Tickle their literary palette

Going for a hike in the Methow Valley? How about a night or two of camping in the Olympic National Park? Maybe you and your young ones are planning to catch a ferry to the San Juan Islands. Summer is often made of long drives, long waits and long hours in the sun. So it's a good idea to have a stack of books handy — something for everyone.

Tried and true children's classics are always satisfying. Books with staying power include: "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls, "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster, "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George, "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford, "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" by Mildred D. Taylor, "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame, "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry and "Harriet the Spy" by Louise Fitzhugh. And there are plenty of brand new offerings — check out the titles listed below.

Local author and illustrator Laura McGee Kvasnosky has created another set of three stories focused on two foxy sisters — the furry kind. In "Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways" (Candlewick, 42 pp., $14.99, ages 4-8), the two foxes pack their suitcases and run off together (to the furthest recesses of their own backyard). On another day, they assemble a time capsule. And on yet another, Zelda tackles the art of haiku poetry. Kids may even come away with an idea or two that will enhance their own summer fun.

"In the Garden: Who's Been Here?," by Lindsay Barrett George (Greenwillow, 40 pp., $16.99, ages 4-8), is really a guessing game in the same vein as "Around the Pond: Who's Been Here?" and others. Young readers can help Jeremy and Christina study clues in the garden to identify a number of backyard creatures. George's bold illustrations are especially appealing.

Ian Falconer's Olivia books pretty much sell themselves. But his most recent Olivia adventure is perfect for the Fourth of July — I couldn't resist. Besides, "Olivia Forms a Band" (Atheneum, 40 pp., $17.95, ages 3-7) is downright funny.

When Olivia hears her family is getting ready to watch the fireworks, the exuberant young heroine insists "... you can't have fireworks without a band." However, it's clear no band will be in attendance, so she decides to create her own band — a loud one — all by herself.

"Bats at the Beach," by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin, 32 pp., $16, ages 3-7), should offer kids plenty of visual thrills as it depicts a buoyant nocturnal world that is downright fascinating. All night long, scads of bat families enjoy the pleasures of moon bathing, playing in the sand, "making friends from other places" — even surfing. Yep, these bats end up having plenty of good recreational fun.

Speaking of the beach, "Dear Fish," by Chris Gall (Little, Brown, 32 pp., $16.99, ages 3-7), also takes place by the sea. One fine day young Peter Alan invites the fish to visit his domain. He's thrilled when they actually show up. Yet these sea creatures cause more chaos than he was bargaining for.

"The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane," by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Candlewick, 200 pp., $18.99, ages 8-12), should appeal to fans of "The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams (also a perfect summer read).

Life is good for Edward Tulane — a most dapper china rabbit. He just doesn't appreciate it. Then he finds himself on the Queen Mary, only to be accidentally tossed overboard. From that moment on, the rabbit endures many trials, not to mention several name changes. In the end, Edward Tulane finds himself broken and repaired — several times — before he learns what love really means. Beautifully designed, with plenty of old fashioned illustrations, including some color plates.

Linda Sue Park weaves information on the Chinese zodiac, as well as several Korean folktales, into a modern yarn called "Archer's Quest" (Clarion, 167 pp., $16, ages 8-12). When young Kevin finds himself dealing with a most unexpected visitor, he's not quite sure what to do. Chu Mong, a legendary archer, actually belongs in Koguryo (ancient Korea). Like Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," this archer is desperate to find his way home.

"Fly by Night," by Frances Hardinge (HarperCollins, 487 pp., $16.99, ages 10-up), is an incredibly well-written fantasy. The finely detailed backdrop fashioned by Hardinge displays a land modeled after early 18th-century England, a fractured world where various groups fly flags of different kings or queens. In addition, a number of labor guilds are continually vying for power. So the whole place is a pretty big mess, and one of the biggest problems centers on what people are allowed to read (the laws on this tend to change, depending on who is in power).

Enter 12-year-old Mosca Mye — a "freak," as she was taught to read by her now-deceased father. On the lam after burning down her aunt and uncle's mill, Mosca links up with Eponymous Clent, a thief, poet and who knows what else. Together they arrive in the town of Mandelion and immediately find themselves entangled in all sorts of intrigues.

Newbery Award winner Cynthia Kadohata explores an unusual clash of cultures in "Weedflower" (Atheneum, 272 pp., $16.95, ages 11-up).

Twelve-year-old Sumiko is pretty content with her Southern California life — for the most part. She helps her family run a flower farm and dreams of opening her own flower shop. Still, as one of the few Japanese students in her school, she does face blatant racism, which is downright painful at times.

Then the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, and her family is sent to a relocation camp on an Arizona Indian reservation. Sumiko's life immediately becomes much darker. Not only does she face some tough challenges, both physical and psychological, she's also forced to deal with antagonism coming from Indians who don't want them there. In the end, she manages to build a semblance of a life by gardening and eventually befriending an Indian boy named Frank.

Finally, here are two novels celebrating baseball for older readers.

"Samurai Shortstop," by Alan Gratz (Dial, 280 pp., $17.99), describes a fascinating period in Japan's history: the 1890s. Toyo, the son of a samurai, finds himself wanting to understand both the way of the samurai and besuboro (baseball). Yet the samurai class has been abolished by the Emperor Meiji; Toyo is encouraged to forget it altogether. Still, he has made it into Ichiko, the First Higher School of Tokyo, and this elite environment continues to make him aware of his family's status. As he struggles with the antics of the upperclassmen (first-year students have to endure some pretty harsh unofficial rituals), his love for baseball motivates him to go after a spot on the school team. Meanwhile, his father has decided to teach him bushido (the samurai code), so that Toyo can assist with his seppuku, or ritual suicide.

Sportswriter Mike Lupica has written another novel for young people titled "Heat" (Philomel, 220 pp., $16.99).

Twelve-year-old Michael and his older brother Carlos are Cuban immigrants who live so close to Yankee Stadium, they can hear the crowd cheering on game days. While they can't afford tickets, they're still caught by Yankee fever, especially since Michael — a Little League player — can already pitch 80 mph. His team, the Clippers, actually has a chance of making it into the Little League World Series.

But Michael has several problems that could prevent him from realizing his dream. Most troubling is the fact that his father has recently died, leaving him and Carlos alone. They're now trying to avoid 'Official People' until Carlos turns 18. Then a jealous coach demands to see Michael's birth certificate — he doesn't believe the gifted pitcher is only 12 years old.