New summer reads at the Eddy-New Rockford Library just in time for the Summer Reading Program

Hey kids, do you know about the summer reading program “Tales and Tails” at our library? The program is simple - until August 20, readers will receive prizes for every five books they read. Also, a grand surprise is in store for one lucky reader when the program ends.

Summer reading is a great way to stay cool and keep your mind sharp. The library just added over 30 titles, thanks to a grant from the North Dakota Coordinating Council. With the theme of “Tales and Tails,” many of these books are fairy tales or about animals. There are nonfiction books that chronicle real-life adventures like “Rescue Dogs” and “Heroes of Hurricane Katrina.” The new titles include a variety of fairy tales and myths such as “The Girl Who Speaks Bear” and “Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara.” There are several titles for young readers as well ,like “Ugly Cat and Pablo,” “The Treasure Seekers” and “Armadillo and Hare.”

There are even plenty of fantasy chapter books that can take you just about everywhere. These are my personal favorite, so I couldn’t help but check out a few and give you a review.

I grew up on the “How To Train Your Dragon” book series. The story is about Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, who is the farthest thing from a hero. He is a left-handed runt of a viking, who is also the son and heir to the chief. When he fails to succeed in the trials to properly become part of the tribe, he gets kicked out of the village, but has a chance to redeem himself when he comes face-to-face with a dangerous dragon. It is a series I’ve enjoyed time and again. If you like fantasy and an unlikely hero story, you will love this book.

“Asha and the Spirit Bird” is about a girl trying to keep her farm. She decides to help her father make money. Along the way she has to survive crossing the Himalayan mountains and is helped by her grandmother’s spirit in the form of a bird. This is a good book for those of you interested in far away places, and a little bit of magic and survival.

“Bears of the Ice” is about a pair of twin polar bear cubs who seek out their mother after she is captured. They think their mother in the Forest of Forever Frost, a place of mystic power where their ancestors created the rules a bear follows. The cubs decide that the best option is to go on a quest to find their Pa to help them. If you like a story that is riddled with danger and void of living humans, then you will like these books.

Have you ever thought that an animal might want to be human? In “White Fox,” Chen Jiatong takes us on a journey with Dilah, a fox who is trying to become human. His only hope is to use the mystical moonstone. So he sets out to find to find the treasure that will change him, but other foxes are out to get it too. If you love a good story about magic and finding home, then this book is for you.

For those of you interested in the Summer Reading Program “Tales and Tails,” there is still time to sign up and start reading.