Ok, so we are officially in June and the last days of school are upon us! Just because school is out and lazy summer days are ahead of us, it doesn’t mean we stop reading…no way! I want kids to enjoy reading so much that they’ll want to do it instead of picking up an iPad or TV remote. So, I’ve begun collecting a list of books that will be irresistible to them! Below, I’m sharing some of our summer reads (which are primarily graphic novel/chapter books now) as well as some awesome picture books which I know younger readers will love to dive into all summer long!
Let me know down in the comments if you’ve read any of these and if you have recommendations for me to add to the list – I’m always on the look out for new books! I’ll link to purchase them at bookshop.org (a wonderful way to support local booksellers in your area!).
Victoria Jamieson has quickly become a favorite author of ours. When the Stars are Scattered is a wonderfully eye-opening story about the experiences of 2 brothers living in a refugee camp in Kenya. My 10 year old daughter LOVED this book, read it several times, and I appreciate that we had some conversations we never would have had otherwise. Definitely an empathy-builder. Roller Girl is our current nighttime read – and I am loving how our main character is spending her summer dealing with friendship, supposed enemies, and pursuing a goal. It’s also really cool to read a story about roller derby players! All’s Faire in Middle School is on the shelf and ready to be cracked open. The story revolves around a girl who is heading into public school after being homeschooled. She is faced with navigating this new and unusual and sometimes treacherous new environment. I’m looking forward to reading this one! Even though these books feature middle school aged kids my elementary kids are really enjoying them, they are understanding the trials and tribulations the characters face, and the content seems to resonate with them completely, so don’t worry if you think it will be too advanced or over their heads. The graphic novel style storytelling is very inviting to young (and reluctant) readers.
Camp by Kayla Miller is about the struggle to connect with new friends and the fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone. I love seeing characters deal with these issues because they become great conversation starters with my girls afterwards. The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag is a great choice for kids who might feel like they just don’t fit in. All of the Dav Pilkey Dog Man (Mothering Heights is the latest in the series) and Captain Underpants books are great choices for summer reading – I recommend purchasing a few of them for your kids’ bookshelf rather than borrowing from the library because they will most likely be read over and over again all summer long!
Picture books are always in our reading rotation and one of my all-time favorites for the summer is Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis. Check out my read along video here. Some new picture books that I am looking forward to discovering with my kids this summer are: How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk – it’s entertaining and educational. And then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner is a celebration of the sunny season. The Dinosaur Lady by Linda Skeers is an enlightening biographical picture book. The Golden Glow by Benjamin Flouw will surely inspire summertime hikes and a deeper appreciation of nature. Fatima’s Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq is about a family’s first ever camping trip – a perfect summertime read! Jory John is one author we always love to read and I know Summer Camp Critter Jitters will not disappoint us.
These books should keep us happy all summer long! Let me know which are your old favorites and which you’ll be reading this summer. The best way to avoid the ‘summer slide’ is to keep books available and accesible to your kids. Select titles and styles they love and mix in some new ones for them to discover on their own…and, keep reading aloud to them every single day!
Happy Reading and Happy Summer!
Michele Lepe 