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Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve comes recommended by librarian Tom Kochinski

It's officially summertime and that always makes me think of one thing.

No, not popsicles. (Those are good, too.)

But summertime makes me yearn for the days of the summer reading program at my local library.

Back in the day, I was a regular at the Oak Lawn Public Library. The first time my mom let me go there on my own -- it was a few short blocks from her work -- I had to call to be picked up because I'd checked out 31 books and couldn't carry them.

So, in honor of libraries and summer reading programs, I'm starting a new regular feature on Mom and Pop Culture: Ask a Librarian.

To inaugurate the program, I called Oak Lawn Public Library and spoke to Tom Kochinski, childrens services librarian. Because a recent study I read said boys -- particularly after age 11 -- have trouble finding books they enjoy, I asked him to recommend books for 12-year-old boys. (Note to moms: The same study also said that 89 percent of kids like the books they choose themselves best, so maybe take Judy Blume's advice and leave these books lying around the house for kids to discover.)

(Actually, I started out asking "What's a great book -- new or old -- you think kids should read?" Mr. Kochinski responded the way every great librarian should: "Wow, there are so many..." So we narrowed it down to 12-year-old boys.)

His suggestions:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is "flying off the shelves" for both girls and boys. Kochinski said that kids entering junior high love this one. (Here at Family.com, we've been singing the book's praises for months.)

Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve -- After Kochinski's endorsement, I want to read this one myself. This sci-fi book is about cities that eat smaller cities and the kids that try to stop the carnage. This one is actually part of a series, called the Hungry City Chronicles, so readers who dive into this first book will have more to enjoy down the line.

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel -- This adventure tale finds its young hero battling pirates and prehistoric cloudcats on the Atlanticus and Pacificus Oceans. Sounds like a surefire way to transform a reluctant reader into something quite the opposite.

There you have it. Many thanks to Mr. Kochinski for participating in this new venture and for taking time out from the library's summer reading program hecticness to talk to me.

Do you want a book recommendation for a kid in your life? Ask a question in the comments and I'll ask next week's librarian. Or, are you a librarian who would like to be featured in a future Ask a Librarian? Leave a comment with your library's name and I'll be in touch.