Even if your child loves school, they look forward to June and summer break.
The idea of sleeping in and not rushing for the school bus with a half-eaten Eggo waffle or protein bar in their hand is heady stuff for most kids.
You can let them sleep late and do nothing all summer, but they soon get bored with no routine. You can schedule every minute of their vacation, but over scheduling can be stressful for everyone. What’s a parent to do? Kids need down time, but they also need to learn how to organize their time wisely.
We lived in several states while my kids were in K-12. Every school sent home age-appropriate summer reading lists. I loved this because we went on weekly trips to the public library or bookstore (sometimes both) to hunt for books. The hunt for books sometimes turned into the hunt for more books by a favorite author. The library also offered summer programs. Some were free. Others were reasonably priced. These were priceless in late July and early August when afternoon temperatures climbed too high to play outside.
Kids who read during the summer retain and often improve their reading skills. Sometimes it’s even possible to sneak in a little history, science, or math depending on the books they choose. Cookbooks can open a whole world of opportunities to reinforce math skills while you enjoy cooking with your kids and teaching them about nutrition, and the importance of following directions.
We’ve selected a few books to get you started! Happy summer break!
Paddington by Michael Bond – Meet Paddington, a much-loved bear from Peru. Begin with his first adventure traveling from Peru to London. For ages 3 and up
The Little Book of Cooking by Zack Bush – Introduce kids to kitchen safety, basic hygiene in the kitchen, and simple measuring. For ages 3-10
The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please – In this rhyming picture book, Rene’s dream of opening a café at the edge of an enchanted wood finally comes true, but some of her customers don’t want what’s on the menu. They prefer some peculiar foods that Rene finds disgusting. Can her waiter, Glumfoot, save the day with a little magic? For ages 4 and up
Weird but True! 2026: Wild and Wacky Facts & Photos from National Geographic Kids – Explore animals, geography, science, the environment, human achievement, and all things interesting. For ages 5 and up
Times Tables Workbook by Collins Easy Learning KS1 – Colorful activities that make learning fun. Help reinforce the math skills your kids learned at school while giving them a real sense of achievement. For ages 5-7
The Math Chef: Over 60 Math Activities and Recipes for Kids by Karen E. D’Amico – Kids can make their favorite foods while learning about measurements, fractions, percents, nutrition, kitchen safety, and following directions. For ages 7-10
The Lost Whale by Hannah Gold – Until Rio’s mom is well enough to take care of him, she sends him to California to live with a grandmother he hardly knows. Rio is lonely without his friends and worried about his mom, but when he agrees to join a whale watching group, he makes a connection with a whale named White Beak. When the whale goes missing, can Rio use their special connection to find White Beak? For ages 9-12
Lila Mackay is Very Misunderstood (Lila Makay Book 1) by Gill Sims – Instead of being at home with her friends, fourteen-year-old Emily is stuck helping her mom’s best friend, Tom, renovate his old house. With a broken phone and her iPad at her dad’s house, the summer seems bleak until she finds her mom’s old diary. Reading a few pages couldn’t hurt, right? For ages 12-16
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman – A YA coming of age novel that tackles pressures to succeed, identity, freedom of choice, and diversity. Frances has worked hard to achieve her goal of attending a top university, but when she meets Aled, the creator of her favorite podcast, he unlocks something inside her she’s kept hidden away. Aled is also hiding something. Will the fear of discovery outweigh the freedom of being truthful? For ages 13+
Watch Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic Book 1) by Tahereh Mafi – In this dystopian fantasy, James manages to infiltrate Ark Island the last refuge of The Reestablishment ten years after his brother Wes and his partner Juliette, led a worldwide rebellion, and established the New Republic of the West. What will James do when he meets Rosabelle and falls for The Reestablishment’s assassin? For ages 14+