kids books Archives

50 Fun Summer Books for Kids to Read

June 23, 2020 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Summer reading is a great way to avoid the summer “slide” with your kids.

And there’s no better way to get them into a book than to choose one that’s summer-themed!

Today I’m featuring 50 summer books for kids that feature familiar characters, funny storylines, and gorgeous illustrations.

After all, when a story is engaging, kids are more likely to feel interested in what happens.

Plus, they’re more likely to reread them on their own – which is one of the best ways to build a love of reading.

These children’s books about summer make wonderful choices for an upcoming family road trip, book club, or summer reading program.

Read on to see the full list.

And, don’t miss our printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks too!

50 Summer Books for Kids

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1. To the Beach!

2. Pool

3. Summer Days and Nights

4. Should I Share My Ice Cream?

5. The Night Before Summer Vacation

6. Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag

7. Puppy Pool Party! An Underwater Dogs Adventure

8. Summer

9. Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise

10. Penguin on Vacation

11. Bats at the Beach

12. The Whale in My Swimming Pool

13. I See Summer

14. Ice Cream: The Full Scoop

15. Peppa Pig and the Great Vacation

16. Beach House

17. McElligot’s Pool

18. Let It Shine

19. The Scoop on Ice Cream

20. The Night Before Summer Vacation

21. Daisy Dawson at the Beach

22. Down by the Cool of the Pool

23. Summer is Here

24. Ice Cream Soup

25. Arthur’s Family Vacation: An Arthur Adventure

26. Beach Bungle (Olive & Jay Book 1)

27. The Mystery of the Purple Pool (The Boxcar Children Mysteries #38)

28. A Fabumouse Vacation for Geronimo (Geronimo Stilton)

29. Mouse’s First Summer

30. Froggy Goes to Hawaii

31. Daniel’s Day at the Beach (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)

32. Pool Party Puzzler (Nancy Drew Clue Book)

33. How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer

34. Ice Cream Summer

35. Pictures from Our Vacation

36. Corduroy Goes to the Beach

37. Leo Can Swim

38. One Crazy Summer

39. Summer Wonders

40. Last Day Blues (Mrs. Hartwell’s Classroom Adventures)

41. Dancing Dinos at the Beach

42. First Time at the Pool

43. Summer Treasure (Robin Hill School)

44. Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star

45. How I Spent My Summer Vacation

46. Biscuit’s First Beach Day

47. Martha Speaks: Pool Party

48. The Night Before Summer Camp

49. Mama, Is It Summer Yet?

50. The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation

Get ready for more summer fun with these other learning ideas!

Learn about what sharks eat to live in this fun shark food chain file folder game!

These printable summer reading challenge bookmarks are a fun way to keep kids reading during summer!

20 Fun Lighthouse Books for Kids

May 26, 2020 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

I grew up in Southern Georgia near Savannah, so I’ve been to Tybee Island many times in my life.

The Tybee Island Lighthouse always made me wonder about what it’s like to keep a lighthouse.

As a child, I thought it would be boring and lonely. Now that I’m older, I think I’d love the peace and quiet.

Having kids will do that to you.

But lighthouses are still fascinating structures for children to explore and these lighthouse books for kids are a great way to introduce them to young ones!

These children’s lighthouse books feature non-fiction selections, as well as learning activities and mystery stories that kids will love!

Read below to see the full list. And, for more fun beach reading picks, take a look at our list of beach books for kids too!

These books about lighthouses for kids make wonderful read alouds over the summer. Share some with young readers this year!

20 Fun Books about Lighthouses for Kids

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1. The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

2. The Lighthouse Family: The Storm

3. The Lighthouse Cat

4. North American Lighthouses Coloring Book

5. The Boxcar Children: The Lighthouse Mystery

6. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

7. Lighthouse Seeds

8. Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities

9. Safely to Shore: The Story of America’s Lighthouse

10. Abbie Against the Storm: The True Story of a Young Heroine and a Lighthouse

11. Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue

12. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter

13. One Lighthouse, One Moon

14. Birdie’s Lighthouse

15. The Lighthouse of Souls

16. Hello Lighthouse

17. Lighthouses of North America

18. The Lost Lighthouse

19. One Lighthouse, One Moon

20. The Lighthouse

Get more ideas to explore beaches with your kids below!

Get more ideas for learning about lighthouses from these educators!

Visiting the Point Arena Lighthouse with Children from Crafty Mama in ME

Lighthouse Printable Number Sequencing Puzzle for Preschool from Schooling a Monkey

Cupcake Liner Lighthouse Craft from Play Dough & Popsicles

Marblehead Lighthouse Marblehead, OH from Something 2 Offer

Lighthouse Word Search from Tales of Education at Home

20 Kid-Friendly Lighthouse Hikes around the World from FrogMom

20 Fun Books about Ice Cream for Kids

May 8, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve been featuring a lot of summer fun lately – and what says “Summer” better than ice cream?

Nothing.

Nothing says “Summer” better than ice cream.

It’s true that ice cream is a favorite with kids everywhere, but it’s also an opportunity to learn! It’s just a super fun subject to learn about.

To make your summer reading a blast, check out our list of books about ice cream for kids to find some great ice cream-themed stories to read with your children!

These are so fun for summer reading!

Turn ice cream into an educational opportunity with our printable ice cream shape sorting activity!

And for more ways to make this summer an awesome one with the kids, try this list of 50 summer crafts you can make!

20 Fun Books about Ice Cream for Kids

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1.Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons

2.Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis

3.Splat the Cat: I Scream for Ice Cream by Rob Scotton

4.Should I Share My Ice Cream? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems

5.Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream by Tom Watson

6.Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise by H.A. Rey

7.The Ice Cream King by Steve Metzger

8.Ice Cream for Breakfast (Richard Scarry’s Great Big Schoolhouse) by Erica Farber and Huck Scarry

9.Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star by Kevin Henkes

10.Curious About Ice Cream by Smithsonian

11. Isaac’s Ice Cream Tree by Angela Henderson

12. Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star by Kevin Henkes

13. Milk to Ice Cream (Rookie Read-About Science) by Lisa M. Herrington

14. The Scoop About Ice Cream (History of Fun Stuff) by Bonnie Williams

15. The Ice Cream Shop: A Steve and Wessley Reader by Jennifer E. Morris

16. Ice Cream Cones for Sale by Elaine Greenstein

17. The Ice Cream Mystery (The Boxcar Children Mysteries) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

18. Gorilla Loves Vanilla! by Chae Strathie

19. Is It Warm Enough for Ice Cream? by DK Publishing/a>

20. Dragons Love Ice Cream by Brett Fowler

Did you love these fun books about ice cream for kids? Don’t miss these other ice cream activities!

For more tips to make your kids into readers, check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

This post is part of The Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists by iHomeschool Network! Click over to read tons of awesome booklists shared by my fellow homeschooling bloggers!

Cozy Bedtime Books for Toddlers

December 14, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

We have a very active little one in our family. She’s running around learning everything she possibly can. But, because she’s so excited about what’s she learning to do, getting her to settle down for bed has become a bit of problem. Every time I walk her into her room at night, she says “I want to get up in the morning, Mama.” Every. Single. Time. 🙂

So I thought I’d look for some bedtime books that would help her settle down and get ready for sleep. Today, I’m sharing a roundup of adorable bedtime books for toddlers!

If you and your little one enjoy these stories, be sure to check out my list of the absolute best picture books for three-year-olds!

Bedtime Books for Toddlers

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1. The Going-to-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

2. The Goodnight Train by June Sobel

3. Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest

4. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

5. Time for Bed by Mem Fox

6. A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

7. Clifford’s Bedtime by Norman Bridewell

8. Bedtime in the Meadow by Stephanie Shaw

9. If Animals Kissed Good Night by Ann Whitford Paul

10. Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones by Claire Freedman

See even more cozy bedtime stories for toddlers on the next page!

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20 Beautiful Owl Books for Kids

October 17, 2017 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

We’ve had fun studying about nocturnal animals and one of those animals is…the owl! There are owls here in Georgia, but we hardly ever see them because they’re up when we’re asleep. 🙂

Since we’ve been talking about animals that are night “owls” (get it?), I rounded up some beautiful owl books for kids that we can share together. If you’re studying owls this fall, check out these storybooks and nonfiction books for some awesome owl facts!

If you love these, don’t miss our list of bear books for kids as well! And for a fun craft project, see how to make a cute coffee filter owl craft with the kids!

Owl Books for Kids:

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1. Owls by Gail Gibbons

2. Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan

3. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

4. National Geographic Readers: Owls by Laura Marsh

5. Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton

6. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

7. Exploring the World of Owls by Tracy Read

8. The Barn Owls by Tony Johnston

9. Owl at Home (I Can Read Level 2) by Arnold Lobel

10. Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor

See the rest of the list on page 2!

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20 Adorable Bear Books for Kids to Read

October 26, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I think of fall, I start picturing taking a long, long nap.

Hey, a mother of four can dream, right?

But for some animals, hibernation is a necessary part of life and that includes bears!

At the library recently, our preschooler found several books about bears that were just downright adorable and that got me searching for fun and educational, not to mention cute, bear books for kids.

Here’s a list of the titles we’ve found. By the way, these would be wonderful read aloud selections for a bear unit or even a hibernation unit!

Be sure to check these out when you’re building your homeschool reading list for this year!

For more books, browse our list of fall books for kids and leaf books for kids too!

20 Adorable Bear Books for Kids to Read:

1. National Geographic Readers: Bears by National Geographic Kids

2. The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach

3. Bears: Polar Bears, Black Bears, and Grizzly Bears by Deborah Hodge

4. Bear Snores On (The Bear Books) by Karma Wilson

5. The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland

6. Bears (Wildlife) by Diane Swanson

7. Breaking News: Bear Alert! by David Biedrzycki

8. Our Amazing World: Bears by Kay De Silva

9. Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup

10. Grizzly Bears by Molly Kolpin

11. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

12. Sneeze, Big Bear, Sneeze! by Maureen Wright

13. The Grizzly Bear Who Lost His GRRRRR! by Rob Biddulph

14. National Geographic Little Kids Look and Learn: Bears by National Geographic Kids

15. American Black Bears by Molly Kolpin

16. Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom

17. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh

18. Don’t Feed the Bear by Kathleen Doherty

19. I Have A Little Problem, Said the Bear by Heinz Janisch

20. Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris

Don’t miss these other book lists for kids!

Plus, see more tips for raising readers on my Reading for Kids Pinterest board!

50 Gorgeous Fall Books for Kids to Treasure

August 22, 2016 by Selena Robinson 6 Comments

Can you smell it? That’s the smell of fall in the air!

Fall is my absolute favorite season of all. The air gets cooler, the leaves start to turn colors, and you just feel like baking delicious food and snuggling up with family. It’s beautiful.

So what better time is there to read gorgeous picture books with the kids? Get your kids ready for the autumn with these 50 beautiful fall books for kids! They’re packed with lovely illustrations and heartwarming stories children will love!

There are a TON of ways to make fall into a learning experience with children. Check out this list of 50 free fall printables for kids and pick up a set of our free Leaf Identification Flashcards or our Fall Printable Reading Journal for Kids!

BONUS! Want to keep track of all the fall books for kids you read this autumn? Grab the printable fall booklist for kids further down in this post!

50 Gorgeous Fall Books for Kids to Treasure

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Raising readers is an important part of our homeschooling journey. We want our kids to be able to read, not just for school, but for life.

Since fall is such a cozy season for families, I thought these beautiful fall books for kids would be awesome to share with you all. I hope you love them as much as we do!

1. I See Fall Leaves: First Step Nonfiction – Observing Fall by Mari Schuh
2. Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley
3. Little Critter: The Fall Festival by Mercer Mayer
4. Jump Into Fall! by Gareth Llewhellin
5. Fall Walk by Virginia Brimhall Snow
6. The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner
7. Poppleton in Fall by Cynthia Rylant
8. I Watch Fall Harvests: First Step Nonfiction – Observing Fall by Mary Lindeen

9. I See Fall! by Charles Ghigna
10. Hello Kitty, Hello Fall! by Sanrio
11. Fall Leaves by Don L. Curry
12. Fall is For Friends by Suzy Spafford
13. It’s Fall! (The Four Seasons) by Celeste Bishop
14. Animals in Fall (Preparing for Winter) by Martha E.H. Rustad
15. How Do You Know It’s Fall? (Rookie Read-About Science) by Lisa M. Herrington
16. Peppa’s Windy Fall Day (Peppa Pig) by Scholastic

17. Fall Leaves (My First Hello Reader) by Mary Packard
18. Leaves Fall Down: Learning about Fall Leaves by Lisa Bullard
19. Counting on Fall (Math in Nature) by Lizann Flatt
20. I Love Fall! (A Touch and Feel Board Book) by Allison Inches
21. It’s Fall (Celebrate the Seasons) by Linda Glaser
22. Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka
23. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson
24. Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
25. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro

See more gorgeous fall books for kids and score your free printable fall booklist on page 2!

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25 Kids’ Books about Camping

August 19, 2016 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

Are you planning a camping trip this year? Get your kids excited for the trip with these fun kids books about camping!

Honestly, I’ve never been camping. My parents weren’t really outdoor-sy and, frankly, the thought of sleeping outdoors doesn’t thrill me either.

But my kids have said that they want to try it, so the hubs and I agreed to rent a cabin in the woods as a first step in that direction. Our trip is next week, so these books are right on time!

One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is just spending some quiet time with the family without outside distractions.

No hectic schedules, no other commitments, no working – just chill family time. If you’re a camping expert, please share your tried-and-true tips for making it an awesome outing!

And if you’re looking for more beautiful kids’ books for your family, don’t miss this list of beach books kids will love!

25 Kids’ Books about Camping

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.1. Maisy Goes Camping: A Maisy First Experience Book

2. The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to Do in Nature Before You Grow Up

3. Flat Stanley Goes Camping

4. S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet

5. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters

6. Curious George Goes Camping

7. Camping Catastrophe! (Ready, Freddy #14)

8. Camp Daze Mad Libs

9.Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems

10. Camping Fun Sticker Activity Book

11. When We Go Camping

12. Peppa Pig and the Camping Trip

13. The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail

14. Claire’s Cursed Camping Trip

15. Humphrey’s Creepy-Crawly Camping Adventure

16. The Kids’ Campfire Book: Official Book of Campfire Fun

17. Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids’ Guide

18. Fred and Ted Go Camping

19. Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping

20. A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee

21. Llama Llama Loves Camping

22. Good Night, Campsite

23. A Campfire Tail

24. Froggy Goes to Camp

25. 1, 2, 3 – Make a S’more With Me

Don’t miss these other book lists for kids!

This post is part of the Camping Kids Unit Study roundup! Click over to read more camping themed posts!

Camping Writing Worksheets – My Joy-Filled Life
Camping Hacks for Kids – FrogMom
Homemade Firestarters – Schooling a Monkey

Picture Books about Hawaii

July 18, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My three-year-old has really gotten into reading lately. Which is a wonderful thing!

She loves looking at pictures and tracing her fingers under the words. Of course, she’s making up her own story or reciting some from memory, but that’s okay. She’s pre-reading and I’m thrilled!

We’ve been studying about the beach a lot lately, so I thought we’d take a look at a gorgeous book we received from my brother: Pulelehua and Mamaki. Since the story takes place on Hawai’i, I thought I’d round up some other beautiful picture books about Hawaii that are fun for kids to explore!

Picture Books about Hawaii

Pulelehua and Mamaki is the story of a Mamaki tree that serves as the home to a Kamehameha butterfly named Pulelehua. A butterfly mother laid her egg on one of the tree’s leaves and that caterpillar grew up to become Pulelehua.

Later, when Pulelehua lays an egg, she chooses the same Mamaki tree to watch over her baby. And when her egg hatches, grows into a caterpillar, and transforms into a full-grown Kamehameha butterfly, Mamaki the tree promises to watch over it too.

It’s a truly lovely story filled with native Hawaiian terms and absolutely beautiful illustrations.

As part of the Read Around the World Summer Series, I’m sharing my book summary below!

Be sure to check out the wonderful multicultural kids’ books that have been reviewed this summer!

While I’m sharing my appreciation for Pulelehua and Mamaki, I thought I’d mention a few other picture books about Hawaii that are gorgeous for children to read!

Want to spend more time learning about the beach with kids? Try these learning ideas!

Get more ideas for making reading fun with my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

Books about Turtles for Kids

June 28, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

A couple of weeks ago, we shared a Turtles Unit Study. So I thought I’d keep the fun going with a list of fun books about turtles for kids that you and your little ones will love reading together!

Naturally, any booklist about turtles has to include little Franklin. 🙂 But there are also a few contemporary classics and some non-fiction selections in the list too! If I missed any of your favorites, let me know in the comments!

Books about Turtles for Kids

Learn more about turtles for kids with our Turtles Unit Study!

Plus, get our Tiny Turtles Prewriting Pack – free!

Want more books for children? Follow my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!