Arts

While there's definite comfort to be had in the familiar authors, sometimes what you really want is the spark and thrill of a chance encounter — that's where first books come in.

In this book originally published in the 1950s, young Peggy Grahame meets ghosts and gets involved in a mystery as she explores her family's ancestral estate.

Written with elementary school students in mind, this book tells the story of Sammy Lee, a Korean-American kid who discovered competitive diving when he was a kid. But he couldn't practice much: His Fresno, Calif., hometown was segregated, and "colored" people were restricted to one day a week at the public pool — which was then drained, cleaned, refilled and off limits until the following week.

Washington Post columnist for kids John Kelly offers these selections as a fun alternative to the usual summer reading-list fare.

The police have captured career criminal Montmorency. In the process he has been grievously wounded and it is up to a young surgeon to treat his wounds. During his recovery Montmorency learns of the city's new sewer system and sees in it the perfect underground highway for his thievery.

This story, recommended for fans of Harry Potter, tells the adventures of sorcerer Ged and the difficult tests he must face before he can attempt to re-establish the balance of power in his world.