Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is not the only well-known woman who was influenced by the Nancy Drew mystery series. The media release from the White House about the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court states, “After her father’s death [when she was nine years old], Sotomayor turned to books for solace, and it was her new found love of Nancy Drew that inspired a love of reading and learning, a path that ultimately led her to the law.”

Mildred Wirt Benson and Nancy Drew had a great deal in common, including very long and active lives. Like Nancy Drew, Mildred Wirt Benson was independent, intelligent, resourceful and a great favorite of all who knew her. Mildred Wirt Benson wrote the text of 23 of the first 25 Nancy Drew books under the direction of Edward Stratemeyer, head of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Nancy Drew books, in one form or another, have been popular for more than 70 years. How do you feel about the Nancy Drew series of children's books? Click on "Comments" below and share your opinion.

Are you looking for some more ideas for summer activities for your children? Doing crafts is one of the best ways to keep your kids active, interested and occupied. I've chosen some crafts books for kids that provide directions for a variety of intriguing crafts. Boys and girls who love sports will particularly like Knotting because it contains directions for a basketball net and a sports bag. 'Tween and teen girls will have fun using Injeanuity to update and/or make "cool stuff" with their old denim jeans. Other crafts covered in Crafts Books for Kids include paper crafts, clay and bead crafts, holiday crafts, nature crafts, and needlecrafts, to name a few. You'll even find a gardening book for the family. You'll find more recommended books in my Top Picks list of Knitting Books for Kids and Teens. Summer may seem like an odd time for knitting, but I learned to knit during the summer I was 11. With no schoolwork, I had plenty of time to practice. Are there other crafts books for kids you'd recommend? Click on the "Comments" button below and share your recommendations.

(Cover art courtesy of Kids Can Press)

Are you looking for a reassuring book for a two- to four-year-old child who is going to be starting preschool, nursery school, or daycare? Beth Norling's Little School is a delightfully entertaining picture book about 20 four-year-olds and their busy day of fun and learning at Little School. The U.S. edition of the picture book was published by Kane/Miller Book Publishers. Little School was originally published in Australia.

(Cover art courtesy of Kane/Miller Book Publishers)

Until I read the adult bestseller Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by British writer Lynne Truss, I had no idea how much fun it could be to learn about proper punctuation. I was delighted when I found out that Lynne Truss had created a children's version of her bestseller. The kids' version, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make A Difference!, is full of amusing illustrated examples of the impact a comma can have on the meaning of a sentence. The book is illustrated with very funny, full-page pen and watercolor sketches by Bonnie Timmons. It's a book I recommend for children 8-12, as well as teachers and homeschooling parents. Have you read either version of Eats, Shoots & Leaves? If so, click on "comments" below and share your opinions. For more about the perils of poor punctuation, see Punctuation Matters: A "Dear John" Letter and a Two Million Dollar Comma from Richard Nordquist, the About.com: Grammar & Composition Guide.

(Cover art courtesy of G.P. Putnam's Sons, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group)

What do comic books, comic-style books, and graphic novels have in common? What does it mean when someone refers to "comics"? What is sequential art and what does it have to do with it all? There's a lot to learn. Comic-style books and graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular with both younger children and teens. Do your children read comic books, comic-style books, and/or graphic novels? What are their favorites? Click on "Comments" below and share your views.

The July 13, 2009 issue of Newsweek magazine has an opinion piece titled "Best.Books.Ever," which is described as "Recommended reading from notable names." Jenna Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush, who is the author of Ana's Story and a sixth grade teacher, was invited to select four books for kids. Her "Best.Books.Ever" selections are:

• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
• Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
• Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
• Brown Angels by Walter Dean Myers.

While I enjoy recommended reading lists such as the Notable Children's Books List and the Amelia Bloomer Project, I would find it very hard to personally select the best children's books ever. How do you feel about Best Books lists? Which children's books would be on your list? Click on "Comments" below and let me know.

The winners of the 2009 Boston-Globe Horn Book Award Winners were recently announced. The Boston-Globe Horn Book Awards honor excellence in children's and young adult books. Unlike many other 2009 children's book awards that recognize books published in 2008, these awards include books published in the United States between June 2008 and May 2009. The 2009 Awards include winners in three categories.

• Picture Book: Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Polly Dunbar
• Fiction and Poetry: Nation by Terry Pratchett
• Nonfiction: The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming

Have you or your children read any of the winners of the 2009 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards? If so, please click on "Comments" below and share your opinion of them. For other excellent books for kids and teens to enjoy this summer, see my Top 10 Summer Reading Lists For Kids and Teens: 2009.

(Cover art of HarperCollins)

A Story for Bear, a fantasy that seems real, will appeal to 4- to 8-year-olds. This picture book is the story of an unusual friendship between a woman staying in a cabin near the woods and one of the most appealing bears I have ever seen. Jim LaMarche's illustrations in acrylic paint and colored pencil fill the pages with hazy scenes of summer in the woods and the amazing friendship that grows between the woman who sits outside each day reading a book and the bear who was eager "to understand what she was doing as she held the book."

Other Good Picture Book Read-Alouds

• Kiss Good Night
• Where the Wild Things Are
• Oliver Button Is a Sissy

What are some of the children's picture books you enjoy reading to your children? Click on "Comments" below and share your favorites.

(Cover art courtesy of Harcourt, Inc.)

Get ready for the Fourth of July with children's books. From the The Declaration of Independence to The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 States, here are my Top Picks of children's books that celebrate America. They'll add to your kids' enjoyment of the Fourth of July and your family's celebration of Independence Day. For more books related to July activities and events, see my July 2009 Calendar of Children's Books.

(Cover art courtesy of Little, Brown and Company)

As the introduction states, Simply in Season Children's Cookbook provides "a way for kids of all ages but especially 6 to 12 year olds to get in touch with real food, to see where it comes from, to take responsibility for preparing it, and to have fun in the process." The emphasis on growing your own food and/or knowing how to identify when it is ripe will help to engage your children's interest. The recipes themselves are easy to follow and have been taste-tested by both children and parents. If you are looking for a cookbook the whole family will enjoy, I recommend Simply in Season Children's Cookbook. Are there cookbooks for the whole family that you particularly like? If so, click on "Comments" below and post your recommendations.

(Cover art courtesy of Herald Press)