5 Children's Book Picks For Summer Reading!

Hey there, readers! It's been quite awhile since I've posted something new on here. With that being said, today I am going to be sharing with you several children's and middle grade books for summer reading. As I've said before, I believe that there is great reward when you share the gift of reading with children. Books like the ones I'll be talking about can take children on fantastic adventures and help keep the boredom away.

I'll be telling you a little bit about each book, as well as what my thoughts were and why you should read it. Let's get started, shall we?

The Changelings by Christina Soontornvat 

This story is centered around Izzy, a girl who just wants something to happen in her sleepy town. This wish ends up becoming true when a strange song lures her little sister Hen into the woods, where she mysteriously vanishes. A search leads Izzy to discover that Hen fell into a strange hole in the ground. This hole, however, isn't an ordinary one, and she soon discovers that it leads to the world of Faerie, where her sister was stolen away. So a group of Changelings from inside this land offers to Izzy find her sister before it's too late.

I decided to put this story at the very beginning of my list of picks because it was a story I absolutely enjoyed. If you like charming fairy tales full of magic, I would definitely recommend checking out the Changelings. The story itself was very imaginative, the pacing was very good, and the characters I met throughout this book were very fun to read about. I'm sure young readers that are into fantasy stories will enjoy this one!

Foxcraft: The Taken by Inbali Isereles

This is the first book in this author's fantasy trilogy. Foxcraft: The Taken is about Isla, a young fox who lives with her brother outside the land of the furless (humans). As Isla learns the skills to help her survive the world, something unimaginable occurs. Returning home to her den, she discovers that it has been set ablaze, with strange foxes surrounding it and her family nowhere to be seen. Isla must flee into the world of the furless, and navigate the new terrain while being hunted by a cruel adversary. But in order to survive, she must master the art of foxcraft, the magical gifts known only to foxes.

Foxcraft: The Taken is a must-read for young readers who enjoy animal-centered stories. The book is told through Isla's perspective, which I found really enjoyable and had my attention from the very beginning. The magical elements were very intriguing, and I really enjoyed how the story managed to blend them with real life behaviors of foxes.

Zeus the Mighty: The Quest for the Golden Fleas by Crispin Boyer

On top of a hill in Athens, Georgia sits Mount Olympus Pet Center, a spot for animals that are in need of a forever home. The center's owner, Artie, has rescued a variety of different animals, each of them named after a god or goddess from mythology. And this story, as the title suggests, is about Zeus, a small yet courageous hamster who watches the other pets from his cage on the high shelf. But Zeus has a big task in front of him he must take: Finding the "Golden Fleas."

This book is the perfect combination of Greek mythology and talking animals. The moment I saw that hamster dressed likes he's from ancient Greece on the cover, I just knew that this was going to be a cute story. And I was right!

I love how it cleverly used a pet shop setting to reimagine the tale of Jason and the Argonauts, with different portions of the shop corresponding to different locations of ancient Greece. The characters we meet in this book are all very fun to read about, and the cartoon style of the illustrations throughout is super cute and brings Zeus and the other animals to life.

Treasure Hunters by James Patterson

Professor Kidd and his wife raised their children on the boat they've traveled the world on in search of treasure. However, after their mother disappears in Cyprus and their father mysterious disappears during a big storm, the kids make the decision to stay on the boat and continue their work. But along the way, they face peril from their father's nemesis, a treasure hunter that goes by the name of Nathan Collier. Working together with there abilities, they discover some treasure, uncover some secrets about their family, as well as a possible way to get their mother back.

It kinda goes without saying that a story from this author is appearing in this list of book recommendations. I mean, were talking about James Patterson, an author who has written tons of amazing books. And this book, as well as the rest in this series, is probably one of my personal favorites among the middle grade stories Patterson has written.

Treasure Hunters has such a fun premise, and I believe it will appeal to young readers that are into adventure books. Not only is this story super entertaining, but it's also educational at times when it comes to the historical artifacts the kids in this book search for.

The Green Ember by S.D. Smith

The Green Ember is the tale of two rabbit siblings, Heather and Picket. When their home is destroyed by wolves and their family is taken hostage, the two are pulled into a war between the rabbits and the animals that are hungry for power. In order to save their family from danger, they will have to learn new skills and find the courage they never knew.

The best way to describe this book is a new story with an old soul. The Green Ember weaves the medieval elements of swords and storytellers with cute rabbit characters in an amazing and entertaining way. Full of gripping action, this animal fantasy is sure to appeal to a variety of readers.

And those were my five children's book picks for summer reading! But the entertaining reads don't end here. There's many more great stories out there just waiting to be read. Perhaps I will do another list of book recommendations like this one in the future.

What are some of your picks for summer reading?