A girl learns how to stand up for herself while remaining friendly in Kieran Scott’s "Geek Magnet."

KJ is the stage manager for the school’s musical production of Grease and couldn’t be happier. Except for the fact that she is a magnet for obnoxious, geeky boys. They flock to her, give her presents, invade her personal space, and won’t leave her alone.If only Cameron Richardson, the hunky basketball player would pay the slightest bit of attention to her instead of the geeks, KJ would be thrilled.

But KJ also has family problems, with a father who is an alcoholic. Her life at home is miserable, something she keeps secret from all but her best friend.

Tama, who is playing Sandy in the production, takes a sudden interest in KJ. She starts inviting her to parties and lunch and wants KJ to be more assertive - and dump the geeks. When KJ finally stands up for herself against one, she finds her friends are shocked - and Tama is thrilled. And then Cameron starts talking to and asking out KJ! Another member of the cast, Robbie, befriends KJ as a way to find out more about Tama. But is KJ being assertive or becoming someone she doesn’t want to be? And who are KJ’s true friends?

A fun book dealing with family issues and a great message of staying strong and true to yourself, this story about a school play and the girl behind the scenes will charm.

"Geek Magnet" is published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin. It is $16.99 and for ages 12 and up.

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A girl enjoys a fun-filled and romantic summer with two cute boys in Catherine Clark’s "Picture Perfect."

It’s tradition for Emily’s family to spend their summer vacation with her father’s college friends and their families. The kids have practically grown up together - and that includes Spencer, the boy that Emily embarassed herself with last year by confessing her crush. Spencer didn’t exactly reciprocate, and now he’s the last person Emily wants to see.

Emily is ready to document the summer with her trusty camera and spend some time with Heather and Adam and try to ignore Spencer. When Blake, the cute college guy next door shows interest, Emily couldn’t be more thrilled. But is Blake more than just a summer fling? By the end of the summer, Emily will be ready for college and ready for love - but with who?

This is a great, breezy read, a perfect tagalong to a summer trip. The characters are very enjoyable and the romance is realistic.

"Picture Perfect" is published by HarperTeen. It is $5.99 and is for ages 12 and up.

Contact Amy Mendenhall at amendenhall@newsandsentinel.com. Visit her blog at www.newsandsentinel.com for both a new adult book and a new kids or teen book to be featured weekly. Visit amendenhall.livejournal.com to read past columns.

It’s kids’ book week! It’s summer vacation and time for road trips, camping and lazy days of summer. But just because school’s out doesn’t mean you have to stop reading! A small book that would fit in mom’s purse and can provide entertainment while waiting in a restaurant is ‘‘Mr. Tickle and the Dragon’’ from Roger Hargreaves and written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves. Mr. Tickle returns home to see his house burned down. He tracks down the culprit – a big, scary dragon! But Mr. Tickle soon finds out that dragons have one weakness – being tickled. Mr. Tickle and the dragon soon become friends and the dragon finds better uses for his fire. ‘‘Mr. Tickle and the Dragon’’ is published by Price Stern Sloan and is $3.99. It is for ages 3 and up. 

A classic book, ‘‘A Pocket for Corduroy’’ by Don Freeman, gets a new twist with packaging by Puffin Storytime. The book now comes with a read-along CD, perfect for car trips or for children just learning to read, and a seperate track with related songs. Cordurory and his little girl go to the laundromat to do the washing. While watching the little girl and her mom wash up, he realizes he doesn’t have any pockets. When he looks for something to make a pocket out of, he accidentally gets lost and ends up getting thrown in the wash with someone’s clothes! Luckily, he is found again and his little girl decides to make a pocket for him - with a name tag inside! The Puffin Storytime version of ‘‘A Pocket for Corduroy’’ is published by Puffin. It is $9.99 and is for ages 3 and up. 

Judy Schachner’s famous Skippyjon Jones is back with a new book and game in one in ‘‘Skippyjon Jones and the Treasure Hunt.’’ Children will follow the story of Skippyjon Jones’ treasure hunt and will help him locate different items and try to match them up to a pair on the pop-up game board. Children will also learn the Spanish word of the items they are finding. Another great book to amuse kids either during a long car trip or in a restaurant on vacation. or even just a rainy day. ‘‘Skippyjon Jones and the Treasure Hunt’’ is published by Grosset Plue. It is $9.99 and is for ages 3 and up. 

For some families, summer means an annual camping trip. Patricia Polacco’s New York Times best-selling family is back in ‘‘The Graves Family Goes Camping.’’ The Graves family is an unusual family that live in a dark house populated by the family spiders and Mr. Graves is a strange sort of scientist. This year, the Graves family is going on vacation to Lake Bleakmire to look for new species of swamp creatures and their children’s best friends, Seth and Sara, are going along, as well as all of the spiders and the family residential nanny - a giant venus flytrap. While this is no regular camping trip or camping trailer (it’s a bit like a TARDIS), children will enjoy the wacky hijinks and be amazed by the Graves family’s discovery! ‘‘The Graves Family Goes Camping’’ is published by Puffin. It is $6.99 and is for ages 6 to 8. 

Another fun camping book is ‘‘Froggy Goes to Camp’’ by Jonathan London and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz. Froggy isn’t sure he wants to spend the summer at Camp Run-A-Muck. He meets his counselor and his bunkmates. And then he finds his principal is the camp director. Yikes! But soon Froggy finds all of the fun activities at camp, like swimming and archery, and campfire songs. Now will he even want to go home? A book to ease camp fears, fans of Froggy will enjoy the new addition of the series. ‘‘Froggy Goes to Camp’’ is published by Viking. It is $15.99 and is for ages 3 and up. 

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you should stop learning. Hudson Talbott takes a tongue-in-cheek look at learning about state birds in ‘‘United Tweets of America.’’ Children will learn about all 50 state birds and state facts in colorful, funny, and informative drawings. For example, did you know that Ohio and West Virginia share the same state bird - the northern cardinal? State facts run from the serious to the silly - West Virginia mentions the Mothman, and if you’re traveling across country or to a new state this summer, this book could kick off learning more about all of the United States of America. ‘‘United Tweets of America’’ is published by G.P. Putnam and Sons. It is $17.99 and is for ages 6 to 8. 

New York Times bestselling author, Simon Winchester, adapts his adult best-seller, Krakatoa,’’ into an illustrated and factual book for kids in ‘‘The Day the World Exploded.’’ The book tells the story of the island volcanoic explosion in Indonesia, that aused tsunamis and sprayed volcanic ash into the air for miles and months later.The book gives insight into the time period, the Indonesian area, and volcanoes in general, and then follows the story through news briefs and incodotal information. ‘‘The Day the World Exploded’’ is published by HarperCollins. It is $22.99 and is for ages 10 to 14. 

Contact Amy Mendenhall at amendenhall@newsandsentinel.com