Patch Reads: 2013 Summer Reading List

Great reads for kids of all ages.

  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 stories in this collection, whether examinations of …

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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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What Are Massachusetts' Must-Reads of 2013?

The Massachusetts Center for the Book has teamed up with the Massachusetts Library Association, to choose the commonwealth's best fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children's/young adult literature that has been written by Massachusetts writers or is about

Narrative Nonfiction: Five Must-Read Books

Harrowing plane crashes, a true Bronx tale and more.

Nothing is as satisfying to me as reading a well-written, compelling true story. Which is why I love narrative nonfiction.  The genre reads like fiction — it has plot, character development, scene-setting, conflict — but it's all true. Sometimes the best stories are not the ones we make up, but the ones that make up our lives. Below, in no particular order, is a list of five of my favorite narrative nonfiction books — old and new. If you're looking for a good read, I encourage you to check out any on this list. You just may have a hard time putting these titles down.  1. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand At times, the tale of Olympic runner and World War II prisoner of war Louis Zamperini seems ripped from the set of an adventure or war movie…

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Celebrate National Reading Month

In honor of National Reading Month, bestselling author James Patterson shares why it's so important for families to read together. To get you started, check out our list of local reading events and resources.

Attention, Patch families. As a bestselling author, but most importantly, as a dad, I’ve found this to be my absolute go-to golden rule for parenting: the best way to open doors for your children is to get them to absolutely love to read books. And this won’t happen unless you, the parent, take the job into your own hands. Reading—no matter what kinds of books they prefer—is the best and only way our kids will be able to grasp a firm footing in this life. Never deny them a book at the store or the library. Make time for reading 20 minutes a day in your house. Read books alongside them. Make the act of reading cool.   There’s a simple, easy way to get started: pick the books your kid will love. You can even use my ReadKiddoRead.com for a …

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What's On Your 'Must Read' List for February?

James Patterson's cover girl looks like Mandy Moore, to me, and Dan Brown has another book coming out.

  For all your voracious readers out there, here's a look at some of the hottest books of February, according Barnes & Noble: "Inferno" by Dan Brown: This book doesn't even hit the shelves for three more months, but pre-orders make it one of the hottest books right now. Brown, of NH – an of course, "Da Vinci Code" fame, will likely have another movie deal on his hands: About the book: In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces…Dante’s Inferno. Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret …

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Classic Books to Share with Your Children for Valentine's Day

From Charlotte's Web to Where the Wild Things Are, share these classic books with your children and encourage their love for reading.

“Where’s Pa Going with that Axe?” The Enduring Quality of Children’s Classics By Anita Silvey Courtesy of James Patterson's Read Kiddo Read Foundation The opening line of E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web— “Where’s Pa going with that axe?”—has now been read by adults to eager young listeners for more than 60 years. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day have been picked up with enthusiasm for more than 50 years. For 75 years, parents have shared The Hobbit, and this year Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are turns 50. These books and others like them (Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables) bring …

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North Reading Reads Robert B. Parker in 2013

Town-wide reading program will honor the late author who penned the Spenser novels and more.

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? WOBURN PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates | Pinterest | Instagram 

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The 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 that 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 …

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