Summer Reading List

Reading is in season year-round in our home. JustaBXgirl and HOPS get excited when new books are delivered, and they look forward to weekly trips to the public library. JustaBXgirl is reading at an eleventh-grade reading level. HOPS will be reading before we know it. She already sits with books and tells their stories to her plush friends. As life continues to shift, I have decided to shift how I share books. I will no longer be sharing monthly bookshelves. Instead, I will share reading lists for the season.

JustaBXgirl also asked if I can begin sharing more of the books that she reads as well. This makes sense. You all have watched her grow up and your littles are growing too. I am going to be more intentional about sharing stories for all reading levels on these season reading lists. Let me know what you think of the changes.

Here is our Summer Reading list which has been cultivated by me, HOPS, and JustaBXgirl.

The Reindeer Remainders – I love that this reindeer story had nothing to do with Christmas. Usually, we only get them in a story during the holidays and they deserve love year-round. I also love good wordplay and Reindeer Remainders is some really fun wordplay, especially when covering the subject of math remainders. This book teaches us lessons in math and friendship. It is a great addition to our home library and can be used as a gateway to discuss math during the summer months.

What’s Inside a Bird’s Nest? – This book is beautiful. It is perfect for the inquisitive little and the homeschooling family. It is for the youngest who simply want to look at the illustrations. It is for those who love birds and want to learn about a few of the over 10,000 species of birds that exist. It is for the homeschooled family learning about life cycles and birds. The possibilities are unlimited.

Love is All We Need – This book should be given to every classroom in the world. It is a marvelous message about family and how families can look different. Being a solo mom, I shared that message with JustabXgirl since she was tiny. It was important to me that she understood that families came in different shapes and sizes because I never wanted her to feel like the two of us didn’t meet the definition of family. I love that this book goes beyond the different types of families but also celebrates different cultures, traditions, and abilities.

Until You Find the Sun – This book was special to us because it centers on a relationship between grandfather and granddaughter. Their bond reminds me of JustaBXgirl and JustaBXgrandpa. This is also a story about change. Reading it made me think about the fact that many times littles aren’t privy to big changes that happen in their lives. Aminah’s parents have decided to move to a new country and this book allows us to see how the move makes her feel. It is a great addition to a home library to help littles talk about change. Reading about Aminah finding her sun can help other littles find their sun so to speak when they are faced with a change.

The Amazing Power of Girls– I love how this book introduces science terms in a rather poetic way. The illustrations are fun and colorful while the explanations for each “power” are done in a way that paints the picture and is understandable. I appreciate the resource guide at the end if we want to learn more.

Spreading My Wings – JustaBXgirl read this and said it would be a great book to read with her reading buddy. During the traditional school year, she reads with a younger homeschooled child and is regularly on the lookout for books with little boy main characters. This story is about a boy and his bird. They are great friends. What happens when the boy wants to make new friends? It is a message in finding the strength to be who you are always.

Somewhere for Little Bear – My heart broke for Little Bear as his home was lost to a forest fire. His journey to find a new safe space was a difficult one. I cheered for him and the community he found at the end of the story. This book is a beautiful read that can be used to cover difficult conversations with littles about deforestation, unhoused individuals, and how to be a good community member.

Hello Hero – I love this story. It’s a motivational movement that lets our littles know that they are heroes. It shares the ways that they have superpowers that they can use to be the hero of every story. And it reminds them that it is okay not to feel like a hero sometimes. That even when we don’t do our best, our best is still inside us and can come out another time.

I Can Do It Even If I’m Scared – “Little steps add up to one large leap.” I might need someone to remind me of that over and over again. This book does an amazing job of reminding littles that it is okay to feel afraid but we can’t allow the fear to stop us. It gives instructions on how to find the brave you. The best advice is that we don’t wait for the moments of fear to come to prepare to be brave but we practice along the way.

Ruby Rene Had So Much to Say – This is for all of us who were told we talked too much in school. I’m so happy that there is someone in Ruby Rene’s life who wants to build up her voice instead of silencing her. I think this book should be a must-read for all educators. It is a great lesson in how to meet littles where they need. It is also a sweet read that littles will love.

A Love Letter to My Library – We love our library. We visit it weekly. JustaBXgirl also created a review sheet for when we visit different branches. This book fits perfectly on our bookshelves because it is a reminder of all of the reasons that we love our library.

A Mischief of Mice – This is a fun read. It introduces collective nouns to littles. It is a great vocabulary builder along with a sweet story about some concerned squirrels. It also includes a glossary at the end sharing more about collective nouns. I bet some readers will become obsessed!

Magic Treehouse Windy Night with Wild Horses – When JustaBXgirl started reading chapter books, Magic Treehouse was one of her favorite series. We were excited to get our hands on this book and, of course, she read it ASAP. Jack and Annie travel back in time to Eco-volunteers helping horses in Mongolia. One of my favorite things about this series is how it can be used as an interest point for homeschool lessons.

Averil Offline – This book is perfect for Generation Alpha readers and their adults. Many littles will relate to Averil and her desire to be less tracked. This book takes Averil on quite the adventure to find the person behind the tracking app Ruby Slippers. This is a great family read that can open dialogue over various topics this generation is dealing with head-on.