Books

With the weather we've been having, perhaps the last thing you want to do is pick up a book about the hottest season.

But you'll be pining for summer fun soon enough: longer days, summer Fridays, family vacations, and afternoons spent in the sprinklers and at the beach.

Even though summer isn't even half over, I catch myself feeling nostalgic for it. It's the season we always seem to measure by how close it is to being done. These ten children's books capture its big and little pleasures: the magic of keepsakes, awesome (and not-so-great) photos and the making of memories. Every one is a must for your summer reading list.

One hundred years ago, the main branch of the New York Public Library—you know, the one with those stately lions Patience and Fortitude guarding its entrance—opened on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. Its construction took more than a decade, and when the stunning Beaux-Arts structure finally welcomed visitors for the first time, tens of thousands streamed through its doors.

These days, local families regularly enjoy the fabulous family programming offered at the branch, officially known as the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, especially in its wonderful Children's Center. The branch marks its birthday on May 23, and the NYPL is celebrating with some fantastic free events. In addition to the retrospective Celebrating 100 Years—which opens this Saturday, May 14 and features a history of the building, and notable items like a Gutenberg Bible and one of Malcolm X's journals—there will be a big festival the weekend of May 21-22 with great events for all ages.

We've rounded up highlights for that weekend, as well as info on related events going on at branches across the NYPL system.