Children’s Summer Book Suggestions from the Ottawa Public Library
/The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some of their favourite summer reads for children ages 0 to 14. This month's post is by Kristina Roudiy, Children's Program Assistant at the Alta Vista Branch.
Board book: Maisy explores: a First Words Book / Lucy Cousins
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1210040026
For ages 0-3.
British author Lucy Cousins is back with a new board book of “Maisy the Mouse”. Did you know that Maisy's books have been translated into 27 different languages? In this bright, colourful title, each double page is themed around an early science concept, such as weather, growing plants, five senses, the human body, and technology. The tabs on the right make it easy for little fingers to browse.
Picture book: Bunny’s Staycation / Lori Richmond
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1091141026
*Also available as an e-book on the library’s Overdrive catalogue
For ages 3-5.
When Mama leaves for a five-day business trip, Little Bunny understandably feels sad. Papa suggests that they take a virtual trip of their own, and travel to a different place each day. So on Monday, they build their own car out of cardboard; on Tuesday, they go to a tropical beach; on Wednesday, they cool off in a wintry wonderland; on Thursday, they go on a safari; on Friday, they design their own marshmallow campsite, just in time to welcome Mama home. With cute cartoon illustrations. This story might give fun ideas of activities to do as a family this Summer!
Picture book: Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures / Tricia Springstubb
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1206788026
For ages 4-6.
Khalil lives with his large and noisy family in the upstairs apartment, while the elderly and quiet Mr. Hagerty lives downstairs. Both Khalil and Mr. Hagerty enjoy the peace and quiet in the shared backyard. While Khalil hunts for bugs and treasure, Mr. Hagerty tends to his garden. They soon become friends, helping each other with language and misplaced garden tools. One hot Summer day, Khalil suggests a hunt for buried treasure, which does not end up being too successful, but is nonetheless followed by tasty chocolate cake and milk! With detailed illustrations made in paper-cut collage, and one simple sentence per page. A lovely intergenerational book about making friends, no matter your age or your differences!
Picture book : My Singing Nana / Pat Mora
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1204732026
For ages 4-6.
This is the story of Billy and his beloved grandmother called Nana. On the morning of their family's big Summer show, Billy's sister wakes up with a cough. Billy turns to Nana for help, and together they manage to still put on a show and sing their favourite songs – in Spanish and English. But Billy has noticed that his Nana is getting forgetful. He talks about it with his mother, who reassures him that though Nana's memory is failing, they can still do all of their favourite activities together. Such as baking in the kitchen! The recipe of their cherry treat is included in the book (yum!) – as well as talking points for discussing Alzheimer's / dementia with children.
Early Reader: Don't Worry, Bee Happy / Ross Burach
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1187450026
For ages 6-8.
Some of you might start singing or humming when they notice the title of this early reader! This is the first book in the “Bumble & Bee” series, published earlier this year. Bumble and Bee buzz happily around the pool, until they notice that Froggy is rather cranky. They attempt to cheer him up by engaging him in their playful activities and also try to help him get rid of his hiccups. Reading about this unlikely trio and their funny adventures will for sure put a smile on your face!
Early Reader: Swim, Mo, Swim! / David A. Adler
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1225646026
*Also available as an e-book on the library’s Overdrive catalogue
For ages 6-8.
Well-known children's author David A. Adler (author of Cam Jansen, Bone, as well as numerous non-fiction titles) has created a new early reader series with young character Mo. In Mo's fifth adventure, he and his friends are at summer camp and competing in Field Day challenges. The winning team will get extra ice cream. But can Mo win a medal in the swimming competition?
Early Reader: TJ’s New Friend / Aviaq Johnston
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1187482026
For ages 6-8.
Aviaq Johnston is a young Inuit author from Nunavut who spends some of her time in Ottawa, Ontario! She earned a Governor General's History Award in 2014. In this story, we read about a new girl named Sapa who moves to TJ's community. TJ and Sapa share common interests and end up spending all Summer playing and exploring the neighbourhood. When school starts in the Fall and TJ's classmates start teasing Sapa for being different, will TJ stand up for his new friend?
Chapter book: Float / Laura Martin
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1168823026
*Also available as an e-book on the library’s Overdrive catalogue
For ages 9-12.
Twelve-year-old Emerson is spending summer at a camp designed to accommodate kids with superpowers. Problem is, none of those kids know how to control their power. Emerson's uncontrollable floating, for example, means he has to wear weighted shoes just to stay on the ground! At Camp Outlier, he gets to meet the accidentally invisible Hank, the spontaneously combusting Anthony, the time-travelling Murphy, and Zeke with X-ray vision. As members of the Red Maple cabin, they become friends through canoeing, capturing the flag, playing pranks and overall having a lot more fun than they expected to. Until Emerson discovers that one of their own is hiding a deadly secret that could endanger them all. With lots of action, great dialogue and plenty of humour! Fans of Gordon Korman and Dan Gutman, in particular, will enjoy this book.
Graphic novel: Hicotea: a Nightlights Story / Lorena Alvarez
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1180945026
For ages 9-12.
In this enchanting sequel to “Nightlights”, ever-curious young Sandy wanders away from her classmates during a field trip to the local wetland and finds an empty turtle shell. Peering inside, she falls into a magical world where Hicotea, the shell's owner, maintains a museum of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts documenting a very special wetland – one that has been almost completely destroyed by an evil creature. Can Sandy help Hicotea and her friends fight against the creature destroying their home? Alvarez's stunning, Miyazaki-like style, with brightly coloured landscapes and intricately detailed illustrations, bring a sense of wonder and magic to the natural world, hinting at the complex ecosystems around us that frequently go unnoticed. Sandy is a delightful protagonist with her relentless questions and deep respect for the natural world; hopefully, she will inspire young readers to find the magic in their own backyards.
Chapter book: Chirp / Kate Messner
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1205785026
*Also available as an e-book on the library’s Overdrive catalogue
For ages 10-14.
When Mia's grandma has a mild stroke, the middle schooler's family moves from Boston to Vermont, to help her grandmother sell her cricket farm. Mia is quite happy to leave Boston, but not so happy to have to attend two summer camps instead of watch TV, her favourite pastime since her gymnastics injury last year. But the Launch (entrepreneurial) and Ninja Warrior camps will help her in ways she never expected. Since Gram is determined to get more people eating protein-rich crickets, Mia creates a business plan for the cricket farm and starts investigating on who is sabotaging her business. Amid common themes of friendship and overcoming fears, the author incorporates strong #MeToo messaging, most poignantly in Mia's experience with a former 7th-grade coach. This novel succeeds both as an engaging mystery with strong female characters and as an appropriate middle-grade introduction to a serious and relevant issue.
***The Ottawa Public Library is doing TD Summer Reading Club virtually this Summer! Please visit our “Summerland” page to find out what it's all about, and to register for online Family programs : https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/kid-zone/src.
Kids can also participate in a Summer Reading Draw, to be entered for prizes such as gift cards to a bookstore or the CineplexStore, or a six-month membership to a magazine. The ballot can be found here : https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/sites/default/files/src_reading_draw_ballot_card.pdf
Feel free to also explore the OPL's e-book resources. Have a great Summer!***
