An End-of-Summer Reading List for Kids
These nature-loving books will have young minds running wild.
By Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 32 pages, $17.89
Preschool to third grade
Steve Jenkins’ paper-cutout illustrations are legendary. To follow up his 2014 book Mama Built a Little Nest, he and his wife devoted 32 precious pages to eggs. Not all of them are birds, but some of the avian species featured include a Royal Albatross, a bluebird, and an Asian Palm Swift. Each image also comes with a fun fact about the species’ eggs.
By Mo Williams
Disney-Hyperion, 40 pages, $12.95
Preschool
If you want to keep a kid laughing until bedtime, this series should do the trick. Created by Emmy Award-animator Mo Williams, the books teach little ones about sharing and working with others. In this particular book, the main character—a pigeon—squabbles over a delicious treat with a stubborn duckling. The dialogue is breezy and the cartoons are, well, comical.
By Marie Eve Poirer-Harris
$15
First to third grade
Dewey the owl and Oscar the porcupine are flustered by all the crazy weather in the world. So they join forces with Zeelah and her adventurous classmates, who put on their pajamas and set out to convince grown-ups that something is really, really wrong. This story is also available as an e-book, meaning it’s perfect for sharing out loud.
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
By Lynne Cherry
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 40 pages, $6.79
First to third grade
Over the years, Lynne Cherry has emerged as a stalwart environmental author for young children. Her magical narratives always astound, as do her rich watercolor-and-pencil drawings. “The Great Kapok Tree” covers the amazing diversity of the Amazon rainforest, and illustrates the bonds between the many species that live there. If you’re a fan of Cherry’s work, check out Flute’s Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush as well.
Olivia’s Birds: Saving the Gulf
By Olivia Bouler
Sterling Children’s Books, 32 pages, $12.53
First to third grade
Here’s a book with an incredible story both on its pages and behind its making. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, 11-year-old Olivia Bouler began raising money to help the recovery in the Gulf. She did this by painting 500 birds, a few of which show up in Olivia’s Birds. The book helps readers to discover birds, and help them in critical areas, too.
By E.B. White
Harper Collins, 272 pages, $6.99
Fourth to fifth grade
A true classic, The Trumpet of the Swan is one of those books that never leaves you. Louis is a sad little swan who doesn’t have a voice—until his dad breaks into a shop and steals him a trumpet. Though he’s seen as an outsider in his flock, he soon finds that others are willing to see him for who he truly is. It’s the perfect tale for kids who are looking for stories that have a more worldly missive.