Welcome to summer! I have no theme this month, since summer is a time to read whatever you want. Just remember to join Summer Reading and log it! Not only will you receive a free book when you finish, but you can also enter the drawing for other fabulous prizes. As someone who gets to help pick the prizes, they’re pretty great this year, just saying.
Picture Books
“The Fluffy Futon,” written and illustrated by Yuichi Kasano
This book is literally a warm nap in the sun. Grandma lays her freshly washed futon out to dry in the sun, and a kitty decides it looks like the perfect spot for a nap. With a yawn, Grandma agrees and settles in too. They’re soon joined by chickens, a little boy, a dog, a goat and a family of pigs…all on a futon made for one! Little ones will enjoy the gentle humor of the crowded sleeping arrangements, as well as the cozy predictability of the text. Cumulative stories are so fun for young readers, and with the different animals, there’s plenty to talk about. Try taking it a step further and reading on a blanket outside! Maybe your child would like to reenact the story with their stuffies or pets.
“The Stuffie Stand,” written and illustrated by Maddie Frost
Speaking of stuffies, this book offers an unexpected lesson in creative partnership and community. Moose has always loved stuffies, and he’s learned how to make and sell his own creations. Crafted with meticulous precision and plenty of cuteness, his stuffies are popular with all his woodland neighbors. One little girl named Mabel is a delighted customer who confides that she also makes stuffies (though far more bedazzled than Moose’s) and asks to work together. Moose rudely refuses until he gets in over his head with custom orders and grudgingly asks for help. As the two learn to work together, Moose realizes that collaboration and friendship can lead to even more satisfying results than pursuing perfection alone.
Chapter Books
“Haven and the Fallen Giants,” written and illustrated by Jen Xu and Kate Rhodes
Haven is a scavenger girl who lives outside the city with her beloved guardian. The two struggle to survive, with limited access to water and other resources. To make ends meet, Haven pieces together spare mechanical parts into new inventions that she can sell. Once a year, the city holds a major festival in which everyone is invited, even those who live Outside. Haven seizes the opportunity to explore the city’s junkyard and finds her way into a mysterious underground vault. She snatches a fascinating relic and is almost immediately pursued by the city’s Guardians.
She only escapes with the help of a wealthy city-dwelling girl who is tired of the restrictions she’s under. The relic is linked to the rumors of giants that used to protect and roam the world, and it might just change everything for Haven—if she can stay ahead of her pursuers. Full disclosure, this graphic novel is the first in a planned duology, so only read it now if you’re prepared for a cliffhanger!
“Lydia Cooper is a Lie,” by Meaghan McIsaac
Lydia is beyond frustrated with her dad’s super overprotective ban on social media. When the present on her 14th birthday is not the cell phone she longed for, but a locked-down tablet, Lydia guesses the parental control password. She wastes no time in secretly creating a social media account and enjoying the feeling of belonging with her friends. All is well until Lydia is tagged in a photo online, then awakened in the middle of the night by an armed intruder. Turns out her family was secretly in a witness protection program, and now they’re on the run. Since the intruders are after her father, they split up, and Dad instructs Lydia to meet him at a safehouse. Lydia has to navigate a whole new world of spies, criminal groups, hackers and federal agencies, all while trying to unravel her own deteriorating identity. Yes, some parts are a bit implausible (you seriously NEVER told your 14-year-old you’re in witness protection??), but this is a twisty thriller with little actual violence. It’s perfect for those wanting all the aspects of a thriller while still being relatively gentle.
