Summer reading recommendations #1
Do you spend a lot of time planning your summer reading in advance? Oh no, me either.
It’s nearly summer (for us southern hemisphere-ers) aka the best time to read widely, greedily, and without guilt. I can’t wait to luxuriate in my very big stack of holiday books. Whether you’re picking up the trashiest novel you can possibly find, or finally getting around to that epic you’ve been putting off all year, it’s the perfect chance to fob off all other plans and stretch out by the ocean with a book. (Or if you’re anything like me, curl up under a very large beach umbrella with a lot of SPF50+.)
Today I’m kicking off a little series (with maybe two or three editions, tbc) in the lead up to the holidays, jam-packed with suggestions for your summer reading stack. It will include summer-themed books, recent releases, stand-out titles from earlier this year, a few gems that I felt flew under the radar and deserve more attention, and also some that are on my own holiday reading pile. There are books on this list for toddlers, newly independent readers, middle graders, teenagers and adults. Something for everyone, hopefully!
So, let’s dive right in:
Picture books:
Dog Beach by Julie Murphy and Annie White
I am not a dog person but I am willing to make an exception for a picture book as lovely and summery as this one. It’s got a great Australian feel to it, and celebrates everything there is to enjoy about a sunny day at the beach with a furry friend.
Look who’s at the dog beach!
Strong dogs, long dogs,
Playing dogs, staying dogs,
Black dogs, brown dogs, go-to-town dogs,
Bit-of-a-clown dogs, upside-down dogs,
Mopey dogs, dopey dogs,
Shaggy dogs, waggy dogs ...
Amid the Sand Dunes by Andrea Rowe and Hannah Sommerville
The dream team of Andrea Rowe and Hannah Sommerville can do no wrong, and this new board book is a great addition to their collection of stories for curious young readers. A great one for nature-lovers—it encourages eager exploring. And another book that is summer-themed, just in time for beach weather!
I would also recommend the first title in this series, In the Rockpool, a Notable book in the 2024 CBCA Early Childhood Book of the Year awards. I also credit it with teaching my daughter to count to ten, and helping her get over her fear of sand (which bodes very well for our upcoming WA holiday).
Younger readers / middle grade:
This one was underrated this year, I think! I didn’t see a lot about Detective Beans in children’s literature circles, but I loved it. It’s such a charming graphic novel that hooks young readers in with a good mystery. Li Chen is a NZ comic artist who does a great job balancing playfulness with a strong narrative, and a genuinely endearing story.
I feel so frustrated at the moment with the rhetoric of parents and teachers trying to get their kids to read less visual stories. Taking away graphic novels (and manga and illustrated novels) and forcing our young people to read books with more text or more ‘complexity’ (pfft) is the best way to kill a love of reading when it’s just getting started, or when it is already so precarious. With gentle guidance, kids will transition to other types of books along the way, and maybe bounce back and forth between different formats and genres throughout their reading journey, too. We shouldn’t be pushing them away from the things they love.
There is nothing wrong with a good comic. I say: give them more!
The 113th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson
If you know someone whose ideal book has magic, libraries and cats… this is the story for them! I’d put this at the top of the list for bookish gifts for middle graders who love reading, and also the adults in their life that want a thrilling novel the whole family can enjoy together.
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