We're always looking for great books that the kids can read over the summer.
Our sister Erika is back with some summer book suggestions for teens and tweens.
Take it away....
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo and K. G. Campbell
Flora is a young girl trying to understand her recently divorced parents. That sounds like a seriously depressing story, but this one is the complete opposite. The oddly silly adventures begin when Flora rescues Ulysses, a truly unique squirrel. Flora learns about friendship in unlikely packages and that love will always outrank anything else. Great lessons for us all.
Flora is a young girl trying to understand her recently divorced parents. That sounds like a seriously depressing story, but this one is the complete opposite. The oddly silly adventures begin when Flora rescues Ulysses, a truly unique squirrel. Flora learns about friendship in unlikely packages and that love will always outrank anything else. Great lessons for us all.
Happy Café (Volume 1) by Kou Matsuzuki
This is a novel of illustration/graphic art. It also reads from “back to front” for us since it a Japanese manga. But don’t worry, it has its own directions for how to read it-- printed in the front cover for us (which really is the back cover!) The Happy Café follows a sweet but klutzy girl who works in a small café. This book is one of my daughter’s favorites that she rereads whenever she needs a little more happiness in her week.
The Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John a Flanagan
This is the first book in a long series that follows an orphan boy who gets stuck with being a ranger instead of the noble knight he’d hoped for. But as he learns, he sees that even the unlikeliest of people can become heroes and even friends. This novel is full of action, arrows, monsters, and battles. It is an easy and fast moving read that subtly teaches values like hard work and honesty.
The Stonekeeper: Amulet Series, Book 1 by Kazu Kibuish
This is an engaging illustrated graphics novel. Two children, Emily and Navin, go to a magical world to rescue their mother. Full of magic, monsters, and a mechanical rabbit named Miskit, this fast paced story is hard to put down. This is the first book that my reluctant reader son was eager to finish. This series holds a special place in my heart for flipping the reading switch in him.
Here are some more books we love....
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
This is book one in the Gallagher Girl series. The story follows Cammie who attends a private girls school. But it's just not any boarding school, this is a secret school for spies. Follow her adventures as she develops friendships, does some detective work, is known as the cameleon, saves the day, and faces her most difficult mission--crushing on a normal boy in town. Great fun!
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Hard to put this book down. An epic journey awaits orphan Peter and his mates at sea and on a magical, pirate infested island. The story slowly reveals the mystery behind Peter Pan. If you are a fan of Neverland and ready for adventure this summer, this is your book.
(There are 5 books in this series)
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza grows up in privilege on her family ranch in New Mexico. Tragedy and hardship strikes her family and they must move to California. Her family and lifestyle drastically change. She must work and face things she has never faced before. Can she rise above her surroundings?
Nancy Drew Mysteries by Carolyn Keene
Some of my girls have pulled my old copies of these books off the shelf ans discovered Nancy Drew and her super sleuth adventures. They thought it was cool to read an "old book"--hey my copies were just from the 70's, but they got hooked. The first book was published in 1930 and the books were written by several authors under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The first 56 books are considered the "classic series" of Nancy Drew. For more than 80 years the series has gown, new mysteries, rewrites, spin-off series, modern settings. It's all still classic Nancy, a teenager with a knack for finding mysteries to solve. And let's not forget her cohorts in detective work, the Hardy Boys. They even team up sometimes to solve crimes and mysteries. Another great series to check out!
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Hard to put this book down. An epic journey awaits orphan Peter and his mates at sea and on a magical, pirate infested island. The story slowly reveals the mystery behind Peter Pan. If you are a fan of Neverland and ready for adventure this summer, this is your book.
(There are 5 books in this series)
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza grows up in privilege on her family ranch in New Mexico. Tragedy and hardship strikes her family and they must move to California. Her family and lifestyle drastically change. She must work and face things she has never faced before. Can she rise above her surroundings?
Nancy Drew Mysteries by Carolyn Keene
Some of my girls have pulled my old copies of these books off the shelf ans discovered Nancy Drew and her super sleuth adventures. They thought it was cool to read an "old book"--hey my copies were just from the 70's, but they got hooked. The first book was published in 1930 and the books were written by several authors under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The first 56 books are considered the "classic series" of Nancy Drew. For more than 80 years the series has gown, new mysteries, rewrites, spin-off series, modern settings. It's all still classic Nancy, a teenager with a knack for finding mysteries to solve. And let's not forget her cohorts in detective work, the Hardy Boys. They even team up sometimes to solve crimes and mysteries. Another great series to check out!
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