We have already recommended books that our adult readers will love this summer. Now it’s time to help your kids find the perfect book! And check out our recommendations for teens as well — coming soon.
Summer book recommendations for kids
1. The Strange Sound by the Sea by Haley Stewart
You may not have heard that G.K. Chesterton was secretly accompanied by a tiny cloister of talking mice who were also nun-detectives, but after your kids read this book (and the rest of the series), they can tell you all about their crime-solving escapades.
Published 2023.
2.Hugh O’ Flaherty: The Irish Priest Who Resisted the Nazis by Fiorella de Maria
This true life story of a heroic priest who saved thousands from the Nazis during World War II is far more exciting than any of this summer’s Hollywood adventure movies.
Published 2023.
3. Sarah and Simon Seek and Find the Life of Jesus by Geert de Sutter
This picture book brings the world of the Gospels alive for children. Your kids will enjoy exploring the environs of 1st-century Galilee and Jerusalem while following Jesus and a pair of children through 12 different episodes in his life.
Published 2022.
4. Five for Victory by Hilda van Stockum
Though written for children, the books in Hilda van Stockum’s “Mitchell” series, drawn from the author’s own experiences, depict family life with evocative detail and wry humor. In this first book, dad goes off to fight in World War II and the Mitchell kids make their own small sacrifices to aid the war effort and their mom – but mostly they make up fun adventures the way all kids did before the invention of electronics.
Published 1945. Available on audiobook.
5. The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
Imagination runs wild in these classic comic strip tales of a boy and his talking tiger pal that are best shared by being read-aloud with the whole family. (Leave extra time for laughter.)
Published 1988.
Don’t forget to check out our fiction and nonfiction recommendations for grownups — and our teen list. (Coming super soon, we promise!) Throughout the summer we will also post interviews with the authors of our recommended books, reading guides, discussion questions, and more!
