Librarian's Top Book Picks for National Read Across America Day

In honor of National Read Across America Day, Encino Patch asked the senior librarian at the Encino-Tarzana branch, David Hagopian, for five great book recommendations for children and adults.

“I didn’t want to recommend just popular books, but classics and award winners, so they’re good books and well-written," Hagopian said. "All these authors are well-known and well-respected. These are books I love.”

Wild About Books by Judy Sierra (Ages 3-7)  This book is filled with adventure and begins when a librarian accidentally drives her bookmobile into the zoo. Once the zoo animals hear a Dr. Seuss story, they become hooked on reading. This book is full of bright and sunny artwork, which blends well with Sierra’s use of clever language. Children will enjoy the fun story and pictures, while adults will find humor in the jokes. Added benefit: encouraging children to read in an enjoyable way. 

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (Ages 3-7)  Author Jules Feiffer seems to have a knack for many things: He’s a playwright, a novelist, a screenwriter, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and an acclaimed author of children’s books. His book Bark, George is a charmingly humorous story about a dog that just can’t seem to bark correctly. However, George does make all sorts of other animal sounds, which leads to a lot of silliness and laughs. Children love it and so do adults.

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (Ages 9-11)  This novel won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children’s literature in 1949, making this a beloved classic. The story is about a mute Moroccan stable boy, Agbra, and a horse, Sham; they are chosen to be part of a gift to the king of France. Their adventures in Europe are filled with cruelty and despair, until Sham fathers a winning foal for the king. An adventure tale of triumph over adversity, the story also teaches a respect for other cultures. There is a good amount of humor, making the book a well-rounded choice.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Adult)  This novel spans decades and moves through India, Ethiopia and to an inner-city hospital in New York City. Sister Mary Joseph Praise, a young nun, leaves Kerala in 1947 for a missionary trip to Yemen. While on her turbulent sea voyage, she meets an English doctor who is part of her destiny. She ends up saving the doctor’s life and they later meet again at a hospital in Ababa. Years later, Sister Praise dies giving birth to twin boys, Shiva and Marion. Their lives become the next phase of the story, which is a dramatic tale that includes the political turmoil faced in Ethiopia.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Adult)  This richly best-seller won Canada’s 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for fiction. In it, the roaming Patel, also known as Pi, spends most of his boyhood as a zookeeper in India. Growing up among the wild animals, Pi collects an extensive knowledge about the creatures. His inquisitive nature also leads him to jump between Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. At 16, he sets sail, along with his family and some of the animals, to start a new life in Canada. They are shipwrecked, and Pi is left stranded on a raft with the wild animals and must use his knowledge and faith to stay alive.