Good day!
Are you enjoying your summer so far? We sure are! I’ve asked a few past students of mine to give me the name of their favourite summer book so I can include them in our newest “Summer Reading” book recommendations post! I’ve compiled the top 9 that were repeatedly mentioned, but my list could have been never ending!
As per Study.com‘s article “Why Is Summer Reading So Important for Kids’ Success?” (June 2019), writer Amanda Johnson states that “Reading over summer vacation may not be a priority for children, but parents and teachers should make it one. Why? Summer reading is critical to a child’s ability to not only retain information learned the previous year, but also to grow in knowledge and critical thinking skills for the coming year. Literacy expert Julie Wood believes that it is necessary for children to read on a daily basis in order to maintain literacy skills learned in the previous school year.”
So go ahead, log in those minutes, if you haven’t done so this summer!
N.B. I am an affiliate associate with Amazon. If you click on the book title below, it will send you to Amazon’s website where you can purchase the book, which means I’ll make a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase through one of my links. Thank you for your support! Happy shopping!
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Please note that the book summaries are from Amazon’s website – click on book link for more info.
1. Geronimo Stilton #72: The Hawaiian Heist by Geronimo Stilton: “The most famous goldsmith in Hawaii created a necklace for a famous actress, but someone wants to steal it! Can Geronimo figure out who the thief is before they run away with the jewels?”
2. Summer according to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney: “When Humphrey hears that school is ending, he can’t believe his ears. What’s a classroom hamster to do if there’s no more school? It turns out that Mrs. Brisbane has planned something thrilling for Humphrey and Og the frog: they’re going to Camp Happy Hollow with Ms. Mac and lots of the kids from Room 26! Camp is full of FUN-FUN-FUN new experiences, but it’s also a little scary. There are fur-raising wild sounds and smells, and there’s something called the Howler to watch out for. Humphrey is always curious about new adventures, but could camp be too wild even for him?”
3. Camp by Kayla Miller: “Olive is sure she’ll have the best time at summer camp with her friend Willow – but while Olive makes quick friends with the other campers, Willow struggles to form connections and latches on to the only person she knows – Olive. It’s s’more than Olive can handle! The stress of being Willow’s living security blanket begins to wear on Olive and before long. . . the girls aren’t just fighting, they may not even be friends by the time camp is over. Will the two be able to patch things up before the final lights out?”
4. The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer by Benjamin Chaud: “What really happened over the summer break? A curious teacher wants to know. The epic explanation? What started out as a day at the beach turned into a globe-spanning treasure hunt with high-flying hijinks, exotic detours, an outrageous cast of characters, and one very mischievous bird! Is this yet another tall tale, or is the truth just waiting to be revealed?”
5. Lions & Liars by Kate Beasley: “Frederick Frederickson has a food-chain theory about life. There are lions, like the school bully. Gazelles, like the bullied kids. There are meerkats, and the fleas that live on the butts of meerkats. Frederick’s a flea. Fifth grade is off to a terrible start when Frederick is sent to a disciplinary camp for troublesome boys. His fellow troop mates―Nosebleed, Specs, The Professor, and little-yet-lethal Ant Bite―are terrifying. But in between trust-building exercises and midnight escape attempts, a tenuous friendship grows between them. Which is lucky, because a Category 5 hurricane is coming and everyone will have to work together―lions and fleas alike―to survive!”
6. Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald: “Just when it looks like her summer is going to be BOR-ing — eureka! — Judy comes up with the most thrill-a-delic plan ever. Get ready for a race involving tightrope walking, Scream Monster riding, and way more! Add in a treasure hunt for Judy’s teacher, a midnight stakeout, a runaway ice-cream truck, and a dash of Bigfoot, and what have you got? The Judy Moodiest summer ever!”
7. Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan: “It’s all about the rules. But what if the rules feel completely arbitrary? What if your older brother is the only one who gets to make them up all summer long? And what if he’s the only one who can save you when the darkness of winter comes rushing in? As usual, master artist and storyteller Shaun Tan shows us the strange truth of ordinary things – rules, relationships, despair, and hope – as only he can.”
8. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol: “In Be Prepared, all Vera wants to do is fit in―but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there’s one summer camp in her price range―Russian summer camp. Vera is sure she’s found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the “cool girl” drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!”
9. My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis by Paul Meisel: “This is the diary of P. Mantis, one of 150 brothers and sisters born on a garden bush. P. Mantis is an amazing bug: she can make herself look like a stick to hide from predators, she can swivel her head all the way around, and when she’s grown up she’ll even be able to fly!”
Happy reading!
IB 🙂
Founder of Mind Growth Education
