By now, most kids are so close to summer break that they can taste it! And while there will be plenty of time for swimming, camping, hanging with friends, and spending time with family, we can’t forget another classic childhood summer activity: summer reading! Whether they’re filling out logs for summer reading challenges or just in the mood for a book to get lost in, this look at some of the most exciting, fascinating, and hilarious picture and middle-grade releases in June will give them plenty of additions to their summer TBR list.
Picture Books
Scarecited on the First Day of School by Alliah L. Agostini, Illustrated by Lala Watkins (June 3rd)
Sometimes, there’s just not a name for the emotions someone is feeling, which is why Afua’s gotten pretty good at making up her own! Utilizing clever portmanteaus to capture the young protagonist’s worries, disappointments, and pleasant surprises on her first day of school, readers feeling scarecited (scared + excited) about their own first days will surely identify as Afua’s experiences shift her mood from shurious (shy + curious) to sadbarrassed (sad + embarrassed) to prelieved (proud + relieved).
You Can Sit with Me by Rachel Tawil Kenyon, Illustrated by Tatiana Kamshilina (June 3rd)
Being the new kid in town can be daunting, but the kind and welcoming child protagonist of this title is happy to help in any way they can. After cheerfully greeting their new neighbor on moving day, the brown-skinned and bespectacled narrator goes out of her way to offer a seat, a kind word, and a welcoming hand to the other child. A subtly encouraging guide for youngsters to exhibit kindness to new friends, this is a heartwarming treat to help kids gear up for the next school year.
When You Go to Dragon School by Chelsea M. Campbell, Illustrated by Charlene Chua (June 3rd)
When a group of kiddos find that there is no room at the local human school and they will be attending the dragon school this year, they are understandably flummoxed. After all, how are they supposed to keep up in their fire-breathing and learning wing gestures when they don’t have either? This is a clever back-to-school book that slyly celebrates how diverse groups can complement and learn from one another to create inclusive classrooms.
There’s Something Odd About the Babysitter by Elayne Crain, Illustrated by John Ledda (June 3rd)
Freddie has had a lot of babysitters over the years, and he hasn’t gotten along with even one of them. This new babysitter, however? Well, Freddie can’t quite put his finger on it, but there’s something… strange about this one. They seem a little twitchy, their table manners are lousy, and the dinner they make is garbage (no, really). Still, when your new babysitter is three raccoons in a trenchcoat, at least the night will be anything but boring!
Unnaturally Blue by Dorson Plourde, Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler (June 3rd)
While all the other children at the community pool are having tons of fun, the new girl feels like there’s no room for her. Swimming down to find some peace and quiet, she finds a portal into a deep and mysterious world of underwater flora and fauna. At last, she feels like she belongs, and it reflects in her transformation into a sea creature — but what will her new swimming companions make of this change?
A Summer without Anna by Kate Jenks Landry, Illustrated by Risa Hugo (June 3rd)
Junie’s sister Anna is very ill, so Junie will be spending the summer with their grandparents alone while the girls’ parents take care of Anna’s medical needs. To comfort her during their separation, Anna loans Junie her camera for taking lots of pictures, especially of the elusive and mysterious “Edmund.” The book then follows Junie’s quiet summer adventures as she processes the difficulties of being apart from her family and worrying about her sister.
Stay for Dinner by Sandhya Parappukkaran, Illustrated by Michelle Pereira (June 10th)
Reshma loves dinnertime with her family, from using their hands to mix and scoop heaping piles of delicious curries and papadums to Ammama’s customary post-meal belch. However, when she is invited for dinner at a few of her friends’ homes, she can’t help but notice how different their food and dining customs are. She wants to invite her friends to her family dinner, but she worries — will they laugh at the way her family eats?
The Riding Lesson by Jennifer K. Mann (June 17th)
Frances knows horses. She knows about how pretty and graceful and perfect they are, and she can’t wait to go to her friend Mae’s house to learn how to ride a noble steed like her toy horse, Excalibur. Yet when she arrives at Mae’s family stable, she is disconcerted to learn that horses are a lot bigger, dirtier, and stinkier than she had imagined. They also require a lot of work and are kind of scary to ride! Can Frances overcome her expectations and find joy in the realities of horseback riding?
The Fig Tree: A Story About Building Friendship and Peace in Cyprus by Costantia Manoli, Illustrated by Leah Giles (June 17th)
This moving title on the divide of war is told from the point of view of the titular tree, who reminisces about a time when the Greek and Turkish residents of her island both shared her shade and fruit in friendship. However, when conflict between the two broke out, the tree was left alone. Now she sits in the no-man’s land of the divide between the island, and her fruit ripens and rots with no one to share it. However, she hopes for a day when the children of each side can rest together again under the shelter of her branches.
Angel Draws a Dinosaur by Pavonis Giron (June 24th)
After visiting the natural history museum, aspiring artist Angel is inspired to draw the incredible dinosaur skeletons he saw. However, whenever he puts crayon to paper, the result is never quite what he imagined in his head, and trying to correct his “mistakes” only makes them worse. His moms remind him that making art isn’t about perfection, and encourage him to find pride in what he has created. After looking at his discarded drawings in a new light, Angel begins to see that his drawings were not failures, but flashes of his growing talent.
Middle Grade
Future Me Saves the World (and Ruins My Life) by Leah Cypess, Illustrated by Wes Molebash (June 3rd)
Ten-year-old Ethan is having an incredibly strange morning, to put it mildly. I mean, what else would you call waking up to the 39-year-old version of yourself — who is sporting so super-weird clothes —- telling you that a) time travel is real, and b) that if you don’t convince your substitute teacher not to quit today, she’s going to become an evil dictator who destroys the world? Combining madcap humor with a dash of sci-fi, this is a sure hit for kids who love a gut-busting read.
Chess Club: The Winning Move by Rebecca Donnelly, Illustrated by Isabelle Duffy (June 3rd)
This series opener introduces Halima, an avid chess enthusiast who longs for more opportunities for in-person play. With the encouragement of her best friend Jem, she forms a chess club and welcomes two more members — Parker and Daniel — who all have their own reasons for playing the game. A tale of friendship and teamwork as well as navigating typical middle grade woes, this quartet of clever kids might just tempt young readers to try their own hand at chess.
The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez by Jasminne Paulino (June 3rd)
Neurodivergent middle-schooler Alex has one dream: to work for NASA someday. The issue is that after having several meltdowns three years ago, he was placed in the SC (self-contained) special education classroom, where he is forced to work on school materials that are well below his academic abilities. Wanting desperately to at least be able to take Ms. Rosef’s mainstream science class, and with none of his teachers supporting him, Alex must learn to advocate for himself to make his dreams come true.
The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun by Wendy Wan-Long Shang (June 3rd)
Esme loves to swim competitively; according to her friend Tegan, a little too much. However, when you’ve got three high-achieving sisters and a mother whose approval seems tied to being successful, it’s hard not to put your all into the thing you’re good at. Yet after an awkward encounter with the new girl, Kaya, and Tegan pulling away from Esme to focus on boys and fashion, Esme wonders if focusing only on herself and winning is really how she wants to spend her summer.
Evie and Rhino by Neridah McMullin, Illustrated by Astred Hicks (June 3rd)
In 1891, ten-year-old Evie hadn’t spoken in two years, not since both of her parents were lost at sea. Now she lives in the run-down estate house of her grandfather in a remote area of Victoria, Australia. Unexpectedly coming across a shipwrecked rhino, she fearlessly leads the creature home, much to the surprise of her grandfather, Cook the housekeeper, and Mr. Duffer the farmhand. However, Rhino quickly becomes a beloved member of their little family — until the zoo that had been expecting him makes plans to take him away.
The Incorruptibles by Lauren Magaziner (June 10th)
This series kickoff sees orphaned tailor’s apprentice Fiona join a group of resistance fighters in the remains of the former United States. By accident, Fiona learns of the Incorruptibles, who fight the Radiance, a tyrannical group that rules over the sorcerors who killed her parents many years ago. Eager to join their ranks, Fiona must prove herself by training hard, rooting out a spy, a questioning her previous understanding of the world. This awesome fantasy adventure not only features excitement and intrigue, but also a fierce, queer, and body-positive heroine.
Deeply Dave by Michael Grover (June 10th)
Adapted from the popular webcomic, this graphic novel sees Dave on a rescue mission to recover his astronaut mom after her spacecraft crashes into the ocean. Clever interactive elements that draw the reader into the story as Dave traverses the dark depths of the sea, navigating increasingly wild twists and turns that involve sea monsters, switching bodies with an octopus, and extraterrestrial stowaways. Can Dave and his mom make it back to the surface, or will they forever be trapped in the deep?
Smoke & Mirrors by Rosalyn Ransaw (June 10th)
Twelve-year-old Andy has enough on his plate: his mom left a long time ago, and he’s staying with his Aunt Nonie in the tiny town of Nyle Park, Ohio, while his dad awaits trial for an arrest that Andy feels was unjust. After a firecracker incident gets out of hand and a barn is burned down, Andy is punished by being tasked with helping the barn owner, Mr. Gilbert, to restore a crumbling house, the former home of a magician named the Red Nave. As Andy gets swept into a mystery of disappearances, murder, secret identities, and racial tensions, he’ll have to keep his wits about him to survive.
Are There Rainbows in Space?: A Colorful Compendium of Seriously Cool Science by Dr. Sheila Kanani, Illustrated by Liz Kay (June 10th)
An intriguing question! Astronomer Kanani walks readers through the science of light and color to answer this query and several more, such as “What color is a polar bear under its fur?” and “Why is the sea blue?” Curious young minds can learn about how color shapes our perception of animals, plants, and the universe through accessible and fascinating explanations, wonderfully aided by Kay’s engaging illustrations.
Kickturn by Brie Spangler (June 17th)
Lindy lives a nomadic life with her influencer parents in their renovated school bus home, traveling across the country as her mom creates #yogalife content. So when the bus breaks down and San Jose, CA, and Lindy has to opportunity to make some friends, go to a real-life skatepark, and possibly even meet her skateboarding idol, Lindy makes the decision that she’s not ready to leave again… and not above a little vehicular sabotage while she tries to convine her parents to stay.
That’s our picks for the can’t-miss reads dropping next month! Be sure to check them out and add them to your family’s TBR lists, and happy reading!
Want to catch up with our children’s recommendations from last month? Check out the Children’s New Releases from May here.
To see all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
