Contributed by Leslie Randall, Glenwood Public Library

A family vacation turns into a nightmare for Michael Hart when he discovers his wife and two children have disappeared from their New York City hotel room. Horrified, he fears they’ve been kidnapped. Michael’s frantic search to find them takes a shocking turn when he discovers that his wife, Natalie, appears to have left quite willingly, taking their children with her. The police want to know why, and so does Michael. But there may be a reason why Natalie ran, something Michael can’t tell the police, the truth about his past. While untangling his deceptions might be the key to locating Natalie, Michael knows it could also be his undoing. To find his wife, he must now turn to the one person capable of exposing all that he’s been hiding. Why did she run so suddenly, why is he searching so desperately? Check out “My Wife is Missing,” by D.J. Palmer.

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice’s life isn’t terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn’t exactly the one she expected. She’s happy with her apartment, her romantic status and her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But something is missing. Her father, the single parent who raised her, is ailing and out of reach. How did they get here so fast? When Alice wakes up the next morning, she finds herself back in 1996, reliving her 16th birthday. But it isn’t just her adolescent body that shocks her, or seeing her high school crush, it’s her dad, the vital, charming, version of her father. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, is there anything she would change if she could? With her celebrated humor, insight and heart, Emma Straub offers her own twist on a different kind of love story in “This Time Tomorrow.”

I had a lot of fun giving all the second graders a tour of the library and talking about our upcoming Summer Reading Program. As I expected, they all loved David LaRochelle, and I was “in” for being his friend. It is good to have things somewhat back to the good old days. It is also hard to believe Summer Reading Program begins next month. I will be taking brochures with all the information to each class at both schools. There will be extras at the library. Summer Reading Program keeps the children reading over the summer months; and we have a couple of wonderful performers as well. This program is geared to age 4 going into 6th grade.

In the picture book section we have “A Day for Sandcastles.” It’s a lovely summer day, perfect for spending at the beach. A trio of siblings decide they will spend their day building a sandcastle. No matter the waves or the traffic that disrupt the building, their determination to make it bigger and better continues until it is time to go home. This thoughtful story emphasizes the beauty of creative problem solving, and the magic of enjoying those sunny beach days to the fullest.