Summer reading list for Belclaire bookworms of all ages

Summertime is as good a time as ever to start reading a new book, especially if you love reading under a shaded tree, at the pool or in your outdoor living space. We borrowed some summer reading ideas from readbrightly.com and goodhousekeeping.com to share with our readers in every age group.  

Age 3-5 

Nosotros Means Us by Paloma Valdivia
This bilingual book (told in English and Spanish) offers a moving poem about the bond between parent and child. A mother and her child imagine how they’d be linked to each other if they were different animals. It's a must-have to share over bedtime snuggles.

Look Out, Leonard! by Jessie James
If the latest paperback suspense story has ever gripped you, you might be interested to know that little kids love thrillers, too. In this case, the exciting “what will happen next?” story is about Leonard, a shrew who loses his family in the jungle on moving day. Kids will love turning pages to witness his journey to reunite with his loved ones.

Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold
Anyone who endured the pandemic and all the canceled plans of 2020 will relate to the newest book from author-illustrator team Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman. In Big Feelings, the duo navigates what to do when things don’t happen the way we’d hoped and how to change our perspective to tackle heavy emotions.

Ages 6-8 

The Ramble Shamble Children by Christina Soontornvat
Two-time Newbery Honor author, Christina Soontornvat, is back with a fantastic new picture book. Five siblings love their disorderly house just the way it is until they see an “acceptable” home in a book, and it leaves them second-guessing their current set-up. Will making their home look like the house in the book work out for the best?

Cookie and Broccoli: Ready for School! by Bob McMahon
Cookie and Broccoli are nervous about starting first grade at a new school. Together, they figure out the ropes on the first day and create a club for shy friends

Good Dogs on a Bad Day by Rachel Wenitsky and David Sidorov
When three dogs with very different personalities meet at doggy daycare, the outcome becomes unpredictable. Without their owners, the dogs get into trouble — and it snowballs throughout the day. This hilarious new series is sure to win over any reader!

https://www.readbrightly.com/summer-books-for-tweens/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ages 9-12

Marcus Makes a Movie by Kevin Hart and Geoff Rodkey,
Introduce your kids to Marcus, a boy with dreams of making his superhero drawings into a real movie. From the witty mind of award-winning actor and comedian Kevin Hart comes a laugh-out-loud illustrated middle school novel that teaches readers about the power of creativity and perseverance.

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
Lily grew up listening to Korean folktales from her grandmother. Then one day, a tiger from one of her stories comes to life and offers her a choice that could change her family’s situation. Can Lily find the courage to stand up against an ancient tiger?

Happily for Now by Kelly Jones
Meet Fiona, a fairy godperson-in-training. She’s determined to be the best fairy godperson ever, so she goes to stay with some relatives that could use her help. But her first act as a fairy godperson is more challenging than she expected, and she quickly learns that life isn’t perfect. Kids will love this humorous and insightful middle grade novel.

Teens

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
We all know what happens to the Titanic. But for 17-year-old Valora Luck — an aspiring acrobat — the luxury ocean liner is her ticket from England to America. She plans to join the circus in New York and to reunite with her twin brother. Even though you know how it ends, Luck of the Titanic is a lively, layered piece of historical fiction. Says Publishers Weekly, “A finely crafted historical exploration of identity, class, and family that resonates through the present.”

We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman
“A father and son in a failing used bookstore, spending long, aimless days consuming words no one around here buys anymore.” That’s the set-up, straight from beloved YA author Gayle Forman’s latest, We Are Inevitable. Ira and his 19-year-old son, Aaron, are on the brink of losing the family business. They’ve lost much more — a son and a wife (and mother) to grief. Somehow, the community comes together to help them become whole again.

What’s Not to Love by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley
Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy are the very definitions of high school frenemies. The two high-achieving academic rivals compete in AP classes, on the school paper, and in popularity contests. In the fourth book by husband-and-wife YA authors Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley, you can guess where all that tension leads — a kiss.

Adults 

Summerwater by Sarah Moss
A creeping aura of disquiet pervades this quietly unsettling novel set in a cluster of cottages in rural Scotland. Lacking cell service, the families spend their days watching each other's movements through the blinds, learning perhaps a little too much about the others. It's a slow burn, but the payoff at the end will leave you breathless.

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
Twins Jeanie and Julius, 51, live insular lives with their mother Dot in the rural English countryside, until she dies suddenly and leaves them with a financial mess and long-buried secrets. The two have to find their way in the world for the first time, in a quiet tale of loss and survival.

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
You'll feel like you stepped back in time with this historical fiction set in WWII Britain. Four women from very different walks of life compete in a cooking competition to become a presenter on the BBC, and learn a lot about themselves — and each other — along the way. It's uplifting, a little scandalous and even includes recipes so you can cook along with them.