Welcome back, readers!
We hope you are enjoying our Remarkable Reading Recommendations for Summer 2016! Here is our third installment. All of our posts will highlight different books featured on the Scholastic 2016 Summer Reading Booklist. Each of our posts will focus on a different theme and will include a book for non-readers all the way through young adults.
Did you miss our Fiction booklist? Check it out here!
Did you miss our Throwback booklist? Check it out here!
Selection #3 – Series
It can be sad when you come to the end of a book. Luckily, a book series will feature many adventures with the same characters you have grown to love. Series books are especially good for emerging readers who have a hard time choosing what to read. Introduce them to a series and there will be plenty more books for them to enjoy!
Ages 0 – 2
Duck & Goose: Let’s Dance!, by Tad Hills and Lauren Savage
Duck and Goose came to life in the imagination of author Tad Hills. The duo have several different board books and even stuffed animals. And now, they have a song! In their latest book, Duck and Goose learn how to dance by singing along to a special song. The song is available online as a free download so you can listen to the song while reading the story. Your little ones will be so excited to boogie down with their favorite duck and goose in this all-new adventure.
Amazon.com — $7.52 (board book)
Ages 3 – 5
How Do Dinosaurs Stay Friends?, by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
Dinosaurs aren’t that different from you and me. They play with friends, say they’re sorry, and clean their room. They go to school, play all day, and stay safe. Yolen and Teague used these prehistoric creatures to illustrate daily life lessons for children. In their latest story, the reader learns how dinosaurs stay friends. But it’s hard to do that when they won’t let you play with their toys. (As a bonus, there is a visual dictionary of the dinosaurs which lists them all by name. Great for a young enthusiast!)
Amazon.com — $12.77 (hard cover)
Ages 6 – 7
Magic Tree House: Balto of the Blue Dawn,
by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca
We couldn’t resist including the Magic Tree House series in last year’s RRR: North Coast’s Best Picks. This year, Scholastic included their latest adventure on their list. Jack and Annie are in Alaska in 1925, where a diphtheria epidemic is threatening the lives of the locals. Now, it’s up to an ordinary Siberian husky and the rest of his sled dog team to save the day on the Iditarod Trail.
Amazon.com — $7.73 (hard cover)
BONUS!
Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Dogsledding and Extreme Sports,
by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
One of my favorite components of the Magic Tree House series are their Fact Trackers. These companion novels help young readers distinguish the true facts from their favorite Jack and Annie adventures. This fact tracker book is the companion to Balto of the Blue Dawn and is a great second read.
Amazon.com — $5.36 (paperback)
DOUBLE BONUS!
Did you know that Balto is a resident of northeast Ohio? You can visit Balto at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where his body is on permanent display. Learn the rich history of how a Cleveland businessman saved Balto and his team and brought them home to Cleveland. After the museum, stop by the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. In the Northern Trek, you can visit the year-round Wolf Wilderness exhibit to see some real wolves, much like Balto. A statue of Balto sits outside the building.
Ages 8 – 10
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, by Jeff Kinney
Jeff Kinney first brought Greg Heffley (a.k.a. the “wimpy kid”) to life in 2007. Drawing on inspiration (literally!) from his own growing pains, Kinney created a loveable character and a hilarious series. The novels are full of illustrations and the book is written to where it looks exactly like a diary. But boys don’t keep diaries, right? You’ll have to read to find out!
Amazon.com — prices vary (paperback)
Ages 11 – 13
The Waterfire Saga series, by Jennifer Donnelly
Donnelly has captivated young readers with her series that takes place under the sea. Serafina is betrothed to a prince, but her mind is captivated by haunting and recurring nightmares. When her mother is poisoned, Sera sets out on a heroic quest to gather other mermaids to put an end to the evil force that threatens their way of life. But with only her nightmares to lead her, the journey won’t be an easy one. As of this posting, there are four novels in the series, with more on the way.
Amazon.com — prices vary (paperback)
Young Adult
The Miss Peregine’s Peculiar Children series, by Ransom Riggs
This best-seller is soon to become a major motion picture from director Tim Burton. (Take one look at the cover art and that doesn’t seem too far fetched.) But the cover art is actually a photograph. Author Riggs became obsessed with haunting photos of children and used four dozen of them in this first novel of the series.
When sixteen-year-old Jacob arrives on a remote island, he stumbles upon the crumbling remains of Miss Peregine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Upon exploring the old building, Jacob is certain that the so-called “peculiar” children were actually quite dangerous…and probably kept here for their own good. But as Jacob continues to explore, all signs start pointing to the possibility that these long deceased children may still be alive… Riggs’ story touches more on fantasy than horror, but more than likely you’ll still have trouble sleeping at night.
Amazon.com — prices vary (paperback)
What books would YOU recommend? Tell us in the comments section and we might feature your book on a future list!
If you decide to purchase these (or any other) books online, please consider supporting the Creative Education Institute and ordering them through Amazon Prime. For every purchase you make through Prime, Amazon will make a donation to the non-profile organization, which will go to provide academic services to students in need.
Be on the lookout for the next installment of our reading list – Non-Fiction books!
Photo Credit: The pictures of the books in this post were taken from Amazon.com.