Today, we’re talking about “summer vibes.” When I think of summer, I imagine time off school, heat waves, camping trips, adventures with friends, vegetable gardens, BBQs, backyard parties, fireworks, bugs, beaches, and being too sweaty to sleep at night. I think about books that are quick to read or are easy to pick up between dips in the pool. Here are 10 excellent books that capture the flavor of summer. I tried to pick stories for every age group.
🌴 Summer Vibes 🍹
1. All The World by Liz Garton Scanlon & Marla Frazee
Children’s Picture Book
Following a
circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning till
night, this book affirms the importance of all things great and small in our
world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the
widest sunset sky.
Why I recommend it: The
beach illustrations! I don’t know where this book is set, but I want to live
there. It’s warm, green, and friendly. Reading this book is a relaxing
experience. The author and illustrator capture the sleepy feeling of a seaside town.
2. When Zachary Beaver Came To Town by Kimberly Willis Holt
Middlegrade Historical
Fiction
It’s tough for
Toby when his mother leaves home to be a country singer. Toby takes it hard
when his best friend Cal’s older brother goes off to fight in Vietnam. Now
their sleepy town is about to get a jolt with the arrival of Zachary Beaver,
billed as the fattest boy in the world. Toby is in for a summer unlike any
other, a summer sure to change his life.
Why I recommend it: It
deserves its National Book Award. This was one of my childhood favorites and is
always the first novel to pop into my head when someone says “summer read.” It’s
set in a memorable, vivid, blisteringly hot Texas town. The lives of two young
friends are disrupted when “the fattest boy in
the world” is abandoned in a parking lot.
3. Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash
Young Adult Graphic Memoir
Maggie Thrash
has spent basically every summer of her fifteen-year-old life at the
one-hundred-year-old Camp Bellflower for Girls, set deep in the heart of
Appalachia. She’s from Atlanta, she’s never kissed a guy, she’s into Backstreet
Boys in a really deep way, and her long summer days are full of a pleasant,
peaceful nothing . . . until one confounding moment. A split-second of innocent
physical contact pulls Maggie into a gut-twisting love for an older, wiser, and
most surprising of all (at least to Maggie), female counselor named Erin. But
Camp Bellflower is an impossible place for a girl to fall in love with another
girl, and Maggie’s savant-like proficiency at the camp’s rifle range is the
only thing keeping her heart from exploding. When it seems as if Erin maybe
feels the same way about Maggie, it’s too much for both Maggie and Camp
Bellflower to handle, let alone to understand.
Why I recommend it: Graphic
novels are perfect for summer reading because they’re quick to get through. You
can flop down by the pool and finish the book before you get sunburned. This
one takes place at an all-girls summer camp. The dialogue is hilarious. The author vividly remembers
what it’s like to be an awkward, confused teenager.
4. Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood
Adult Short Stories
Here are
brilliantly rendered stories that explore themes of loss and discovery, of the
gap between youthful dreams and mature reality, of how we connect with others
and with the sometimes hidden part of ourselves.
Why I recommend it: I’ve
read a lot of short stories. If you count all the ones I rejected while working
for literary journals, I’ve probably read thousands
of them. This collection has always stuck in my mind. It’s about how one moment
can change a person’s life. The stories involve summer camps, canoe trips, eco-warriors,
and long-dead bodies discovered in the wilderness.
5. Hello, Bugs! by Smriti Prasadam & Emily Bolam
Baby / Toddler Board Book
A charming
introduction to 10 beautiful little bugs, featuring high contrast
black-and-white patterns. A glittering burst of colored foil brings a vivid
splash of color to every page.
Why I recommend it: Summer
brings out the bugs. Why not get a head start at ogling them? You know your children are going to be doing it. The toddler in
my life loves this book. It doesn’t have many words, but it does have shiny
foil and smiling illustrations of common backyard beasties.
6. As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds
Middlegrade Contemporary
Genie’s summer
is full of surprises. The first is that he and his big brother, Ernie, are
leaving Brooklyn for the very first time to spend the summer with their
grandparents all the way in Virginia—in the COUNTRY! The second surprise comes
when Genie figures out that their grandfather is blind. Thunderstruck and—being
a curious kid—Genie peppers Grandpop with questions about how he covers it so
well (besides wearing way cool Ray-Bans).
How does he match his clothes? Know where to walk? Cook with a gas stove? Pour a glass of sweet tea without spilling it? Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he’s ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house—as in NEVER. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into—a room so full of songbirds and plants that it’s almost as if it’s been pulled inside-out—he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.
Then Ernie lets him down in the bravery department. It’s his fourteenth birthday, and, Grandpop says to become a man, you have to learn how to shoot a gun. Genie thinks that is AWESOME until he realizes Ernie has no interest in learning how to shoot. None. Nada. Dumbfounded by Ernie’s reluctance, Genie is left to wonder—is bravery and becoming a man only about proving something, or is it just as important to own up to what you won’t do?
How does he match his clothes? Know where to walk? Cook with a gas stove? Pour a glass of sweet tea without spilling it? Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he’s ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house—as in NEVER. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into—a room so full of songbirds and plants that it’s almost as if it’s been pulled inside-out—he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.
Then Ernie lets him down in the bravery department. It’s his fourteenth birthday, and, Grandpop says to become a man, you have to learn how to shoot a gun. Genie thinks that is AWESOME until he realizes Ernie has no interest in learning how to shoot. None. Nada. Dumbfounded by Ernie’s reluctance, Genie is left to wonder—is bravery and becoming a man only about proving something, or is it just as important to own up to what you won’t do?
Why I recommend it: The
childlike voice is funny and spot-on. I adore Genie, the narrator. He’s curious
and nerdy and addicted to Googling every question that pops into his head. He
has a lot of questions because he’s spending his first summer ever in the
country. Big adventures await him in the wide open spaces.
7. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki
Young Adult Graphic Novel
Every summer,
Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their
getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the
little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad
won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama,
they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. It's a summer of secrets
and sorrow and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each
other.
Why I recommend it: Well,
it has “Summer” in the title. And, it’s so pretty! The artwork is gorgeous,
especially the drawings of the forest. It’s about two kids on the fringes of
adult situations. The authors perfectly capture that uncomfortable “tween” age.
The characters are dealing with grown-up problems, but everyone treats them
like children who aren’t capable of understanding what’s happening.
8. The Shell Collector: Stories by Anthony Doerr
Adult Short Stories
The
exquisitely crafted stories in Anthony Doerr’s debut collection take readers
from the African Coast to the pine forests of Montana to the damp moors of
Lapland, charting a vast physical and emotional landscape. Doerr explores the
human condition in all its varieties—metamorphosis, grief, fractured relationships,
and slowly mending hearts—conjuring nature in both its beautiful abundance and
crushing power. Some of the characters in these stories contend with hardships;
some discover unique gifts; all are united by their ultimate deference to the
ravishing universe outside themselves.
Why I recommend it: The
stories are nature-oriented. Many of them involve fishing trips. The title
story is one I’ll never forget. It’s about a blind scientist and his guide dog
who live in a hut on the coast of Kenya. They spend their days cataloging
different kinds of seashells. One day, the scientist stumbles across a snail
that is thought to be poisonous, but he inadvertently discovers that the
snail’s venom may actually have healing properties. When news of the healing
snail becomes public, chaos ensues.
9. Eli The Good by Silas House
Adult Historical Fiction
(The book calls itself young adult, but I disagree)
Bicentennial
fireworks burn the sky. Bob Seger growls from a transistor radio. And down by
the river, girls line up on lawn chairs in pursuit of the perfect tan. Yet for
ten-year-old Eli Book, the summer of 1976 is the one that threatened to tear
his family apart. There is his distant mother; his traumatized Vietnam vet dad;
his wild sister; his former war protester aunt; and his tough yet troubled best
friend, Edie, the only person with whom he can be himself. As tempers flare and
his father’s nightmares rage, Eli watches from the sidelines, but soon even he
cannot escape the current of conflict.
Why I recommend it: Well,
the cover screams “Summer,” doesn’t it? It’s about life in small-town Kentucky.
The main character, Eli, is an observant child who’s trying to make sense of
his complicated family. Drama is sparked by a July 4 bicentennial
celebration that drags all of his family’s problems to the surface.
10. Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham
Young Adult Mystery
When
seventeen-year-old Rowan Chase finds a skeleton on her family’s property, she
has no idea that investigating the brutal century-old murder will lead to a
summer of painful discoveries about the past, the present, and herself.
One hundred years earlier, a single violent encounter propels seventeen-year-old Will Tillman into a racial firestorm. In a country rife with violence against blacks and a hometown segregated by Jim Crow, Will must make hard choices on a painful journey towards self-discovery and face his inner demons in order to do what’s right the night Tulsa burns.
One hundred years earlier, a single violent encounter propels seventeen-year-old Will Tillman into a racial firestorm. In a country rife with violence against blacks and a hometown segregated by Jim Crow, Will must make hard choices on a painful journey towards self-discovery and face his inner demons in order to do what’s right the night Tulsa burns.
Why I recommend it:
Uncovering a buried skeleton is definitely a unique way to start a summer. The
teenage character sets out to learn the skeleton’s identity and finds herself
caught up in an unpredictable murder mystery. I didn’t
want to put this book down.
Have you read any of
these? What did you think?
Do you have any summer
books to add to my list?
Oh, I like the sound of As Brave As You! I’m going to check my library for that one. Genie sounds like a gem. :)
ReplyDeleteI really liked Honor Girl and This One Summer, and I LOVED Dreamland Burning. I like that you shared books for different ages. :)
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
Your books are all new to me but some of them look really intriguing. All the World has a gorgeous cover that makes me wanna go to the beach now. Sad that the next beach is a few hours away *lol* Thank you for sharing and happy reading. Stay safe and well.
ReplyDeleteFabulous list. I love Marla Frazee's picture book art. All the World is beautiful and hopeful. I think I need to reread it. Right now.
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to read both the graphic novels. I have heard lots of good things about both.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of most of these, but there are a bunch on here that I need to add to my TBR pile. Thanks for the recs!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
I know I had Dreamland Burning on my TBR for awhile, I think I should put it back on!
ReplyDeleteDreamland Burning was excellent. I just recently listened to it on audiobook.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my TTT
I love the sound of the illustrations in All the World. I love it when illustrations can draw me in like that.
ReplyDeleteThese books definitely give off the summer vibes. HELLO, BUGS! by Smriti Prasadam and Emily Bolam is DEFINITELY a summer book. 😆
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT list.
Some of these covers are Uber cute AJ!
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of As Brave As You! This is such a great list!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT