Summer is here complete with storms and extreme heat advisory warnings. I can’t believe I’m asking this already, but what do you do when it’s too hot for the kids to play outdoors? If you’re concerned they’ll spend the summer attached to screens and video game controllers hook them up with great books instead.
Make weekly trips to the library part of their routine. Most kids are given summer reading lists. Each time you go to the library, have them pick at least one book from the list and let them choose other books that catch their interest. Talk about the kinds of books that interested you when you were their age, and look for online reading recommendations like our monthly lists. The lists should include recommended ages for each book, but consider letting your kids tackle a harder book or even occasionally reading something for younger readers if the subject or characters interest them.
When my kids were little, I read to them constantly. Sometimes I’d feign being tired and ask them to read to me. It’s a great way to see how they’re doing, and it lets them be in charge of story time. For our July reading recommendations, we selected kids’ fiction and nonfiction books about nature and wildlife. Enjoy!
My First Book of Ocean Animals: All About Marine Life for Kids by Ginjer L. Clark – This is the first of 10 books in the series. Preschool and Kindergarten kids will learn all about animals that inhabit the sea and the reptiles that crawl along the coastlines. For ages 3-5
All About Nature by Huda Harajli – Toddlers and preschoolers learn about land, water, air, and animals of all types and sizes in this colorful picture book. For ages 3-5
Backyard Bird Watching Book for Kids by Elvi Media – Introduce your kids to bird watching with this handy guide suitable for all ages. Help them develop their observation skills and learn to focus their attention. Challenge them to identify all the birds that visit your yard or your neighborhood.
The Fascinating Animal book for Kids: 500 Wild Facts! By Ginjer L. Clarke – There’s something fascinating for kids of all ages from colorful photographs, detailed descriptions, and fun facts. For ages 3-12
Trees, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Plant Kingdom by DK Children (publisher) – Great information and illustrations keep young minds engaged. For ages 5 and up
Nature’s Treasures: Tales of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects from Nature By Ben Hoare – Learn how a leaf transports food by studying a leaf skeleton. Did you know butterflies have tiny scales that make them shine in the sunlight? Learn about plants, animals, rocks, and minerals. For ages 5-8
Life in a Wetland by Doris Dumrauf – Learn about some of the animals that live in or near water in wetland areas. Dumrauf describes each habitat from the perspective of the animal. For ages 6-10
The Last Bear by Hannah Gold – April’s father, a scientist stationed at an Arctic outpost believes there are no polar bears left on Bear Island, but when she finds one a long way from home and in desperate need of help, April has to step in. For ages 8 and up
The Truth About Horses by Christy Cashman – Reese, a fourteen-year-old girl living on a farm must race against time to save her horse and her relationship with her grieving father after her mother’s death. For ages 12 and up
A Bone From a Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson – A girl in prehistoric times raised near the ocean helps her tribe evolve and survive. Two million years later, Vinny and her father discover the remains of a forgotten tribe of cliff dwellers during an archaeological dig in Africa. Somehow Vinny develops a connection with the life of the girl from the past that will change her life forever. For ages 12-18