Kids Picks
What are the best four words of the English Language? You guessed it: School’s out for summer! Time to trade in those notebooks and pencils for surfboards and rash guards. Summer is meant for having fun with your family and friends, late nights, early sunrise mornings, and just taking time to enjoy being a kid. Don’t forget to keep up with your reading! Reading even just a little bit each day will be helpful when school starts again. Here are some great summer books to keep you busy.
Ages 3-5
“There Might Be Lobsters” by Carolyn Crimi
Sukie is scared of everything, especially things at the beach. She’s just a small dog and the stairs are too big, the waves are too big, and the beach balls are too big! In addition to all of that, there just might be lobsters. The world is a scary and overwhelming place, but even Sukie can be strong when someone else needs help.
“The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read” by Curtis Manley
Do you have any goals set for this summer? What about trying to teach your pet to read? It is actually as silly and fun as it sounds! Nick loves to read books and he loves his cats, so he decides to have the best of both worlds and teach his cats to read. Well, his cats do not like being woken up and couldn’t care less about the word “nap.” However, the words “mouse” and “fish” have a certain appeal.
Ages 6-8
“Summer Is for Cousins” by Rajani LaRocca
If you are like Ravi, you spend your summers at the beach with your family, most importantly your cousins! Ravi and his oldest cousin Dhruv were inseparable last summer, even enjoying the same flavor of ice cream each night. Things feel different this year, though. Dhruv has grown up a lot, his voice is deeper, and Ravi is worried that the cousin he looks up to isn’t going to have much time for him this year. On the last night, the cousins decide to make dinner and Ravi learns that although things may change, some things will always stay the same.
“The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer …” by Davide Cali, Benjamin Chaud
Teachers always want to know how your summer was and what you did while you were away from school. What if the real story is that you went to the beach and ended up on a treasure hunt around the world with crazy adventures and a cast of characters that is hard to beat? Is this just a made-up story or did it really happen? I’ve read the book and even I’m still not sure.
Ages 9-Young Teens
“Across the Desert” by Dusti Bowling
Jolene spends every day at the library watching the livestream of “The Desert Aviator.” The show is about 12-year-old Addie Earhart, who shares her adventures flying a plane over the desert. Jolene is also 12 and dreams of how different her life could be if she could get away from her troubled home with her mom, who is a drug addict. Addie is grieving the loss of her father and finds comfort in her conversations with Jolene, her only fan. Then one day Jolene is watching as Addie’s engine stops and her plane crashes. Jolene knows Addie won’t last long in the hot desert, if she is even still alive. So, she draws a map, steals a cellphone, and heads to the desert to save Addie. “Across the Desert” is a story about hope, strength, and friendship.
“The Firefly Summer” by Morgan Matson
Ryanna Stuart has always spent her summers with her father and his new wife. It was always just the three of them, with everything planned out. She just got a letter from her grandparents who she hadn’t heard from since her mom died. They want her to spend the summer with them in the Poconos. Ryanna can’t wait to go. This is the chance to learn more about her mom and find out why her father hasn’t spoken to them for so long. What she didn’t realize until she got there was that the summer was going to be filled with a whole lot of family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and people who knew her mom when she was Ryanna’s age. One summer filled with swimming, adventures, and a lot of fun is just what Ryanna needs. Maybe she can find some answers, too.
