Patch Reads: 2013 Summer Reading List

Great reads for kids of all ages.

From James Patterson's ReadKiddoRead Foundation: Great Advanced Reads (For tweens and teens, ages 12 and up) The Diviners By Libba Bray For ages 12 and up A series of occult-based murders in 1920s New York City put Evie O’Neill and her uncle, curator of what’s known as “The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies,” center stage in investigating the crimes. The tightly woven plot and palpable setting combine with supernatural elements, rich themes, and terrific storytelling to make for a compelling read. On the Day I Died By Candace Fleming For ages 11 and up Scary is always in season, and summer is an especially good time to welcome a shivery chill. On appropriately dark and moonless nights, kids will find themselves scaring friends with the …

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Book Clubs: We Want Your Recommendations

Tell us what you're reading right now using this nifty form on Patch!

As part of our ongoing Patch Reads program, we are actively seeking input from you on what you are reading right now. Fill out this form and tell us what you and your book clubs are reading and why. Then we'll share it with others so that we can all benefit from your book club recommendations. 

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Whale Tale: Author To Speak About Tragedy at Sea Saturday

The town-wide “one book, one community” Framingham Reads Together book for 2013 is Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex.

Framingham Public Library invited the community to participate in the 3rd Annual Framingham Reads Together event this month. The town-wide “one book, one community” program, this time around is Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. The featured book is one of the greatest sea stories ever, a fascinating narrative of the extraordinary-but-true events on which Melville’s Moby Dick was based. And on Saturday, the acclaimed Nantucket author will speak about his book and the research/writing process in the Fuller Middle School auditorium at 10 a.m. In 1819, the Essex left Nantucket for the South Pacific with 20 crew members aboard. In the middle of the South Pacific the ship was rammed and sunk by an…

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Exploring Education

Yertle the Turtle Climbs Into Books at Brophy Elementary

Former Framingham Public Schools bus driver David Levin dressed up like the Dr. Seuss character Yertle the Turtle for Read Across America Day.

Former Framingham Public Schools bus driver David Levin dressed up like the Dr. Seuss character Yertle the Turtle Friday, March 1 for Read Across America Day at Brophy Elementary School. Levin read the Dr. Seuss classic, and moved up the ladder as Yertle's throne grew for Brophy students. Levin's wife Terry, was the long-time school librarian, until she died in November 2012, after a battle with acute myelogenic leukemia. She was also the elementary school's PTO president, at one point.

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Cheryl Tully Stoll

7:39 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013

David, thank you for continuing Terry's dedication to teaching children to love books. I think she would be thrilled.   more ›

Brazilian Judge Requests 50 Shades of Grey Be Covered

Brazilian Judge Raphael Queiroz Campos issued the order earlier this month, after he saw children in one of city's bookstores looking through erotic books, according to a statement issued by the Rio de Janeiro State Judiciary Department.

A Brazilian judge has ordered bookstores to keep the erotic trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey out of the reach of minors. Judge Raphael Queiroz Campos issued the order earlier this month, after he saw children in one of city's bookstores looking through erotic books, according to a statement issued by the Rio de Janeiro State Judiciary Department. Two days after the judge's order, the books were back on the shelves, but sealed and out of reach of minors, as Campos instructed, reported USA Today. *** What do you think? tell us in the comments.

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Preview This Winter's Hottest Books

Bestselling authors Sue Grafton, Jodi Picoult and more are releasing books this winter.

It might be chilly out, but book publishing is red hot right now. Several favorite bestselling authors are releasing books early in 2013. What are some of the most anticipated?

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12 Best Children's Books of 2012

A list of the best children's books of 2012, from James Patterson's ReadKiddoRead Foundation.

Courtesy of the ReadKiddoRead Foundation Maurice Sendak once said one of the best things about being a maker of children’s books was that his audience kept being born. It’s true, of course: The great books from years past are brand new to today’s children and teens. But let’s take a moment at year’s end to recognize the books being published now for our young people. Here’s a quick roundup of a dozen highlights of 2012. (For more, visit ReadKiddoRead.com and check out our reviews.)  Great Illustrated Books (Ages 2-5) Llama Llama Time to Share By Anna Dewdney For ages 2-5 When the doorbell rings, Mama Llama welcomes the neighbors – the Gnus. While Mama and Nelly have tea, their two toddlers are left with a boxful of toys to play with and …

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What was the Best Book You Read this Year?

It's that time of year: The internet is littered with best books lists for 2012. But why let critics and publishers get the last word? What was your favorite book this year?

It's December, which is the unofficial "taking stock" month of the Internet. And one of the Internet's favorite year-end topics focuses on the best book of 2012. There are plenty of takes to choose from, like the newsy list, the most-purchased list, the best-as-voted-by-social-media-users list, the traditional list, the contrarian publication's list. We could go on. But now it's time to hear from you. What was the best book you read in 2012? And best, of course, is subjective. It can mean your favorite, the one you thought was crafted best, the one you thought was most thought-provoking. Or fun. Or important. It's up to you. Got a favorite book you read in 2012? Use the comments section below to tell us what it was and why you loved it.

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The 2012 Holiday Book List

Books make great holiday gifts. Give your loved ones these books as stocking stuffers this holiday season.

When you give a child or a teen a book, you are creating a memory that will last a lifetime. What’s more, reading offers so many options. Are you trying to find a book for an early reader? Choose a picture book or a Great Beginner Read from the list below. Does your grandchild love nonfiction? Take a look at the Great Family Reads section. Has your niece read every book known to man? There are some brand new books on this list that she may not have seen yet. Do you struggle to find just the right book to entice your child to read? These selections are sure kid-pleasers that will meet any interest. The ReadKiddoRead holiday gift list has something for everyone: realistic fiction, science fiction, and nonfiction; animal stories, mythology …

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J.K. Rowling's 'The Casual Vacancy' Turns 'Harry Potter' on its Head

The famed author takes an unflinching look at British society in her first novel for adults.

The Harry Potter series famously opens with a chapter called "The Boy Who Lived," which any of J.K. Rowling's millions of fans would tell you refers to Harry's miraculous survival after the dark wizard Voldemort attacked and killed his parents. In Rowling's new novel for adults, the first chapter could easily be titled "The Man Who Died," since the entire novel subsequently revolves around the death of the one fairly likable character. Just as Harry's status as a miraculous survivor gives him an elevated position in the fantasy series, Barry Fairbrother's status as a revered corpse reverberates through "The Casual Vacancy." The premise of "The Casual Vacancy" is that one man's death sets into motion a series of escalating events in a small…

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