Even with the hustle & bustle of the summer season, Alec Baldwin didn't let that keep him from taking the time to weigh-in on how the children of New York can help combat summer learning loss as they're awaiting the start of the fall semester.
A longstanding member of the advisory board of the Brooke Jackman Foundation, Alec joined forces with Reading Rainbow creator Twila Liggett, children's book authors Katie Davis and Stephanie Calmenson, and our very own Erin Jackman to create "Brooke's Best Books," a top 10 list of suggested summer reading material for children. This year's "Brooke's Best Books" include classic novels, new-to-the-shelf titles, remakes of traditional tales and even some of the best selections from Reading Rainbow.
Please find the selected summer reading books from each of BJF's advisory committee below and feel free to share these with the children your life throughout the summer!
Alec Baldwin - Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray
- Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Twila Liggett - Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Twila says this is "a great story of a girl who 'can do anything' but wants to play Peter Pan in the school play. She is told she can't - because she's a girl and she's black. Grace auditions anyway and wins the part."
- Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
"An enchanting story of a baby bat who, after she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother. The book is full of fun science facts as well."
Stephanie Calmenson - Amos and Boris by William Steig
Stephanie remarks about this book: "Friendship comes in all shapes and sizes. In this story, Amos is a tiny mouse. Boris is a huge whale. Amos lives near the ocean. Boris lives in it. Fate brings them together and they become fast friends. They even, like Aesop's lion and mouse, save one another's lives. High drama and true blue friendship. What a terrific book!"
- Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik, pictures by Maurice Sendak
"This first book about Little Bear has four short, easy-to-read chapters. Each episode is soothing and funny and loving. The book ends at bedtime when Little Bear says to his mother, 'you always make me happy.' Sharing Little Bear's stories with new readers always makes me happy," Stephanie explains.
Katie Davis - Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder
- The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Erin Jackman - Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes
This was a top choice of Erin's because "this story is about Chester and his best friend Wilson who do everything together and are like two peas in a pod-they do everything the exact same way. Then Lily moves in next door and does everything different and they want no part of her. But then she saves them from the bullies and they realize that Lily being different isn't a bad thing and that you can be friends with people who are different from yourself."
- The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
"A funny retelling of the classic Three Little Pigs story, but this one is told from the Wolf's point of view. I always loved reading this one to the kids in my former classroom and they always loved hearing it," Erin reminisces about her history with this book.
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