Earlier this week we started GPB Book Camp. It’s our new series from producer Ellen Reinhardt about the great books elementary and middle school kids should read this summer.

Summertime is the perfect time for reading and discovering new authors and titles. I remember finding Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and the rest of the Super Fudge books during the dog days of summer. I also developed my love of the sci-fi fantasy genre during that time. Lloyd Alexander’s The Black Cauldron was one of my favorites so was Sheri S. Tepper’s The Gate to the Women’s Country.

For GPB’s Book Camp, Ellen Reinhardt chatted with Shannon Tyner, a librarian at the Vinings public library in Cobb County to find out what books kids are snapping up and which ones she recommends. Some of her observations: boys can’t resist zombie tales while girls love stories with female heroines. Listen to the full interview here and be sure to listen to Book Camp for High School Students Monday, July 22nd at 5:44 p.m. during GPB’s All Things Considered.

What were some of the books you read during the summer? Let us know!