Some fabulous picture books for summer reading!

Summer reading is upon us. Did you know that if children read at least five books this summer they will prevent learning loss, according to a White House study. If children don’t read or engage with stories over the summer they lose about 2-3 months of reading achievement. The best way to keep your children reading through the summer is to sign up for one of the fabulous summer reading programs. Reading is so important! Here are three of my favorite picture books to check out this summer! Recommended for ages 4-8.

Shoe Dog by Megan McDonald and Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson

The beloved author of the Judy Moody and the Stink series has created a fabulous picture book about a dog that loves to chew. What does he chew, but shoes! He isn’t a dog that chews bones, or toys, or smelly socks, but rather shoes. And lots of them! Especially brand new shoes! Clever and lively illustrations by Tillotson, are created with crayon and charcoal and then combined together digitally. An adorable read aloud story especially for dog lovers who understand dogs need to chew!

President Taft is Stuck in the Bath by Mac Barnett and Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

We have read about George Washington and his teeth and Abraham Lincoln and his top hat, but what about President Taft. Did you know that he got stuck in the bathtub?  A clever, silly but yet true story of how the 27^th President got stuck in his bathtub and how they got him out. The illustrations are expressive, bold and quite colorful. These gouache caricatures add silliness to a true story. A great Author’s note with facts pertaining to President Taft can be found at the back of the book along with an archived picture of the bathtub in the White House with President Taft and four men from his cabinet.

Share by Sally Ann Garland

Sharing isn’t easy; in fact most kids don’t like to share. Bunny is no different but when her cousin comes to visit she realizes just how much she doesn’t like to share. But her cousin wants to do everything like bunny and bunny doesn’t understand why. A sweet rhyming story that helps children understand the importance of sharing and why it can be so hard. Illustrations are digitally created with a soft pastel palette. This is a great read aloud or bedtime story. It also can be a  useful tool in teaching the importance of sharing.

The Red Umbrella

I just finished reading a really fabulous and very powerful book called, The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. This is a great historical novel for grades 5^th -8. I would also recommend this book for an “in-class” read because it teaches a part of history that many children today don’t know much about.

The story begins in Cuba in 1961 and spans over the course of just about one year. Lucia is 14 years old and has a wonderful life with her family in Cuba. She is a typical teen, thinking about fashion, dreaming of parties and liking boys. But everything changes when the revolution begins. Her friends are no longer friends and her family is being stripped of their rights. After Lucia witnesses a brutal murder her parents decide to make a heart wrenching decision, one that many had to make during that time. They decide to send Lucia and her little brother, Frankie, to America alone. While one can’t imagine being torn from your family, Lucia makes the best of their new situation and learns to adapt to her new lifestyle in America while waiting for her parents to bring her back home.

This novel is based on historical events that took place during this time period when over 14,000 unaccompanied minors were sent over to the United States to escape Castro’s Operation Pedro Pan. This was considered to be one of the largest Exodus of unaccompanied children in the west. The author created this story based on true experiences of her own parents.

Christina Gonzalez did a fabulous job as a first time author creating a very real story portraying authentic feelings. Another special touch that I enjoyed was the inclusion of brief newspaper headlines at the beginning of each chapter. These headlines give the reader a glimpse into the Cuban politics and history. There is also an author’s note as well as an index of Spanish words and phrases that the author used throughout the story.

The Red Umbrella is a moving story of Cuba, family and the true meaning of home. Find it today at your local library.