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Keep Liberty Beautiful: Top picks for kids’ summer reading lists
Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful Executive Director Karen Bell.

Dr. Karen Bell

Keep Liberty Beautiful

Liberty County Schools have been out for a while for the summer, and children are looking for things to do. Most parents are searching for ways to keep their children busy, so why not make arrangements to visit Keep Liberty Beautiful? 

By appointment, we have some activities we can share. We also have some ideas to help children maintain their reading levels while they are out of school. Today I’m going to share some of our favorite fun, environmental- themed books we love using in Keep Liberty Beautiful programs. I enjoy electronics, like everyone else these days, and all the books on this list can be downloaded, to whatever electronic reader, tablet or Kindle gadget you may have. But please, do me a favor: Occasionally, give your children an actual book they can treasure over the years. I still have several of Bryan’s books, which I now get to read to my grandson, Bryce.

Here are some of our suggestions, as well as some recommendations from librarians, for your children’s summertime reading pleasure — and maybe yours.

• “The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story about Recycling” by Alison Inches It is sometimes complicated for children to understand the importance of recycling and where that waste actually goes once it leaves your recycle bin. This book does a great job of bringing the journey of a plastic bottle to life. Told from the point of view of the bottle itself — complete with diary entries! — the story follows the bottle from its creation, through its life, to its recycling transformation into a fleece jacket.

• “The Wartville Wizard” by Don Madden The town of Wartville is being buried in the trash, oh my! Then, one tidy old man figures out a way to get rid of the trash forever. The illustrations are as humorous as the storyline.

• “Michael Recycle” by Ellie Bethel A sort of superhero comes to life when a flash of green crash lands in the local garbage dump of the messy, trash-filled town of Abberdoo-Rimey. Michael Recycle has a plan to save the city and the world!

• “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss This timeless classic, written by Seuss decades ago, has a timeless message about conserving the Earth’s natural resources. The message is as powerful as it was when he wrote this charming tale.

• “The Day the Trash Came Out to Play” by David M. Beadle A boy named Robin carelessly tosses a candy wrapper on the ground, which starts a chain reaction of events that eventually teaches him — and his community — the problem with litter and the importance of taking care of his neighborhood. You will never see trash the same way after reading this funny little story.

• “Julian Rodriguez: Episode One, Trash Crisis on Earth” by Alexander Stadler This is a hilarious paperback for adolescents. Alien Julian Rodrigues is disguised as an 8-year-old boy on Earth, and it is up to him to avert the trash crisis and save us all from annihilation!

• “The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks” by Barb Rosenstock This is a beautiful story for young readers about a little-known historical camping trip that spurred the creation of national parks and protected public wilderness. The illustrations are as delightful as the story.

• “Mr. King’s Things” by Genevieve Cote Mr. King is overwhelmed by his possessions! His story is a playful message about the repercussions of over-consumption — a message we all need to think about these days.

Whether you and your kids are sitting in the sun on the patio, hanging out on the beach, or just getting that last little snuggle before bedtime, I hope you will try out some of these delightful message- themed books we can all treasure. For ideas on summer reading or environmental activities, check out Keep Liberty Beautiful at www. keeplibertybeautiful.org. You can also contact KLB at (912) 880-4888 or klcb@libertycountyga. com.

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