Check it out

The digital revolution notwithstanding, there’s still plenty of pleasure

to be had with books, especially for kids who visit Newport libraries

this summer.

To launch the literary adventure for the littlest lap-sitters up through

independent readers, sign ups are underway for “Library Kids Lead the

Way,” the summer reading program that begins Monday. It includes a

“Read-to-Me Club” for toddlers through kindergarten-age children and a

“Readers’ Club” for independent readers, with prize incentives for

youngsters of all ages, awarded for time spent reading or listening to

books.

For those wondering what to read, “Fun Fiction” brochures feature lists

of book titles, with explanatory notes, targeted for each grade. You may

pick up copies in the children’s section of any Newport Beach library or

check the Web site at o7 www.newportbeachlibrary.org f7 for suggested

reading lists, cool sites for youths, preschool play ideas and

kid-friendly search tools.

The Internet site also lists special summer programs for first-through

sixth-graders, featuring zany science, crazy magic, puppets, stories and

songs. Nonfiction titles in the juvenile sections of all libraries expand

on these themes and include ideas for crafts, magic, science experiments

and excursions aimed at keeping boredom at bay.

Your mission may accomplished at home, on vacation or anywhere meals are

served if you pick up a copy of “While You’re Waiting for the Food to

Come,” a new volume featuring creative experiments that shed light on

gravity, the senses, density and other science-oriented topics. This

innovative collection of food-based activities offers ways to add

amusement to repasts at restaurants, campsites and travel destinations.

Also new, for youngsters with an interest in turning back time, is “Days

of Knights and Damsels,” an activity guide that could provide a whole

summer of creative entertainment, including terrific tips for theme

parties. Dress-up ideas, recipes for medieval treats and more than 100

projects that hark back to the Middle Ages provide a passport to the era

of kings, queens, falconry and fairies.

Young adventurers and their families more interested in real-time

discoveries may prefer “City of Angels,” recently added to juvenile

travel collections. Vibrant illustrations and chapters that highlight

such nearby sites--or sights--as Chinatown, Watts Towers and La Brea Tar

Pits make this a fine starting point for local excursions.

For families heading south, there’s inspirational background for a trip

to Legoland in Carlsbad in “The Ultimate LEGO Book,” a new guide to a

creative galaxy with bastions throughout Australia, Europe and the U.S.

Written for Lego aficionados, as well as anyone interested in such

creations as replicas of the “Mona Lisa” painting and the Hollywood Bowl

or a 10,500-piece pelican crafted with the interlocking blocks, this

could be the perfect volume for empowering future architects, designers

and artists, along with enlivening summer break for kids who just want to

have fun.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Library. This

week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with Gina Moffitt.