June 29, 2024
Guest editor and bookseller extraordinaire Leah Bronstein put together a superb selection of titles for young readers (ages 0–18)—and the young at heart!—to begin their summer reading journeys.
Happy reading,
Melanie Fleishman
Buyer, The Center for Fiction Bookstore
Featured Books
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A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree
By Daniel Bernstrom
Published by Hippo Park
Art by Brandon James Scott
Board Book • A hungry bear gets more than it bargained for while on the hunt for some honey. No spoilers, but our bear friend will surely remember to check if anyone’s home first! Bernstrom’s relaxed rhyme scheme, coupled with Scott’s expressive illustrations, has already vaulted this newly released board book to the status of contemporary classic.
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The Squish
By Breanna Carzoo
Published by HarperCollins
Picture Book • A little sandcastle with big dreams faces down errant frisbees and high tides in Carzoo’s (Greenlight) latest. Even though there are a LOT of squishes, Sandcastle finds renewed strength and accepts help from new friends. Kids will get a laugh out of these misadventures and a valuable lesson: you might get knocked down, but dusting yourself off and trying once more is always easier with a friend.
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Summer Is Here
By Renée Watson
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books
Illustrated by Bea Jackson
Picture Book • Renée Watson writes the perfect ode to summertime—highlighting all the tiny moments that make the season shine. From the warm rays of light that greet us in the morning to the sizzle of a griddle at an afternoon cookout, Summer Is Here manages to bottle the sensations of these hazy (and, hopefully, lazy) days to keep on your shelf all year long.
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Super Pancake and the Mini Muffin Mayhem
By Megan Wagner Lloyd & Abhi Alwar
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Middle Grade Graphic Novel • Superhero Peggy Pancake is looking forward to a relaxing break that’s full of catching up on zzz’s and hanging with her friends, Stanley Bacon and Luc Croissant. Peggy’s plans go awry when her mom volunteers her to babysit Mrs. Muffin’s chaotic quintuplets. From there, it’s 150 pages of colorful, high-octane hijinks!
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The Area 51 Files #1
By Julie Buxbaum
Published by Yearling
Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu
Middle Grade • Sky Patel-Baum is in for quite a shock when she moves in with her uncle, who happens to be a high-ranking member of the FBAI — Federal Bureau of Alien (!!!) Investigations. Sky is busy starting at a new middle school, making new friends, and trying to convince folks that her uncle hasn’t kidnapped one of the resident aliens. Sky finds herself swept up in an otherworldly adventure that serves equal parts hilarity and heart.
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Threads That Bind
By Kika Hatzopoulou
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Young Adult • In a post-apocalyptic society populated by the descendants of Greek Gods, there is a murderer on the loose. Io, along with her sisters, was born with the power of the Fates. Feared more than revered, Io has taken on the job of private investigator to support herself and has been given a herculean task: find out who is responsible before they find her and the ones she loves.
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