Summer is here! To celebrate the season, I have gathered together some great, diverse books about summertime. Parents might also like checking out Rebekah Gienapp’s blog, Summer Reading: 15 Diverse Picture Books Kids Will Love. Listed below are books for both younger and older children available as eBooks and audiobooks on OverDrive, Hoopla, and also in the Westchester Libraries. Enjoy!

For Younger Readers:

Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child, Gordon Jourdain & Jonathan Thunder
(Grades K-2)
Library Catalog
“Ojibwe protagonist Windy Girl and her new dog, Itchy Boy, enjoy many good times, but none are so good as when they go to a powwow. Windy Girl and her pup relish exploring the out-of-doors in all seasons, but the best times are when Uncle visits. His stories about the powwows of long ago fascinate her and make her feel proud. Of all the good times, Windy Girl and Itchy Boy love the end-of-summer powwow most. Often, powwows last well into the night. When the “heartbeat” rhythms of the powwow drum lull Windy Girl and Itchy Boy to sleep, she dreams of a special powwow, one in which all the participants are dogs. Here the illustrations, which look to be made from digital media, present scenes in which dogs of many breeds and attired in ceremonial regalia enact typical powwow activities such as dancing and drumming. The Grand Entry depicts dog veterans carrying flags: the Stars and Stripes, a canine POW-MIA flag, one with a bone insignia, and the Red Lake Ojibwe flag of Child and Thunder's nation. Dogs even staff ‘the powwow stands selling Indian fast food.’ Windy Girl awakes with a better understanding of the importance of the powwow in Native American cultures. Child's simple text will help young readers understand the significance of the Ojibwe powwow traditions, and Jourdain's (Lac La Croix First Nation) Ojibwe translation adds dimension. Simultaneously fanciful and reverent, this is a joyous look at a crucial tradition.” – Kirkus Reviews

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
(Preschool-Grade 2)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“Young Jabari decides today is the day he is going to jump from the diving board, even though it's a little high and a little scary. Jabari's father and baby sister accompany him to the swimming pool in the city, where Jabari has already made up his mind about today's goal: jumping off the diving board. ‘I'm a great jumper,’ he says, ‘so I'm not scared at all.’ But that's not entirely true. Readers see Jabari play the waiting game as the other children (a diverse bunch) make their ways past him in line. Once Jabari finally begins to climb up, he slyly remembers that he forgot to ‘stretch.’ The stalling techniques don't faze his dad, who sees an opportunity for a life lesson. ‘It's okay to feel a little scared,’ offers his dad at the side of the pool. With renewed will, Jabari returns to the towering diving board, ready to embrace the feat. In her debut, Cornwall places her loving black family at the center, coloring the swimming pool and park beyond in minty hues and adding whimsy with digitally collaged newspaper for skyscrapers. A bird's-eye view of Jabari's toes clinging to the edge of the diving board as he looks way, way down at the blue pool below puts readers in his head and in the action. This simple and sincere tale of working up courage to face fears makes quite a splash.” – Kirkus Reviews
This Beach is Loud! By Samantha Cotterill
(Preschool-Grade 2)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“A young child gets excited about an upcoming beach trip with Dad, but when they arrive, the beach proves to be louder and more overwhelming than anticipated. It's beach day! This energetic tyke cannot wait to wake Dad up and hit the road. The drive is full of excitement, anticipation, and questions, but as soon as they park, it all ‘looks…busy…’ All kinds of people are everywhere! They are digging and stomping and splashing and just being loud. And the sand gets everywhere. The once-eager protagonist isn't sure if a beach day is so great after all. It's ‘ouchy and sticky and bumpy and scratchy,’ but Dad knows how to give his youngster the tools to refocus so they can enjoy their day out. The text bubbles with onomatopoeia even as it teaches readers ways to cope when in a new space that feels overwhelming. The illustrations—drawn in ink and charcoal and colored with block print—are bright and cheerful, depicting dad and protagonist with light brown skin and straight, black hair. Text is incorporated inventively, at times occupying huge swaths of space to convey the child's excitement and then agitation. Especially designed for kids with sensory-processing issues, the book has broad applicability beyond that audience. Everyone can feel affected by a new scenario, and this book will reassure children that they can overcome their anxieties and have a beautiful day at the beach.” – Kirkus Reviews
The Beach Trip by Jacqueline Jules & Kim Smith
(Grades K-2)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
Viaje a la playa by Jacqueline Jules & Kim Smith
(Grades K-2)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
“Whether Sofia is saving the day with the board games she packed for the (rainy) beach trip or finding a unique way to illuminate her family's house during a power outage, the young Hispanic American girl always make[s] things interesting.” – Horn Book Guide
A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley & Amy Nathan
(Grades K-3)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
“As a young girl, Sharon Langley was forbidden to ride the carousel at Gwyn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore because of her race. This picture book tells the story of how the park was desegregated in the summer of 1963. Following desegregation, the Langleys were the first African American family to walk into the park. Narrated in the first person, Langley's story is told with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of childhood. Her account is placed in the context of the civil rights movement by noting that August 28, 1963, was the day that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Today the carousel is located on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Illustrations rendered in muted colors fill the pages. VERDICT A solid addition to U.S. history collections for its subject matter and its first-person historical narrative” – School Library Journal
My Ocean is Blue by Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron
(Preschool-Grade 2)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
“A young tot with short blond hair, pale skin, and a wondrous fascination with the ocean looks forward to spending the day at the beach. Incidental to the text but prominent in the illustrations, the child also uses forearm crutches. Cut paper that's been textured with watercolor, acrylic, and pencil crayon creates the scenes of pebbled sand, frothy waves, and quiet tide pools. The child sees the ocean as a multitude of opposites. Sometimes it is ‘big’ (with a vast, endless horizon), and sometimes it is ‘small’ (a tiny hermit crab pokes out its head). Sometimes it is ‘dry’ (a large piece of driftwood), and sometimes it is ‘wet’ (a splashing water fight). Lebeuf gradually builds to more lyrical phrases. Seagulls, whales, and dolphins playfully cavort while a motorboat slides by: ‘My ocean splashes and crashes / and echoes and squawks. // My ocean laughs and hums.’ The real delight, besides the intentional focus on detailed observations, is the ease with which the child's disability is slipped into the illustrations. At times, the crutches are laid aside, showing the tot swimming, kneeling, or playing in the sand. Any possible preconceived limitations are dashed–instead, childlike wonder and curiosity shine. A joyful marine romp.” – Kirkus Reviews
Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
(Preschool-Grade 2)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
“Riding home on the subway, Julián is transfixed by three mermaids—voluptuous and self-possessed, with flowing tresses of black, pink, and red, and wearing aqua fishtail costumes (the book is printed on a Kraft-like paper, so the colors seem to literally glow). ‘Julián loves mermaids,’ writes debut author-illustrator Love, and her protagonist falls into a reverie: he’s under the sea, and amid a dazzling school of fish, he sprouts a radiant orange fishtail and waist-length curly hair. While Abuela takes a bath, Julián takes matters into his own hands. He strips down to his underpants, paints his lips purple, fashions a fishtail costume from curtains, and creates a headdress from ferns and flowers. He is, in a word, fabulous. Love lets an anxious beat pass before Abuela takes Julián by the hand, leading him to what some readers may recognize as the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. ‘Like you, mijo,’ says Abuela. ‘Let’s join them.’ Love’s deep empathy for her characters and her keen-eyed observations of urban life come together in a story of love, understanding, and embracing the mermaid within us all. – Publishers Weekly
The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read by Curtis Manley & Kate Berube
(Grades K-2)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“Nick, a brown-skinned boy with a puff of curly hair, has two cats: Verne, who is pretty chill, and Stevenson, who makes Grumpy Cat look exuberant. Neither is happy when Nick turns his attention to a book: Verne lolls across the pages, and Stevenson sits on a stack of volumes, cleans his paws, and scowls. ‘So Nick decided to teach them to read,’ Manley writes, making a marvelous debut—and it works. For Verne, anyway: ‘He practiced on his own, over and over, even after Nick went to bed.’ Soon, Verne has a library card and is borrowing ‘so many books that Nick could hardly carry them home.’ But where does that leave Stevenson? As any former reluctant reader knows, sometimes it takes the right nudge to fall in love with books; here, it’s the discovery that cranky Stevenson is actually an artist. Berube’s (Hannah and Sugar) softly textured paintings are funny, smartly composed, and deeply moving as she makes the cats’ literary and artistic endeavors seem like the most natural thing in the world.” – Publishers Weekly
The Sandcastle That Lola Built by Megan Maynor & Kate Berube
(Grades K-2)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“Lola's beach day becomes more enjoyable when she gets a little help from some friends. The opening text adopts a cumulative pattern, reading: ‘This is the sandcastle that Lola built. // This is the tall, tall tower / Of the sandcastle that Lola built.’ Lola starts off her construction alone, but after she's topped the tower with sea glass that ‘signals mermaids,’ the narration is interrupted by Lola's own words: ‘This is the foot—‘Hey! You stepped on my sandcastle!' Lola immediately forgives the boy (called only ‘the dude with a Frisbee’ or ‘Frisbee Dude’) who's stepped on her sand castle and invites him to build with her. He adds a wall, and the cumulative text moves on…until it's interrupted by the arrival of a toddler and his toy truck. This pattern continues, with lines added to the cumulative text as both the sand castle and the group of children building it get bigger. Then, Lola is bereft when a big wave destroys their creation, but her new friends convince her to build a new one, together. Berube's illustrations, done in mixed media and collage, add visual humor and interest with their expressive depictions of the racially diverse children and background details—including mermaids hidden in clouds and sea. Lola has tan skin and straight, dark hair; Frisbee Dude has pale skin and curly, red hair, and the little toddler has medium brown skin and, adorably, no hair. Dig into this playful, beachy read.” – Kirkus Reviews
Tia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina & Claudio Munoz
(Grades K-3)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“The strength of family and the importance of pursuing one's dreams are the bedrock of middle-grade author Medina's (Milagros: Girl from Away) lyrical first picture book, drawn from memories of her own family. Tía Isa, with whom the young narrator lives in a city apartment, is saving for a car so they can visit the beach. That desire is inextricably tied to one of the girl's own—to be reunited with her parents, who still live on their native island and receive ‘helping money’ from their family in the U.S. (Medina is commendably subtle about the exact details, letting them unfold naturally.) Emotionally invested in her aunt's goal, the girl finds odd jobs to help save money, and they finally buy a gorgeous 1950s-era convertible with tailfins and plenty of room for the girl's parents—pictured with her at the beach in a triumphant final spread. Muñoz's (Jake's Best Thumb) wispy, pastel-hued illustrations exude emotion, from frustration (‘…soon is when our family is going to join us here, so I know soon can be a very long time’) to sheer exuberance.’ – Publishers Weekly
A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams & Floyd Cooper
(Grades K-2)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
“At the beach with his father, Greg strays from his beach umbrella, but stays calm and remembers the two things Dad told him: ‘Don’t go in the water, and don’t leave Sandy.’ Sandy is a lion Greg has drawn in the sand, and because Greg hasn’t lifted the stick with which he has drawn Sandy’s long, long tail (circling, as he goes, a jellyfish, a horseshoe crab, and other beachside marvels), he’s able to retrace his steps to find his father, who’s delighted to see him. Cooper (The Blacker the Berry) draws a startlingly real Greg in a series of tight closeups; readers will feel they can reach out and touch him. Grainy pastel and washed-out color evoke the seashore’s bleached palette, while Greg’s reverent attention to the treasures he finds is the focus of every page. The representation of an African-American father and child in a nonurban setting is welcome, while Williams’s (Four Feet, Two Sandals) even pacing and soothing text reassure children without losing momentum. Most valuable, though, is Williams’s belief in Greg and his resourcefulness; quiet satisfaction pervades his story.” – Publishers Weekly

For Older Readers:

How Tía Lola Saved the Summer by Julia Alvarez
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“Fifth grade was a trial for Miguel, but summer holds the promise of carefree days and baseball. However, when he learns that his mother's friend, Victor, and his three children-all girls-are coming to stay for a week, he is sure that his entire vacation will be ruined. And to top it all off, he sustains an injury that threatens to bench him during the big game. But Tia Lola comes to the rescue, employing her wisdom, charm, and creativity to ensure a fun and memorable summer for everyone. With a playful sprinkling of Spanish phrases, this third installment takes readers on another delightful adventure with this alluring character. The third-person narrative is brimming with heartwarming fun and includes captivating splashes of magical realism. Within the subplots, Alvarez deftly touches on the feelings of children affected by divorce and the intricacies of blended families. Fans of the earlier ‘Tia Lola’ books will not want to miss this one, but it can certainly stand on its own” – School Library Journal

Julian’s Glorious Summer by Ann Cameron
(Grades 3-5)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“When his best friend, Gloria, gets a new bike, Julian (7) is dismayed: he doesn't want to learn to ride, because he's afraid of falling. In a satisfying conclusion, Julian gets his own bike as a reward for considerable labor, and then learns what fun it can be to ride. This is a perfectly constructed young reader, with neat turns in the plot, a loving family, and engaging dialogue.”- Kirkus Reviews
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
“In his inventive middle grade debut, Giles (Overturned) riotously scrambles time, moving it backward, forward—and not at all. In the Virginia county that’s home to genial African-American cousins and renowned sleuths Otto and Sheed Alston (whose sleuthing skills are rivaled only by crafty twin sisters), curious goings-on are commonplace, but on the last day of summer vacation, things ‘get stranger than usual’—by a lot. When Flux, a man with limbs that can stretch ‘like he was made of taffy,’ suddenly appears and instructs the boys to take a photo of their town with his vintage camera, residents become frozen in place and time. TimeStar, a futuristic superhero, then emerges from a portal in the sky and lunges at Flux, launching a madcap struggle between good and evil and the cousins’ quest to unfreeze time. Villainous Flux commandeers Norton Juster–style ‘agents of time’ the Clock Watchers—cleverly depicted personifications that include patriarch Father Time, indecisive Second Guessers, and the Time Sucks, fuzzy platypus-like beasts. Laced with humor, the fantastical time war plays out at a dizzying pace as Giles interjects affecting realism with themes of reconciliation, family, identity, and destiny.” – Publishers Weekly
Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“When Jamila Waheed meets fellow 10-year-old Shirley Bones at a garage sale, she's hopeful she's made her first neighborhood friend. Shirley's mother is sending her to camp for the summer, against her will. When Jamila confesses that she's in the same situation, Shirley, who's a bit of an oddball, says that she'll convince her mother to convince Jamila's mother to let them skip camp and spend time together instead. Jamila is skeptical, but Shirley comes through, and before long, the two girls are spending their days together on the nearby basketball court. But instead of practicing, like Jamila, Shirley makes it her home base for doing detective work. When Jamila joins Shirley, the two begin to forge a true friendship–one that their latest case puts to the test. This fast-paced graphic novel set in Canada features a diverse cast of characters featured in drawings teeming with movement, detail, and life. Jamila is a brown-skinned Muslim girl, and Shirley is white. Goerz is a master of character development, making no one into a villain and no one into a saint and giving each a fascinating role to play. While Jamila and Shirley's friendship is the highlight, it's only one of many deeply satisfactory layers of storytelling. An action-packed graphic novel about finding–and forgiving–our closest friends.” – Kirkus Reviews
All Summer Long by Hope Larson
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“It's a summer of changes for 13-year-old Bina. Her best friend Austin is off to soccer camp, her oldest brother and his husband are adopting a baby, and nobody has time for Bina. An aspiring guitarist, she takes solace in music; it grounds her when she feels adrift. Over the course of long weeks filled with babysitting, mini-golf, concerts, and family, Bina experiences a full range of emotions as feelings are easily hurt, moods are topsy-turvy, and friendships are formed, broken, and reshaped in different ways. This sensitive, relatable graphic novel explores many familiar touchstones of adolescence as Bina seeks her place in the world. Constantly looking up to the older, more accomplished people in her life, Bina finds it hugely satisfying when she realizes that she, too, has something to offer. A limited palette keeps the focus on the story and character development, and Larson's expressive drawings add to the emotional resonance of the teen's journey to self-discovery. VERDICT Fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile and Shannon Hale's Real Friends will eagerly embrace this work. A charming addition to any graphic novel collection.” – School Library Journal
Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look & LeUyen Pham
(Grades 3-5)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“This second story about Alvin Ho, the boy who is afraid of almost everything, is another delightful look into the life of the timid youngster. In this installment, his fears center around a big upcoming event: camping with his dad. Once again, Look’s dialogue is spot on: she captures the silly, impetuous, jump-from-one-idea-to-the-next quality of a second-grade boy. Alvin’s adventures (like getting trapped in a dishwasher box while pretending to be Houdini, and learning secret camping tricks from his uncle) are charmingly genuine and fun to read. Look’s pitch-perfect descriptions and phrasing add to the overall humor and heart of the story (about his sister, Alvin says, ‘She’s like a stoplight in the middle of my life and there’s just no avoiding her.’) and her sensitivity to what it means to be a not-quite-normal little boy is right on target. Whimsical illustrations pop up mid-page; Pham’s expressive characters capture the essence of the story. A “Very Scary Glossary” of Alvin’s fears and favorite things is included at the end. There are certain stories kids read and just feel good for having read: this is one of them.”- School Library Journal
The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“Cooler-than-cool newcomer Styx Malone takes the more-sheltered brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene on a mischievous, path-altering, summer adventure of a lifetime as they embrace the extraordinary possibilities beyond the everyday in rural Indiana. Readers may think an adventure such as they'll find here wouldn't be possible in the present day; this story takes place outside, where nature, know-how, creativity, and curiosity rule. Creeks, dirt roads, buried treasures, and more make up the landscape in Sutton, Indiana. Younger brother Caleb narrates, letting readers know from the outset that he's tired of his dad's racially tinged determination that they be safely ordinary: ‘I don't want to be ordinary. I want to be…the other thing.’ With Styx Malone around, Caleb and Bobby Gene will sure figure out what that ‘other thing’ can become. The three black adolescents are enchanted with the miracle of the Great Escalator Trade, the mythic one-thing-leads-to-another bartering scheme that just might get them farther from Sutton than they've ever dreamed. As they get deeper and deeper into cahoots with Styx, they begin to notice that Styx harbors some secret ambitions of his own, further twisting this grand summer journey. ‘How do you move through the world knowing that you're special, when no one else can see it?’ begs the soul of this novel.Heartening and hopeful, a love letter to black male youth grasping the desires within them, absorbing the worlds around them, striving to be more otherwise than ordinary. Please share.” – Kirkus Reviews
Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
“A sudden change in vacation plans leads to an unforgettable summer for 11-year-old Cat and her younger brother, Chicken, who has special needs.Cat and Chicken are the namesakes of characters in their mother's picture-book series, Caterpillar & Chicken. In the books, Cat looks out for Chicken and does everything she can to make him happy. This is true in real life as well: Chicken has special needs (undefined, but he is sensitive to noise and touch, has difficulty governing himself, and has a tendency toward fixations), and Cat is responsible for taking care of him while their mother works. Cat and Chicken are biracial; their mother is white and their late father was black. Cat can't wait to visit her best friend, Rishi, in Atlanta during summer vacation. But when Rishi's parents are suddenly needed in India, Cat and Chicken find themselves staying on Gingerbread Island, North Carolina, with their mother's parents–grandparents they've never met before. Cat's mother is tight-lipped about why she's estranged from her parents, but Cat is determined to protect Chicken, like she always does. The poignant story of Cat's unexpected adventures on Gingerbread Island is told with tenderness and a keen sense of what can make–and break–family bonds. While race isn't central to the story, it's also not incidental. Through debut author McDunn's vivid storytelling, issues related to race and bias are deftly woven into the larger narrative. An engrossing, heartwarming, beautifully written debut about building and rebuilding family ties.” – Kirkus Reviews
To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan & Meg Wolitzer
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
Library Catalog
“Peeking at her father’s emails, 12-year-old Californian Bett learns two pieces of upsetting information: her father has fallen in love with a man she’s never met, and the two of them are scheming to send Bett and the man’s 12-year-old daughter, Avery, away to summer camp together. Furious, Bett finds Avery’s email address to break the horrible news. The girls vow not to speak to each other during the summer, but despite their differences (Bett is spontaneous and adventurous; Avery is bookish and fearful), they form a strong bond. When their fathers part ways during a disastrous trip to China, the girls, who had been looking forward to being sisters, are determined to find a way to reunite them. Written entirely in emails and letters, this laugh-out-loud novel showcases the collaborative skills of bestselling authors Sloan (Short) and Wolitzer (Bellzhar). In addition to the two distraught protagonists, the authors create several other unforgettable characters, including Avery’s estranged biological mother and Bett’s feisty grandmother. Featuring a dramatic climax and a host of surprising twists, the novel affirms that families conventional and unconventional are families just the same.” – Publisher’s Weekly
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
hoopla
Library Catalog
“It's the summer of 1968, and eleven-year-old Delphine reluctantly shepherds her two younger sisters on their trip from Brooklyn to Oakland, where the mother who deserted them now lives. Thoroughly coached by her grandmother about how little Negro girls should behave to avoid scenes, Delphine maintains her own sensibility about what is appropriate and makes sure her sisters toe the line. Their mother Cecile is far from welcoming, sending them each day to the People's Center run by the Black Panthers to keep them out of her way while she writes her poetry. At the center, the girls get free food and an education in revolution. Williams-Garcia writes about that turbulent summer through the intelligent, funny, blunt voice of Delphine, who observes outsiders and her own family with shrewdness and a keen perception of why they each behave the way they do. Never afraid to stand up to anyone or anything, Delphine copes with her equally strong-willed mother calmly, ‘because that's how you treat crazy people.’ She takes over when she has to, and during the course of their month-long visit she refines her understanding of her mother and herself. The setting and time period are as vividly realized as the characters, and readers will want to know more about Delphine and her sisters after they return to Brooklyn with their radical new ideas about the world.” – Horn Book Guide