SummerReadingSuggestions from
Dan Coleman at the LawrencePublicLibrary Mama, Is It Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure A child waits for summer as the seasons slowly change, and Nikki McClure’s distinctive cut paper illustrations give his longing a timeless quality. The Longest Day: Celebrating the Summer Solstice, by Wendy Pfeffer and Linda Bleck What exactly is summer, anyway? Learn the science in this wonderful explanation of the Earth’s orbit and tilt, complete with activities and descriptions of how the solstice is celebrated in cultures around the world. The Hike by Alison Farrell Three young naturalists go hiking by themselves, their “favorite thing to do.” Complete with field notes, this picture book shows how the outdoors can mean freedom to kids, and how much fun it can be to fill a notebook with observations and drawings. Sam and the Firefly, by P.D. Eastman Sam the owl meets a firefly named Gus in this classic easy reader about one of summer’s iconic creatures. Water in the Park: A Book About Water and the Times of the Day, by Emily Jenkins and Stephanie Graegin One of my all-time favorite picture books, Water in the Park begins at dawn and follows a single day in a busy urban park, as kids and dogs come and go and rain washes the heat away after the sun sets. Brooklyn’s Prospect Park was the model for the park in the book, but it has always reminded me of Lawrence’s South Park. Goldfish on Vacation, by Sally Lloyd Jones and Leo Espinosa Another fanciful urban tale, this picture book tells how kids in one neighborhood cleaned up a community fountain and gave their goldfish “vacations” each year by depositing them in it for the summer a perfect excuse for young and old to gather and visit. Jangles: A Big Fish Story, by David Shannon In this fish story to end all fish stories, a legendary trout has skunked so many fishermen over the years that a jangling collection of their lures hangs from his lower jaw. When a young boy manages to catch him, Shannon’s gorgeous paintings take us all the way to the bottom of
the pond and back. Over and Under the Pond, by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal Another trip to the pond, this volume of Messner and Neal’s Over and Under informational picture book series contains a more realistic depiction of the creatures who live in and around the water, ranging in size from caddisfly larvae to moose. Out of the Box: 25 Cardboard Engineering Projects for Makers, by Jemma Westing “What can I do?” The age old summer question. Grab this book, a cardboard box and get busy. Publisher DK puts out some of the best activity books for kids around. To make stuff out of more than just cardboard, try some of their other books, like Maker Lab, Maker Lab Outdoors, Stem Lab, Tech Lab, and Junior Maker. My New Team, by Ryan and Krystle Howard, and Erwin Madrid Nothing says summer like the crack of a bat, and Philadelphia Phillies legend Ryan Howard and his wife, Krystle, knocked it out of the park with their Little Rhino early chapter book series, of which this is the first of six books. A third grade version of Ryan Howard learns to play first base on a team with boys and girls his age, picks up life lessons from his wise grandfather and plays in some of the most suspenseful, realistically written baseball games I’ve ever read. Camp, by Kayla Miller Kayla Miller continues her graphic novel series about tween best friends Olive and Willow as their friendship is tested over the summer at sleepaway camp. Accessible illustrations and issues make this a relatable friendship story for fans of other popular comic storytellers like Raina Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson. One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams Garcia Sometimes summer holds surprises, as in this middle grade novel, which won a slew of honors, including the Coretta Scott King Award. Delphine and her two younger sisters hope for a trip to Disneyland, but find something much more interesting as they travel from Brooklyn to California during the historic summer of 1968.
