KID'S SUMMER READING LIST
/It's taken me all summer to blog this.
So it's only fitting that with 8 days left on The Ever Co's summer calendar I am finally blogging our all time favorite kid's summer books!
My mother in law was a kindergarten teacher and has graciously handed down so many children's books to our family. They are one of my most treasured possessions for my girls because she and her late mother hand wrapped nearly every single one for the classroom. Inside so many I find little notes and dates and signatures of "Robyn."
But ironically, I have always been an avid children's book collector for many many years. She knows this and was so honored to pass them down to us. We love you Nona!!!
I've just always been so drawn to the whimsical illustrations and simple, yet powerful messages that children's books have to offer. The stories of magic, promise, hope, joy, strength, resiliency and community.
I love that they're typically all reasonably priced and the easiest gift for other children! If I gift a book, I always write a little note in the cover, because you never know what that special handwritten note could mean to somebody someday.
One day, I actually plan on writing a little note to my girls in every single book they own. Maybe on a night that we read the book I'll write something funny they did. Or something that the book reminds me about their childhood. Nevertheless, handwritten notes are a lost art. Never stop writing them.
Fun fact: I hope to write and illustrate children's books myself one day!
But until that day comes, here I am hoarding all the books for every magical season every year brings!
So here's our collection of my favorite kid's summer books, that I think every little kiddo needs in their collection! The best part? They're all available on Amazon Prime! (gotta love that 2 day shipping!)
I love to display the current season or holiday books front and center on these custom built in bookshelves the hubby built in our girls' shared bedroom! They're so good right?!? We're so lucky to have our handyman.
for all of the books listed below, you can click the price listed next to the book title and it will take you directly to the Amazon link (and you can easily add it to your wishlist there!)
1. Today : $13.56 hardcover
Every day is full of endless possibilities - especially TODAY!
The simplest moment has the potential to become extraordinary in this beautiful book by Julie Morstad. From getting dressed, to having breakfast, to choosing ways to go, Today has a little something to delight everyone.
2. Amelia Earhart : $8.36 hardcover
When Amelia was young, she liked to imagine she could stretch her wings and fly away like a bird. As a grown woman, she set a new female world record for flying up to 14,000 feet. She also flew across the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, and eventually undertook the most dangerous mission of all: to fly all the way around the world. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the aviator's life.
3. Wendell the Narwhal : $13.62 hardcover
Everyone in the ocean can make music, except for Wendell the Narwhal. His big, pointy horn can't go "pop" or "clappy clap clap" or even "whoosh". Will Wendell find a way to join in with symphony of sea creatures?
4. Jabari Jumps : $13.71 hardcover
Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board. In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, newcomer Gaia Cornwall captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can’t help but root for.
5. Smart About Sharks : $13.96
It’s time to learn about the sea’s most feared (and most misunderstood) residents: sharks!
Owen Davey returns to nonfiction to explain the mysteries of those denizens of the deep. Some deadly, some not-so-deadly, and almost all just generally misunderstood. Exciting and detailed illustrations fill the page and educate young readers about these thrilling residents of the sea! Delivering information with the same whimsical text and brash illustration that saw his previous book win the affection of the Wall Street Journal, Smart About Sharks is sure to have teeth!
6. The Little Gardener : $12.56
There was once a little gardener and his garden meant everything to him. He worked hard, very hard, but he was just too little (or at least he felt he was).
In this gentle, beautiful tale, Emily Hughes, the celebrated author of Wild, departs from the larger than life Wild-girl of her debut to pursue a littler than life Gardener, in a story that teaches us just how important it is to persist and try, no matter what the odds.
With delicately woven tapestries of illustrated magic, Hughes once again transports us to a world not unlike our own, while still brimming with fantasy and wonder.
7. National Parks : $8.99
Every area of the world can be mapped out for adventure, and brilliant babies love the sophistication of traveling by train.
8. The Moose Belongs to Me : $14.39
Wilfred is a boy with rules. He lives a very orderly life. It's fortunate, then, that he has a pet who abides by rules, such as not making noise while Wilfred educates him on his record collection. There is, however, one rule that Wilfred's pet has difficulty following: Going whichever way Wilfred wants to go. Perhaps this is because Wilfred's pet doesn't quite realize that he belongs to anyone.
A moose can be obstinate in such ways.
Fortunately, the two manage to work out a compromise. Let's just say it involves apples.
9. How to Be a Wildflower : $11.36
A fresh perspective, an outdoor exploration, a new adventure about to begin—How to Be a Wildflower is the book to celebrate these and other wide-open occasions. Encouraging self-discovery through encounters with nature, beloved artist Katie Daisy brings her beautiful paintings and lettering to this collection of things to do and make, quotes, meditations, natural history, and more. A recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie, a prompt to hike by the light of the moon, a place to press flowers: every page inside the charming textured two-piece case invites readers to wander, gather, savor, and ponder the natural world around them. For every wild and free spirit—and those who aspire to be—this is a field guide to living life to the fullest.
10. Wild : $13.04
In this beautiful picture book by Hawaiian artist Emily Hughes, we meet a little girl who has known nothing but nature from birth—she was taught to talk by birds, to eat by bears, and to play by foxes. She is unashamedly, irrefutably, irrepressibly wild. That is, until she is snared by some very strange animals that look oddly like her, but they don't talk right, eat right, or play correctly. She's puzzled by their behavior and their insistence on living in these strange concrete structures: there's no green here, no animals, no trees, no rivers. Now she lives in the comfort of civilization. But will civilization get comfortable with her?
11. Nature's Day : $16.99
This first book of nature helps young readers to discover the world of wildlife on their doorstep. Beginning in spring, this book revisits nine different places, including the farm, the back yard, and the woods, during each of the four seasons through the year and explores the changing scenery and animal life found there. Informative and fun text teamed with gorgeous, decorative illustrations make this the perfect book to celebrate each season with.
I hope you can find joy in the little moments today.
Like throwing all the comfy pillows on the ground, curling up with those babies, and reading a story of magic and hope.
Hold those babies closer for me. They keep our passion alive here at The Ever Co.
xoxo, Amy