take care of each other, while living in a boxcar. 

3. Nancy Drew series

Nancy Drew is a young sleuth that solves mysteries like no other. She is brave and confident and never gives up. There are many titles in this series, written by a group of writers under the pseudonym of Carolyn Keene. I simply love them. The books were made into a series in seventies I believe, but these days they even made a Nancy Drew film. There are also some really good video games full of puzzles, but I wouldn't want to play video games when I could read a good book. 

4. Roald Dahl: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Photo via Wikipedia.
Click here for
 more information. 

Roald Dahl has always been one of my favourite authors. He has written so many amazing books I can't even begin to name them. However, the most well known of them is Charlie and the Chocolate factory. Roald Dahl has an exceptional sense of humour, which some might even find gruesome sometimes. I think his books are brilliant and the best company for the summer holidays. So start the summer by reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory, then visit your nearest bookstore to get the sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator which is equally well written and hilarious. 

Photo via Wikipedia. 
Click here 
for more information. 

For a taste of Roald Dahl's world, visit his website. It is fun even for us adults. There is also another great page about Roald Dahl, through which children can actually look through his things, while exploring his writing hut. 



5. Roald Dahl: Matilda
Another brilliant book written by Roald Dahl.