Summer Reading Books For Kids 2018

1 Organic Chemistry For Babies

What it's about: Just as it sounds, this is all about teaching your little ones through simple explanations of complex ideas in organic chemistry.

Age range it's best for: 2-3

Buy it here: Organic Chemistry For Babies ($10)

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2 Llama Llama Loves Camping

What it's about: A new addition to the Llama Llama series, this story follows Llama Llama's first camping experience, in which he learns that just because something seems scary, it doesn't mean it is!

Age range it's best for: 4-6

Buy it here: Llama Llama Loves Camping ($5)

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3 My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing

What it's about: An interactive picture book, My Magic Breath teaches kids to breathe through their angry or sad thoughts and, in turn, find mindfulness, self-awareness, and balance.

Age range it's best for: 4-8

Buy it here: My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing ($18)

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4 Julián Is a Mermaid

What it's about: After seeing three women all dressed up, Julián goes home and creates a spectacular mermaid costume for himself — but worries what his abuela will think about how he sees himself.

Age range it's best for: 4-8

Buy it here: Julián Is a Mermaid ($17)

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5 Dad by My Side

What it's about: About all of the wonderful things dads do for and with their kids, this book showcases the parent-child bond in a beautiful way.

Age range it's best for: 5-8

Buy it here: Dad by My Side ($17)

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6 How to Babysit a Grandpa

What it's about: This 32-page book is a how-to for kids to follow if they're "babysitting their grandpa." From picking what snacks to eat to what to do on walks, this silly book is perfect for kids to read to their grandparents.

Age range it's best for: 5-8

Buy it here: How to Babysit a Grandpa ($17)

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7 The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate

What it's about: Princess Magnolia and Princess Sneezewort are in the middle of a princess playdate when a monster interrupts their playtime. The Princess in Black turns up to save the day and learns that two heroes are better than one.

Age range it's best for: 5-8

Buy it here: The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate ($7)

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8 Peanut Butter and Jelly

What it's about: Silly duo Narwhal and Jelly are back in this third installment of the series, in which Narwhal wants to change his name to the name of his newest obsession: Peanut Butter.

Age range it's best for: 6-9

Buy it here: Peanut Butter and Jelly ($13)

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9 Positively Izzy

What it's about: This graphic novel covers all things middle school — the good, the bad, and the ugly — and explores going beyond personality labels.

Age range it's best for: 8-12

Buy it here: Positively Izzy ($11)

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10 The Penderwicks at Last

What it's about: The Penderwick family is back for the final installment in the series, all about a special Summer in the place where the whole story started: Arundel.

Age range it's best for: 8-12

Buy it here: The Penderwicks at Last ($17)

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11 Rebound

What it's about: Told in verse, this is the prequel to Kwame Alexander's The Crossover, all about real-life basketball star Chuck "Da Man" Bell and the Summer he discovered the sport while staying with his grandparents.

Age range it's best for: 10-12

Buy it here: Rebound ($17)

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12 Waste of Space

What it's about: The third and final installment of the Moon Base Alpha series, Waste of Space is all about 13-year-old Dash trying to figure out who committed a murder — and everyone seems suspicious.

Age range it's best for: 8-12

Buy it here: Waste of Space ($17)

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13 Aru Shah and the End of Time

What it's about: In this first installment of the Pandava series, Aru gets caught in a lie by her classmates, prompting her to light an ancient lamp that freezes time, leaving Aru to save everyone.

Age range it's best for: 8-12

Buy it here: Aru Shah and the End of Time ($17)

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14 Save Me a Seat

What it's about: Joe and Ravi don't have much in common aside from being stuck in the same school, that is, until they form a common enemy in their class's biggest bully.

Age range it's best for: 8-12

Buy it here: Save Me a Seat ($8)

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15 Posted

What it's about: A middle school has banned cell phones, leaving its students to write sticky notes — some positive, others mean and cutting — to each other, starting a sticky note war.

Age range it's best for: 8-12

Buy it here: Posted ($7)

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16 Lemons

What it's about: Two unlikely friends go on the adventure of a lifetime to capture a photo of Bigfoot — but they end up discovering even more.

Age range it's best for: 8-12

Buy it here: Lemons ($8)

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17 Amal Unbound

What it's about: Amal wants to grow up to be a teacher, but she has to fight hard for her dreams after she's forced to stay home from school to take care of her siblings and then to work as a servant for her village's corrupt landlord.

Age range it's best for: 10 and up

Buy it here: Amal Unbound ($18)

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18 Restart

What it's about: After falling off a roof, Chase forgets literally everything about his life, making his return to school an interesting one. He's given a unique opportunity to learn about the boy he was and decide what kind of person he wants to be.

Age range it's best for: 8-12

Buy it here: Restart ($17)

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19 All Summer Long

What it's about: This coming-of-age story is all about a pair of best friends going through growing pains who separate for the Summer. Bina, who is stuck at home, finds an unlikely companion in her bestie's older sister before Austin returns home from Summer camp, when the pair try to reestablish their friendship after time apart.

Age range it's best for: 10-12

Buy it here: All Summer Long ($13)

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20 Be Prepared

What it's about: Vera just wants to fit in with the kids who live in her neighborhood, but because her parents can't afford all of the fancy things — like Summer camps — that the other kids' parents can, she gets sent to Russian Summer camp, which is nothing like she imagined it would be.

Age range it's best for: 10-14

Buy it here: Be Prepared ($13)

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21 Neverworld Wake

What it's about: After the mysterious death of her boyfriend, Beatrice returns one year after graduation to the place it happened to try to figure out what went wrong — when time is suddenly splintered, leaving Beatrice and her friends with one chance to set things right.

Age range it's best for: 12-17

Buy it here: Neverworld Wake ($19)

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