Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States. It is a day to honor the country's workers for all their hard work. The idea for a day to honor American labor was first proposed by Peter J. McGuire, a New York City carpenter and general secretary of the new Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, and Matthew Maguire, a machinist from Paterson, New Jersey. The Central Labor Union endorsed their idea, and the first Labor Day celebration and parade, sponsored by the Knights of Labor, was held on September 5, 1882, in New York City, a date chosen by McGuire to fill the time gap between July 4 and Thanksgiving. Two years later the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (later the American Federation of Labor) endorsed the idea of an annual Labor Day, scheduled for the first Monday in September. Labor Day also is celebrated in other countries such as Canada. In Europe, China, and other locales, Labor Day is held in the spring. Today most Americans think of Labor Day as the end of summer and, for many students, school begins right after Labor Day. Usually government offices, businesses, and schools are closed on Labor Day, and picnics, cookouts, family get-togethers, boating, and swimming are popular Labor Day activities. Try spending your Labor Day reading these marvelous tales of the pleasures (and perils) of putting in a hard day of work.

A major holiday in the Islamic tradition, Ramadan is a month long religious observance commemorating the gift of the Qu'ran to the Islamic faithful. Named after the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is meant as a period of dutiful worship to God in which Muslims dedicate themselves to abstention from earthly urges. One of the primary displays of faith comes from a daily dawn-to-dusk fast - called sawm - during which Muslims restrain from eating, drinking, and sex. For participants, the goal is the search for spiritual clarity and purity of body through the pursuit of a closer relationship with God derived from a more intense display of worship. On the evening of the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate a special occasion known as the Night of Power, the Night of Destiny, or the Night of Majesty. It is believed that this was the night Muhammad received the revelation of the Qur'an. According to the Qur'an, this single Night of Power is "better than a thousand months." Angels and good spirits descend and are allowed to meet all the needs of the devout Muslims. All prayers are heard during this special and sacred night. Muslims endeavor to make best use of it by reading the Qur'an, praying, or performing good works. In honor of this sacred time of the year, here is a selection of titles aimed at teaching children about the celebration of Ramadan.

One of the biggest publishing success stories in recent memory has been the overwhelming popular success of Suzanne Collins' "Hunger Games" series, a trilogy of novels that will be coming to an end with the publication of the third chapter, Mockingjay, on August 24th. While ostensibly a series targeted for young adult readers, Collins' "Hunger Games" books have won a wide fan base that transcends age and genre. The first chapter, The Hunger Games, has remained on the New York Times Best-Seller list for over 99 weeks, since its first publication in 2008, and its sequel, Catching Fire, has stayed on the list for over 48 weeks so far (both titles are still on the list). The series has also won a wide share of critical acclaim, drawing praise from authors like Stephen King and Stephanie Meyer, and securing positions on several "best of the year" lists. The novels take place in a post-apocalyptic future in which the United States is gone, and North America is called Panem. Panem is ruled by the merciless President Snow and has been divided into twelve districts. The Hunger Games is a reality television program that randomly selects teenagers from each district to compete against each other in a kill-or-be-killed battle royale – the games are a punishment for a past insurrection when the 12 districts revolted against President Snow's powerful Capitol. In Mockingjay, Katniss Everdeen, a teen from the poorest region of Panem, District 12, has participated in the games twice and survived, which has made her both a celebrity and a somewhat unwilling symbol of rebellion against the Capitol. But President Snow is determined to quash any plans for another rebellion and has set his sights on Katniss, her family, and District 12. Fans around the world are counting down until the release of Mockingjay – when Katniss' final fate will be revealed – so, in the meanwhile, enjoy the above suggestions for other titles that any good Hunger Games fan might enjoy reading while waiting for Mockingjay to hit their local bookstore.

Begun in 1995 as an in-joke between two friends in Albany, Oregon (who go by the pirate monikers of Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket), in its brief history, Talk Like a Pirate Day has managed to achieve a celebrated notoriety among aficionados. Since 2002, on September 19th of every year (the birthday of one of the originators' ex-wife), celebrants have "honored" the contributions of pirates to society by emulating the stylistic language adopted for Hollywood pirate movies of the Golden Age of cinema and such pirate-themed stories as Treasure Island. Principally a chance to dress up and talk outlandishly, the holiday has gained worldwide fans in unlikely places, particularly on the Internet, where such varied entities as Facebook and Google have offered special pirate-language editions of their sites in commemoration of the occasion. For more information on the rum-soaked holiday, you can go here: www.talklikeapirate.com. And, if you still need a little more inspiration to get your "Yarr" on, perhaps one of these great tales of pirates on the open seas will help you get in the mood and try out your best Jack Sparrow impression.

Established in 1996 by UK telecommunications company Orange PLC, The Orange Prize for Fiction celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world. The 2010 Orange Prize was presented to Barbara Kingsolver in recognition for her novel The Lacuna. The novel tells the life of Mexican American novelist Harrison William Shepherd through diary entries, letters, and newspaper articles. Shepherd was born in the United States and was taken to Mexico by his mother. His mother left his American father for a richer man. Shepherd grows up mostly alone, writing stories and in journals. He meets muralist Diego Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo. They take him into their home where he works as a cook and becomes a member of their dysfunctional family. He then goes to work as a secretary for Lev "Leon" Trotsky, an exiled political leader, until his eventual assassination. Shepherd eventually returns to the United States, where he becomes a novelist. His reputation is marred when he is accused of being a Communist. If you’ve read and enjoyed The Lacuna, other similar titles might include All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich, On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons, The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood, The Shadow of the Shadow by Paco Ignacio Taibo, or She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, among many others.

The Newbery Medal was established in 1922 and is awarded yearly to recognize an author for a most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award is named for John Newbery, the 18th-century British bookseller. It is bestowed by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. In January 2010, the medal went to Rebecca Stead for her young adult novel When You Reach Me. The novel takes place in New York City in 1978. Sixth-grader Miranda is dealing with the issues of middle school, including changing friendships and first crushes, and living with her single mother who dreams of becoming a contestant on a game show. Miranda is obsessed with Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. She begins receiving mysterious notes that claim to be from someone who wants to save her life, and Miranda believes that the notes are coming from someone who can see the future. She attempts to solve the mystery as she deals with all the other issues in her life. When You Reach Me is author Rebecca Stead's second novel. If you’ve read and enjoyed When You Reach Me, other similar titles might include The New Policeman by Kate Thompson, Space Race by Sylvia Waugh, Victory by Susan Cooper, or A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, among many others.