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It’s Time for Summer Reading!
Summer is a time to relax, rest… and read! Get your kids off their screens and make it a summer to remember with these books. Featuring great stories, engaging topics, and laugh-out-loud humor, these books are just what they need to stay sharp all summer long. Take these books with you on your road trip, on the plane, or just out in the backyard.
Can the dead talk to the living? Discover the astonishingly true story of Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox—the Civil War-era sisters and teen mediums who created the American séances. (Ages 12 and up).
This addictive graphic novel series for tweens continues as Grace and Lola discover more of the complexity of romantic relationships!
A gay teenager in 1990s Wyoming must contend with the violent loss of a loved one in this historical YA novel that draws from the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998. (Ages 14 and up).
Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock
A Graphic Novel Poetry Collection Full of Surprising Characters!
In this companion to the laugh-out-loud How to Draw a Happy Cat, follow the narrator’s simple instructions for drawing a chicken…But wait. Where did our chicken go? Oh, she’s hiding! With some, um, help from the manic narrator (and encouragement from little artists) this is one chicken that might end up a little bit braver. (Ages 4-8).
Perfect for fans of Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein, award-winning author Vikram Madan’s new poetry collection features delicious vocabulary, hilarious poems, and a full-color graphic novel format! (Ages 8 – 12).
A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year · Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year · Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids
How did a young lady from a wealthy family in Maryland end up as the Gestapo’s most wanted spy? This YA biography of Virginia Hall, World War II’s most successful female spy, will inspire reluctant readers and budding history buffs alike. (Ages 12 and up).
With adorable art in pinks and grays, Itty Bitty Betty Blob will make even the grumpiest monsters giggle! A positive message makes it extra special: “You don’t have to try so hard to be like everyone else, being yourself is enough!” (Ages 4-8).
What’s that in the closet—a robber? A monster? A CAT!? This book about overcoming fears is the highly anticipated follow-up to Eisner award-winning author Jeff Smith’s Little Mouse Gets Ready and is both a perfect read-aloud and a book that kids can begin to read on their own. (Ages 4-6).
Dylan seeks solace through birdwatching and poetry in the woods behind his grandfather’s auto shop—but when he rescues an injured hawk, he must learn to confront the broken parts in himself in this powerful middle-grade novel-in-verse. (Ages 9-12).
George Washington hated having his portrait painted, but as president of the United States, he knew his image needed to live on. This nonfiction picture book explores how artist Gilbert Stuart created Washington’s most lasting and recognized portrait—the one that’s used on the one-dollar bill. (Ages 7-10).
★ THREE STARRED REVIEWS
Here is the inspirational story of Major League Baseball player Roberto Clemente—not Bob—who endured years of racism and discrimination to become one of the greatest baseball players of all time. (Ages 7 – 10).
A Robert F. Sibert Honor Book · ALSC Notable Children’s Book · A BCCB Blue Ribbon
Horn Book Fanfare 2024 · 2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner · NPR’s Books We Love List 2024 · New York Public Library Best Book 2024 · Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2024 · Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids 2024 · Included on the 2025 ALSC Día Reading List
★ FOUR STARRED REVIEWS
How did the Joshua Tree National Park in California come to be? Meet Minerva Hamilton Hoyt, an artist, activist, and environmentalist, whose determination saved the desert and helped to create the park, in this STEAM picture book. (Ages 7 – 10).
A 2025 Bank Street College of Education Cook Prize Silver Medalist · The Nature Generation’s 2025 Green Earth Book Award Short List