2024 Summer Reading Guide: Books for the Whole Family
Summer is the best time for reading aloud. And when it comes to bedtime reading, no school wakeup means you can indulge requests for “just one more chapter.”
Mexikid by Pedro Martin
This graphic memoir about a family road trip (in an RV) from California to Mexico was so well done. The author and his family are headed to Mexico to bring his grandfather back to live with them in the US and does a great job exploring the dynamics between siblings, family generations, and family history. I loved it so much – it made my top 10 books of the year in 2023!
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
After Hercules Beal loses his parents in an accident, his older brother leaves behind his career to come back and raise Hercules and manage the family business. When the new school year starts, Hercules’ new teacher assigns the students a year-long project of recreating the labors of the mythical Hercules. It’s going to be a BIG task! This one is funny, heartbreaking and tender – exactly what you’d expect from Gary D. Schmidt.
A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser
The Huey House is a homeless shelter in the Bronx. Tyrell has been there for three years, and June and her sister Maybelle, have just moved in. The kids quickly become close friends, and when the city announces some upcoming new policies that will negatively affect the Huey House, Tyrell and June are determined to do something about it.
Escape at 10,000 Feet by Tom Sullivan
I had never even heard of D.B. Cooper until my oldest daughter read this book and told me all about it in detail. (Then I felt like a GENIUS when it was referenced on Loki on Disney+). It’s a little bit of an outlier on this list because it’s not a traditional book with tons of texts – instead, it’s more like a cross between a textbook and a graphic novel. It’s SUPER fun (and don’t miss the other books in the series!).
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