New Summer Reading Books for Kids
Heading out on a road trip or to the pool or just need a good read to keep your kids entertained during the long days of summer? Check out these new summer reading books for kids! Some are specifically related to summer or the beach, while others are just fun books for kids to read during their vacation. This list includes picture books as well as novels for older kids. Happy reading!
New Summer Reading Books for Kids
Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of some of the books below for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
These new summer reading books for kids are perfect for those long days of summer vacation!
Aaron loves the ocean and wants to help protect it, just as his parents and sister do. But Aaron is scared to go under water. Luckily, his parents are gently encouraging, assuring him that he will overcome his fear when he is ready. One day, after a big storm, they are cleaning trash from the beach when Aaron notices an octopus that is stranded out of the water. As his father helps the octopus back into the water, Aaron knows that he can help also, if he conquers his fears of going under the water. A lovely book about overcoming fears at your own pace. It also helps children realize that they also have an important role to play in protecting the ocean. Includes back matter about how the ocean habitat and its creatures are affected by pollution.
Buy Aqua Boy on Amazon or Bookshop
This book takes children on a journey through the colors of the magical world of mermaids. Young readers will enjoy poring over the details in the vivid illustrations. I love that the mermaids are diverse in a number of ways – gender, race, and ability. (One mermaid has only one arm). The mermaids swim through a swirling school of orange fish and dive into the green of underwater gardens. But at last the world turns violet, and after an active day of exploring, it is time for the mermaids to rest and dream. A lovely book to share at bedtime, to help children drift off into the colorful world of their own imaginations.
Buy Mermaid Lullaby on Amazon or Bookshop
This delicious read is a tribute to hard-working mothers and to all of the underappreciated food vendors that make our cities livable. Thanks to their efforts and ingenuity, we can find irresistible snacks on every street corner, representing cultures from around the world. This book shines a spotlight on the real people behind the treats we love so much and the love that goes into every bite. Young Lucía accompanies her brother and mother to Union Square on a hot summer day, ready for a long day of selling the case of churros her mother made that morning. Yet when a storm chases away their customers, she learns from her mother how to adapt and innovate in order to stay in business. A story inspired by the author’s own mother, who worked multiple jobs with love and determination to give a better life to her family.
Buy Churro Stand on Amazon or Bookshop
This quirky read is sure to delight young adventurers, who dream of searching for treasure with a trusty friend. Eccentric Madame Badobedah is a guest at the hotel Mabel’s family runs on the beach. She and Mabel soon become friends, united by a love of adventure and their powerful imaginations. Told in the style of magical realism, the book takes young readers flying through the air and climbing through magical portals as the two friends search for their daily adventure. Along the way, the older woman teaches her young friend the importance of taking courage from those (real life) brave explorers that have gone before.
Buy Madame Badobedah and the Old Bones on Amazon or Bookshop
Inspired by his book, Raccoon decides to take a trip around the world. As he prepares, one by one his friends invite themselves along, excited by the prospect of such a marvelous adventure. Together the friends paddle down the river, where they spend a beautiful day exploring and relaxing together. As evening approaches and it begins to drizzle, however, they quickly decide they’ve had quite enough adventure for one day, but why not do it again on Thursday? A sweet story of friendship and finding adventure not so far from home.
Buy Around the World with Friends on Amazon or Bookshop
This novel in verse is an ode to long summer days spent hanging out with friends in the neighborhood alley, skipping rope and climbing trees. Phoebe is at that uncomfortable in-between age, when her friend’s games seem too childish, but the older girls won’t accept her. Everyone seems to be changing, trying on older selves and seeing how they fit into the social hierarchy of the alley. And Phoebe knows she must change as well but isn’t sure what that means. Should she try to hang out with cool girl Mercy, who’s only visiting for the summer, or her long time bestie, even if she isn’t very cool anymore? I love how the book’s verses capture the emotions of this age as well as the physical sensations of the long summer days. My favorite passage is during a rainstorm, when the words literally pour and drip down the page. A great read especially for kids who want to try out a new format.
Buy One Alley Summer on Amazon or Bookshop
This follow up to Lei and the Fire Goddess is the perfect adventure to dive into this summer. It has action, suspense, and a heavy dose of mystical beings – who might also show up at your breakfast table. Lei wanted a little adventure during her summer in Hawai’i visiting family, but she hadn’t bargained on fighting against a fire goddess. Although she did manage to save her best friend and ancestral guardian, she also is responsible for his losing his magical pendant, without which he is incredibly vulnerable. She and her new friends set off to recover it, but can they get it back before the evil spirits attack – and before Lei has to return to Colorado at the end of the summer?
Buy Lei and the Invisible Island on Amazon or Bookshop
This middle grade novel is an exploration of what would happen if you discovered paradise but could never leave. During the pandemic, a young family decides to take a road trip and have an adventure until the world goes back to normal. They reach a beautiful valley, but it is enchanted, and they soon realize they cannot leave. They make the best of the situation, including their growing relationship with a herd of magical horses. But after many years, the father becomes ill, and the children realize it is up to them to find a way out, to get help out in the wide world that is so unfamiliar to them. A lovely book full of emotional depth and magic, as well as the practical side of how to survive in the wild.
Buy Out of the Valley of Horses on Amazon or Bookshop
This middle grade novel set in rural Ireland is a hilarious read about a group of friends with a surefire way to make easy money. Setting up a bank and loaning other students money (with interest, of course) seems like a perfect way to make extra cash, but as their schemes multiply, so do their headaches. Before long, they find themselves mixed up with shady characters who mean serious business, threatening to do more than just cut into their profits. A fun read with wonderful plot twists, but honestly, what I enjoyed most was the dialogue and laugh out loud characters.
Buy Bank on Amazon or Bookshop
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