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29 of the Best Summer Books for Children

School’s out! The sun is shining! With no homework, it’s time for fun. Explore a wonderful collection of summer books for your students and classroom.

Summer Books for Kids

Whether you are at the beach, camping, having a picnic, sitting by the pool or visiting family grab a summer book to take with you.

Here you will find a wonderful collection of summer books for kids all set in the sun. You will find newly published books, but I am sure you will spot a few classics too.

Summer Vacation Picture Books

Celebrate the end of the school year with this great selection of summer books for kids.

A Beach Tail by Karen P. Williams

Gregory draws a lion in the sand on a visit to the beach with his dad. As the tail grows longer Gregory finds many interesting objects. When he gets lost he retraces his steps, passing all the objects he found on the beach and is reunited with his dad.

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Blackout by John Rocco

A real-life summer book! One hot summer night in the city, all the power goes out. One family go up to the roof to escape the heat and without the city lights, they can see the stars. Out on the street, neighbours are talking and playing, enjoying not being busy with technology. When the electricity come back on, everything goes back to normal... well almost.

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Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse

Tess looks up, pleading to the sky for rain. The city is in an endless heatwave with sticky sidewalks, plants dying and cats panting. As the gray clouds roll in Tess joins her best friend in their bathing suits to dance in the refreshing rain.

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Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd

Two children discover a world of beauty on an adventure into nature. As they return to their urban home they realise the wild exists all around them.

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Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe

A young boy loves the jar full of fireflies he has just caught, but when their light starts dim he sets them free to keep them alive.

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Flotsam by David Wiesner

A young boy discovers an old camera on a beach. When he develops the images, they are not at all what he expected. He discovers an underwater world he didn’t know existed. One photo shows a child holding a photo of another child, who is also holding a photo of a child and so on. They all returned the camera to the beach for someone else to discover its magic. Use this wordless book to teach inferring, making connections and interpretation.

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Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles

Joe and John are best friends. Before 1964, John, who is black, may not use the pool. The Civil Rights Act allows John to legally use all public places, but the local pool closes rather than allow black people to use it. Joe is dismayed and cannot understand why Joe doesn’t have the same rights as himself.

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Garmann's Summer by Stian Hole

As Garmann’s summer comes to an end he experiences anxiety about starting school. He talks with his family and discovers he is not the only one who has to face their fears. Reinforces the themes of anxiety, confidence, courage, fears and risk-taker.

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Hike by Pete Oswald

In this wordless book, a father and child get ready for a day in the mountains. They spend the day hiking, planting a tree, throwing snowballs and taking photographs. They return home to a glass of milk, cookies and have a look through a photo album of different generations of the family enjoying nature.

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Hot Day on Abbott Avenue by Karen English

TEXOn a humid summer’s day two girls, Kishi and Renée, sit on their separate front porches. It is best-friends-breakup day. While they wait for each other to apologise, they hear the sounds of other children playing in the street. They soon forget about being mad at each other and join in a game of jump rope.T

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Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

Jabari is determined to jump off the diving board but his confidence wanes as he nears the ladder. His patient father reassures Jabari that it is okay to be scared. With new determination, he climbs the ladder and jumps.

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Mama, Is It Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure

A little boy is so excited about summer he keeps asking “Mama, is it summer yet?” The reader observes the signs of spring turning to summer as the boy wears his swimsuit in preparation.

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Ojiichan's Gift by Chieri Uegaki

Mayumi’s grandfather created a Japanese garden with different sized stones rather than grass and flowers. Every summer Mayumi helps her Ojiichan tend the garden. When Ojiichan becomes too old to care for his home, Mayumi uses her perseverance and initiative to keep the garden’s memory alive for both of them.

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The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson addresses race relations with two young girls, one black and one white. A fence segregates their homes, but they slowly get to know each other by sitting on this barrier. Promotes tolerance, communication, friendship and open-mindedness.

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Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

Discover the interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. Over the pond we see the sky reflecting in the water, but underneath we observe beavers, tadpoles and minnows in their natural habitat. Inspires curiosity and love of the natural world.

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The Raft by Jim LaMarche

Spending time at his grandmother is not how Nicky wants to spend his summer. She expects him to do boring chores, especially fishing. One afternoon, while trying to catch fish for dinner a raft floats towards him. Adventures on the raft help Nicky become closer with his grandmother and appreciate his talent for art.

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A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker

A girl grieves the loss of her dog Sascha in this wordless picture book. The family goes on their summer holiday, but without Sascha, it won’t be the same. Promotes resilience, reflection and coping with grief.

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Summer Evening by Walter de la Mare

Based on Walter de la Mare's Summer Evening poem. A farmer and his family take a picnic under the late summer sun. The illustrations offer much to explore, especially when the pet cat chases a dog, a horse, cows, pigs, chickens and ducks.

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The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read by Curtis Manley

Nick tries to teach his cats, Verne and Stevenson, to read but it is not all plain sailing. How will Nick share his love of reading with his two favourite felines?

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Summer Sun Risin' by W. Nikola-Lisa

A poetic story of a boy and his life on a Texas farm in the 1950s. Waking up early, he works hard to help his farmer on the farm. In the afternoon, they go fishing before they end this summer day eating dinner as a family.

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Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry

Captain Swashby loves living alone by the sea. When a young girl and her grandma move next door he wants them to leave. He writes them notes in the sand which the sea washes away. His disappearing messages forces him to talk with his new neighbours.

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Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

Set in 1939 Harlem, Cassie Louise Lightfoot lies on the roof of her apartment, the tar beach. She imagines flying over the buildings and bridges of New York and dreams of helping her family out of poverty. Use to teach perspectives and inference.

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There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi

Sukie, an anxious dog, find everything at the beach scary including the fact there might be lobsters. She overcomes her fears and shows bravery when there is someone smaller in need of her help.

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Waiting for Chicken Smith by David Mackintosh

Every year a boy meets his friend Chicken Smith on holiday. But this year is different, Chicken Smith doesn't show up. His sister encourages him to climb the lighthouse to look for whales. His disappointment in not seeing his friend is helped when he sees a whale for the first time.

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Waiting for High Tide by Nikki McClure

As a young boy eagerly waits for the high tide he searches the beach for treasures and animals. When the high tide arrives he swims and dives off the log raft built by his family.

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Wave by Suzy Lee

A girl stands on the shoreline watching the waves. At first, she is nervous but becomes more confident as she steps into the water, before getting soaked in an enormous wave. She becomes fascinated with all the different shells left behind by the wave. This wordless book promotes overcoming fears, setting and making connections.

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Wild Berries by Julie Flett

A Cree boy and his grandmother spend a summer's day picking wild blueberries. This bilingual book explores the Cree tradition of berry-picking, nature and includes a blueberry pie recipe.

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What Next?

Do you have any favourite summer books to read before the summer holidays? Let me know in the comments below. It would be great to have a selection of summer vacation picture books to choose from when I update this post.

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