Our book tips for summer 2019

Biographies for kids

No one is too small for a biography! The «Little People, Big Dreams» series is a hit: the beautifully illustrated picture books tell the biographies of well-known personalities such as David Bowie or Frida Kahlo. I was particularly fond of Jane Austen. As a former English literature student, I spun the story further and told and retold more details until the children asked me at some point if she was a friend of mine, this «Dschein» ... Florina Schwander

Powerful words about our awareness of parents

I love and adore T.C. Boyle. I've read most of the American author's 16 novels to date - «Water Music», «Talk Talk», «Drop City» and, of course, «World's End». I like Boyle's eloquent language, his attention to detail and his often realistic, sometimes absurd stories.

After historical novels about the cornflakes inventor John Harvey Kellogg («Welcome to Wellville») and the sex researcher Alfred Charles Kinsey («Dr Sex»), Boyle's latest work once again focuses on a real figure from American cultural history. In «The Light», he tells the story of Professor Timothy Leary, who experimented with drugs at Harvard University in the early 1960s and later founded LSD communes.

The second main character in Boyle's play is the aspiring research assistant Fitzhugh Loney, who is invited to an LSD party organised by his professor Leary. Fitz hopes that this will be an important step in his career, but soon realises that Leary's goals are less medical in nature; the psychologist is interested in a revolution of consciousness. Fitz is carried away by this vision and joins the Leary troupe with his wife and son: They live in Mexico, later in the famous commune in Millbrook, with drugs and sexual debauchery without end.

Boyle's latest book is a thunderbolt, a screeching trip to the limits of consciousness and beyond. T. C. Boyle at his best.

According to Boyle himself, he used to be part of the drug culture. However, he recently confided to the NZZ that almost all of his LSD trips were terrible. If he couldn't work, he would be a junkie within two weeks - «I would take drugs out of boredom, out of self-loathing and out of hatred for society.»

Boyle recently answered the question «Why do we need drugs or alcohol?» as follows: «Because our consciousness is so oppressive. We need to escape it. Especially in our constantly plugged-in society. How many people still experience nature? Go outside, take the plugs out of your ears! Smell how good it smells.» Nik Niethammer

Tender friendship story for mums and teachers

One thing I love about my adopted home of Basel is that there are always books lying by the roadside looking for new owners. That's how I found «We'll sleep later». Fortunately, because otherwise this novel would have remained unread. The previous owners had clearly not even read the brand new book.

It's an e-mail novel about two friends in their mid-40s whose lives could hardly be more different. One is a poetry writer in Frankfurt with three children and constant chaos. The other is childless and lives alone in the Black Forest after a separation and cancer, leading a quiet life that constantly throws her back on herself. The two share a common childhood. And a great love of literature.

And you can feel the love of language in every line of the emails that the friends write to each other at night and early in the morning. Considering that the novel is almost 700 pages long, surprisingly little happens and yet I never felt the need to put it down because it reads like caresses. The women are as far apart and yet as close as two people can be. At every stroke of fate, every turn of events, every time they get caught up in their own thoughts, the other is there. A wonderful book to read yourself or to give to your best friend. Bianca Fritz

Girl power also works in pink

Rosa - you think the name says it all? Not for the Rangel family. Although the parents have named their only daughter Rosa, they are not at all keen on the cliché girl colour. Quite unlike Rosa herself, who has to wear the T-shirts and dungarees of her three older brothers, but wants nothing more than a pink princess dress.

Your motto:
I really love pink, frills and ruffles!
My parents complain and ask what all the nonsense is about?
They want me to do what only a cool girl does ...
but I can run, scuffle and jostle just as well!

However, Rosa doesn't need to hope for her parents' understanding at first. Luckily, she has her own unicorn - a donkey in which only she can see the magical creature - who is there to help and advise her.

Rosa shows very clearly that pink is just one colour among many that does not define her nature. Even if her (rather alternative) parents are a little reluctant, Rosa is ultimately allowed to live out all the facets of her girlhood. A funny, sometimes exciting story that plays with the pink girl cliché. For girls (and boys) aged 6 and over. Evelin Hartmann

Short stories that stick

I'm a big fan of Benedict Wells and read everything I can get my hands on by this likeable young author with Swiss roots. «The Truth About Lying» consists of ten short stories, which I devoured in no time at all. And that's saying something, as I'm usually too tired to read in the evening. Wells' writing is gripping and you get into the short stories very quickly. Some of the stories have stayed with me to this day - short fodder with a long-term effect, so to speak. Florina Schwander

Flying in the maelstrom of the big city

Those were exciting times when you moved out of your parents' nest and into the big city, a small flat, an even smaller car - lots of ready meals in the fridge and a whole lot of life to soak up. In «Spinner», Benedict Wells' character Jesper Lier is drawn to exciting Berlin after leaving school. The reader quickly realises how little Jesper can do to counter the pull of the big city. During the day he wanders the streets, at night he writes his first novel. Jesper hardly sleeps, no longer eats and becomes increasingly neglected.
And then comes some terrible news: his mentor and friend, a former professor of German studies, has died. This throws him even further off course. Jesper becomes increasingly withdrawn and suffers from this loneliness, which he now also feels in company.

By this point, as a reader, you start to worry about this tragically funny character and hope that things will turn out well for this young man, whom you sometimes want to reach out and stroke over the head. But it probably ends well, because «Spinner» is Benedict Wells' (fairly autobiographical) first novel, which has been followed by many more successful ones. Impressive! Evelin Hartmann

A special listening pleasure for young and old

Did you know that Johann Sebastian Bach had seven siblings and was orphaned at the age of nine? Did you know that Ludwig van Beethoven could be hot-tempered and rude? And that Johannes Brahms doubted his masterpieces throughout his life?

«We discover composers» is an enchanting series of radio plays that brings us closer to the quirks and everyday lives of great composers. Each episode deals with one of the great composers of our time in a way that is suitable for children but also extremely entertaining for adults. In addition to Mozart, Bach, Handel and Chopin, Vivaldi and Schubert are also represented.

Interesting details from their lives, from their respective eras as well as the paths and twists and turns to their great musical works are summarised in a compact and easily understandable way. The stories are enriched with excerpts from the most important musical works of each composer.

The narrator is the late theatre actor Willi Quadflieg, whose magnificent voice transports the listener back in time.

So if you feel like refreshing your own knowledge of classical music or would like to give your children a playfully entertaining introduction to the greatest composers in world history, this series of radio plays is highly recommended. Nik Niethammer

Old children's book rediscovered

For me, one of the great joys of being a mum is rediscovering my old children's books from the past. This is what happened with Schwarzsack. One of my favourite books from my childhood. Even today, I have to hold back tears every time the sunflower watches over the brave girl Marie and her new friend Schwarzack. I won't give any more away here, it's a great children's book with lots of love for animals and life. Florina Schwander

For fathers in love

Phew, to be honest: I wouldn't want to swap places with 14-year-old Mathilda. Her father Sebastian is a real mother hen. Steffen Weinert writes a highly comical book about how the single teenage father imagines all kinds of disasters that could befall his little treasure.

All Mathilda wants is a little more independence. What does she get instead? A mobile phone with snooping software on it and an unwanted test to see if her daughter isn't highly intelligent after all. A clear anti-adviser in novel form. Loveable and funny. And at 208 pages, it's suitable as summer holiday reading even for those who don't like to read. Bianca Fritz

Also fun to read aloud

I have a soft spot for animal stories and this book about the lovely monster Malwine is one of them. The harmless gift from my uncle in Scotland doesn't develop into a frog as expected, but grows and grows ...

Soon Malwine has no more room in the bathtub and a creative solution is needed! The story is lovingly drawn and has a few tongue-in-cheek moments in store for young and old alike. Florina Schwander

The sweetest speech impediment to read aloud

«Urmel» is our absolute favourite to read. We have all kinds of editions, CDs and films at home. A fictional character, a hybrid of a dinosaur and a dragon, «Urmel» can fly and is super-smart, super-cheeky and extremely picky when it comes to food. Basically what children like to be or would like to be. For example, they could fly away when there's broccoli or the room needs tidying.

The lovable green chap was invented by Max Kruse (1921-2015). His Urmel, a small, lisping dinosaur, a prehistoric animal that hatches from a frozen egg after millions of years and finds a home with Professor Habakuk Tibatong on the island of Titiwu, became a classic of children's literature.

Urmel is a spoilt, curious little nestling in a large family that also includes Wawa the monitor lizard and Ping the penguin. I discovered the book when my son had a slight speech impediment. He found it difficult to speak in kindergarten. Urmel's friend Ping Penguin always says pf instead of sch. Which is a common occurrence, because Urmel books are always about ships (Pfiffe), fish (Fipfe) and shells (Mupfeln). A wonderful book for cuddling and laughing together. Claudia Landolt

A Christmas story for the summer

Parenting is one of those things. As a parent, you know exactly how you want things to be. Maybe that's why children love reading stories about families where things are completely different. Take the Herdmann family, for example. The story was invented in 1972 by the American Barbara Robinson. This children's book series is an absolute classic in the USA. It became famous in German-speaking countries when Paul Maar, the wonderful author of the «Sams» books, translated it. His wife illustrated it.

The first sentence is legendary: «The Herdmann children were the worst children of all time.» The whole neighbourhood agrees: they lie, steal, smoke cigars, drive the neighbours to despair and can sweep a classroom clean in a record time of three minutes with the help of their half-wild cat.

It's clear that children like this book, isn't it? My second youngest son has just picked up the book, which is actually a Christmas story, again. He says it's perfect for getting him in the mood for his Christmas wish list ... Claudia Landolt

For kids who prefer to sit in front of the games console

A book that demands a lot of concentration and staying tuned in, as my eldest son emphasises. It is about a spaceship that is travelling into space to an unknown destination. Someone else has taken control of the spaceship and the reader has to regain control with the help of many puzzles. A book for rainy days or boring Sundays - and for all those who prefer to sit in front of a console but are told by their parents to read a book. Claudia Landolt

Strong female figures

Even as a young woman, I loved books about female self-discovery and emancipation, and even wrote my maths thesis about them. The more unconventional the women, the better, I thought, and was fascinated by great female characters.

Little has changed, and so I literally devoured the life story of the headstrong Tamara Hirsch and her family. The Hirschs were persecuted, resistance fighters, opportunists and artists. A century of German history left its mark on them, and the Hirschs did not do little to leave their mark on the century. The grandfather, who fled to England during the Second World War and then helped to establish the school system in the newly founded GDR. The father, who fought in the French resistance against the Nazis and later achieved fame as a writer. The mother who abandoned her daughters. Her sister, who drank herself to death.

A true story. The author reports that it took her seven years to write this book. «The idea came from the question of why my mother had become such a beast. I started digging into the past and suddenly I realised so many outrageous connections that linked events that were far apart that I had to start writing down and recording these links. » Claudia Landolt

Detective novel from Africa

When I was still a student and felt I had an endless time budget, I set up a reading circle with friends. We met every few weeks and took our favourite books with us to talk about. Afterwards, we would go out for dinner and dance into the night.

One of the books that reminds me of that time is the one by Helon Habila. A friend, who is now in a reading circle herself, recommended it to me because I probably wouldn't have discovered it myself. The book is a Bildungsroman, love story, ecocriticism and political thriller all rolled into one.

The plot: A woman disappears in the Niger Delta. This wouldn't be newsworthy if it wasn't a British woman, the wife of a high-ranking employee of a foreign oil company. When a ransom demand is received, the young journalist Rufus senses an opportunity for a big story and sets off with the aged, seriously ill star reporter Zaq in search of the kidnapped woman, a journey into the Niger Delta, into the heart of darkness, an apocalyptic world.

With growing horror, Rufus observes the destruction of the environment, the escalation of violence, the dehumanisation on both sides of the front. The story leaves you stunned and the novel almost takes your breath away. Habila's thriller is based on a true catastrophe: a gigantic oil spill in the Niger Delta caused by major international corporations, which not only threatens the entire wildlife of the region, but also the lives of 30 million people. The writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, who denounced these abuses in the 1990s, was sentenced to death and executed in a show trial. Claudia Landolt

For crime fans from 13

If you like thrillers when it comes to books for young people and don't mind somewhat clichéd protagonists, this book is the perfect holiday read. Teenagers aged 13 and over will love it!

The plot is followed in four perspectives and the crime is solved. My second eldest son found it «exciting to the end» and didn't want to stop reading. This may also be due to the fact that the book depicts a lot of everyday school life in the fourth school cycle, i.e. the sixth form - including social media. One afternoon, five pupils are gathered at Bayview High for detention.

Bronwyn, the mastermind on her way to Yale, never breaks the rules. Class beauty Addy is the perfect homecoming queen. Nate's reputation as a drug dealer is gone. Cooper shines as a baseball player. And Simon has the school's infamous gossip app under his control. When Simon suddenly collapses and dies in hospital shortly afterwards, the police investigate his murder. One of the teenagers was about to post a hatepost online. Claudia Landolt

More book tips:

Nothing for you yet? We on the editorial team are real bookworms and have therefore often presented our favourite books.

• Lesen Sie hier unsere Sommer-Buchtipps von 2017
• Oder unsere Lesetipps aus dem Sommer 2016
• Oder schauen Sie, welche Bücher wir im Winter 2016 für unter den Weihnachtsbaum empfohlen haben