It’s summer and the last thing you want your kids doing on a sunny day is staring blankly at the television screen in your stuffy family room. How about a compromise? Why not send them outside with a book that ties in with a favorite television show? Whether it’s a TV show adapted from a book or a book based on a TV show, plenty of options exist. To get you started, here’s a summer reading list, compiled with help from Jill Brooks, children’s book buyer for Anderson’s Book Shops. (Remember, we’re talking summer reading here, so expect some mind candy sprinkled in.)
– “The Busy World of Richard Scarry” (Aladdin Paperbacks, $3.25): The characters and artistic style of Richard Scarry, the late children’s author and illustrator, live on in this colorfully drawn television (Nickelodeon and Showtime) and book series. For a summer-themed story, look for “A Summer Picnic.” Miss Honey’s class heads to the country for an outing, but a rainstorm interrupts the fun and forces them to take shelter in a cave. Are there monsters lurking? Lowly, Sally, Huckle and the others think so. (Recommended ages: preschool and up.)
– “Arthur” (Little, Brown, $5.95): This hit PBS show about an everykid aardvark is based on the beloved book series by Marc Brown. Although all of Arthur’s warm and funny adventures are enjoyable, two titles make perfect summer fare: “Arthur Goes to Camp” and “Arthur’s Family Vacation.” Children will recognize both stories from the show.
In “Arthur Goes to Camp,” a reluctant Arthur finds himself shipped off to Camp Meadowcroak, where he develops a bad case of homesickness. The annual scavenger hunt against rival Camp Horsewater helps Arthur see his camp experience in a new light.
“Arthur’s Family Vacation” catches up to Arthur the following summer. This time, he wants to return to Camp Meadowcroak, but his parents insist on a family vacation at the beach. A crummy motel, bad weather and a postage stamp-sized pool threaten to ruin the trip. But Arthur saves the day when he creates a unique vacation itinerary for his family. (Recommended ages: kindergarten and up. But many preschoolers also enjoy Arthur’s adventures.)
– “The Magic School Bus” (Scholastic Inc., $2.50 -$14.95): If your kids only know lovable Miss Frizzle, her students and that amazing bus from the PBS educational cartoon, it’s time to introduce them to the popular book series that started it all. Written by Joanna Cole, these fun-to-read, cartoon-style books painlessly teach kids about science. The book series’ most recent titles are “The Magic School Bus Goes Upstream: A Book About Salmon Migration” and “The Magic School Bus Taking Flight: A Book About Flight.” (Recommended ages: kindergarten through 3rd grade.)
– “Brand Spanking New Doug” (Disney Press, $3.50): Doug, the banjo-playing, banana pudding-loving star of ABC’s Saturday morning cartoon, has spun off into a children’s book series written by Nancy Krulik. And “Doug’s Hoop Nightmare” is a perfect summertime adventure. Here, Doug finds himself facing everything from a capsized boat to humiliation on the basketball court. Having his friend Patti Mayonnaise at camp with him is the only thing making life bearable. (Recommended ages: 2nd and 3rd grades.)
– “Goosebumps” (Scholastic Inc., $3.99): Although fans have chilled a little on R.L. Stine’s creepy, crawly tales, they still remain popular. Fox’s television adaption of the series also continues to draw viewers.
Stine often uses summer camp as the setting for his scary stories. There’s “Welcome to Camp Nightmare” (No. 9 in the series), “The Horror at Camp Jellyjam” (No. 33) and “Ghost Camp” (No. 45). In the most recent camp tale, “The Curse of Camp Cold Lake” (No. 56), protagonist Sarah hates camp, so she plans to fake her own drowning to gain her fellow campers’ sympathy. But things don’t go as planned, because someone with pale blue eyes and a see-through body is watching her. (Recommended ages: 3rd and 4th grades.)
– “Full House” (Pocket Books, $3.99): Although the blended-family television sitcom “Full House” was mercifully canceled in 1995, this tie-in book series, written by various authors, remains a big seller, Brooks says. The latest installments focus on sister Stephanie Tanner’s summertime adventures. New this summer are “Club Stephanie No 1: Fun, Sun and Flamingos,” “Club Stephanie No. 2: Fireworks and Flamingos” and “Club Stephanie No. 3: Flamingo Revenge.” The three books follow Stephanie and her friends as they run a summer camp for kids. Problem is, the Flamingos–the most popular girls in school–start their own rival camp. (Recommended ages: 4th grade and up.)
– “Wishbone Classics” (Harper/Fiction, $3.99): For parents who’d prefer that their kids read something a little weightier over the summer vacation, Wishbone, the little terrier from PBS’ literature-inspired show, helps young readers interpret the classics. Adapted by various authors, titles include easy-to-follow retellings of such great literary works as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Don Quixote” and “Ivanhoe.” Wishbone’s thoroughly modern comments, explanations and observations appear throughout the texts. (Recommended ages: 2nd through 4th grades.)
Here are a few additional book series that tie in with TV shows:
– “Sister, Sister” by Janet Quin-Harkin (Pocket Books, $3.99).
– “Clueless” by various authors (Pocket Books, $3.99).
– “Party of Five” by various authors (Pocket Books, $3.99).
– “The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest” by Brad Quentin (Harper, $3.99).
