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Pedal Power, the untold story of how bikes, cars and cities got along

Name a city where bikes are the nom de transportation. Most of you probably said Amsterdam and it is, but it wasn’t always that way. Pedal Power by Allan Drummond is a book that any kid who is learning to ride their bicycle can identify with, but not in the way that you might think.

Rather, Pedal Power is the story of Maartje Rutten, a young mother living in Amsterdam in the 1970’s. She likes to ride her bike around town with her son in the baby seat, but it’s getting more dangerous. Some older buildings are being demolished to make way for new highways and just like any other metropolitan city traffic is getting worse. She wanted a more bike friendly environment that would accommodate all levels of cyclists, not just athletes.

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Dig the Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip RV in Atlanta on July 21

The Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip RV is ending its nationwide trip in Atlanta on July 21. The summer slide is real and all summer long the Scholastic Reading Road Trip RV has been cruising across the USA helping kids, parents and communities keep kids reading during those school-free months. An RV full of free reading activities, authors signing books and giveaways is just the sort of thing to help out parents and energize young readers.

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Bobs and Tweets #2 Perfecto Pet Show, early elementary a go-go

Bob and Tweets are birds of a different color. Specifically they’re two families who are quite different, the Tweets are neat and the Bobs couldn’t bother. This is the second book in the series by Pepper Springfield with illustrations by Kristy Caldwell. This is a silly book, that’s fun to read-and if early elementary kids saw the first one, then Bobs and Tweets #2, Perfecto Pet Show is one you’ll be able to tell.

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Hey Boy is a kidlit, children’s book for the pet lover’s soul

Children’s books, as a parenting rule, shouldn’t make you cry. Children are unable to discern why mom or dad are crying, even laughing so hard that you’re crying sends mixed signals to young children. Hey Boy is a children’s book from Benjamin Strouse with illustrations by Jennifer Phelan. At first it seems out of place when compared to bright colored children’s books with large font and silly/sappy endings. Technically this book and those books aim for the same reader. However, Hey Boy has a more timeless, retrained presence that will draw young readers in through its measured tone, grander scope and hopeless optimism.

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Don’t Blink! is an interactive, fun picture book for 6 and younger

Imagine a children’s book that takes root from a classic game that every child plays at one point. The game takes place usually when kids are between 5 and 7 years old, doesn’t require any money, is difficult to have a proven winner and sometimes involves a little man who is ¼ inch tall. Don’t Blink! is a children’s book that takes the seminal children’s game, blink and provides it with visual cues for kids to laugh along to.

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What George Forgot is one that pre-K kids will not

Sometimes it’s tricky to forecast what books your children will enjoy. When we received What George Forgot , a children’s book by Kathy Wolff I didn’t think that our 5 year old would be interested in it. However, he sauntered over to my desk and grabbed that book for us to read to him. That is worth noting because he never does that and usually relies on his staple books beside his bed. Yet, that night (and many times since then) he’s chosen What George Forgot as his good-night book.

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Real Friends by Shannon Hale is really wonderful for 8 and up

Sometimes on the podcast we’ll talk about examples of the graphic novel as art form. To listeners that don’t read many graphic novels or comic books that might seem like hyperbole, but it’s not. Graphic novels are designed to entertain, while a very others make you think, teach lessons or possibly change your behavior-while at the same time being entertaining. Real Friends, an original graphic novel by Shannon Hale, with illustrations by LeUyen Pham manages to do that in one of the most surprising books that you’ll pick up this year.

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A Father’s Day book idea bound to entertain: The Bourne Initiative

We partnered with Grand Central Publishing for this post. All thoughts are our own. The book is better than the movie; we’ve all heard that phrase. But what about those instances where the films are really good too? That’s the case with Bourne. The classic and bestselling book series created by Robert Ludlum have their 14^th book coming out in time for Father’s Day. The Bourne Initiative continues the story of Jason Bourne, who has proven to be one of the most popular characters in contemporary fiction, as well as on the big screen.

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