NEW YORK — The summer months present the perfect opportunity for parents to give their kids great books to read, but sometimes it’s hard to know what’s new, what’s good and what’s appropriate for your child — not to mention which books your child will actually want to read.
TheReadingRoom.com has chosen their 13 favorite new children’s books, for kids age 3 to 12 to dive into this summer. Included in the list are books published in the last few months, with some wonderful picture books from favorites like Oliver Jeffers, and some imaginative and meaningful stories for older readers. Among the picks are:
This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers. This story about a boy called Wilfred and his pet moose, Marcel, from the popular Jeffers is full of wit and warmth.
Chu’s Day by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Adam Rex. Neil Gaiman is well known to many readers, as he also writes for adults. This latest picture book for children features an adorable baby panda that has a really big sneeze.
The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen. Lemony Snicket is best known for his 13 books that make up A Series of Unfortunate Events, and now he has written a picture book with wonderful illustrations by Klassen, who illustrated another of our picks, Extra Yarn, by Mac Barnett.
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde is a story for children aged 10 and up. Fforde is also known for his Thursday Next series for adults. Now he brings his sense of absurdity to this new book for children, with a sequel due later in the year.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio is already a big fan with children and adults alike, and we are not surprised. This is a terrific book, which tells the story of Auggie, a boy with a facial disfigurement.
In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz is a highly original retelling of classic fairy tales, such as “The Frog Prince,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” with lots of challenges, difficult questions and great laughs thrown in.
For the full list of TheReadingRoom.com’s recommended summer reading for kids — and short reviews of each of the titles — please visit the blog at http://blog.thereadingroom.com/.
TheReadingRoom.com is an independent online portal for avid readers to discover new books. By combining the power of social networking with carefully curated content, recommendations and featured selections, as well as the ability to buy eBooks and print titles, readers can now discover books via in much the same way they have in the past: from people they know and trust.
With more than 7 million book records, TheReadingRoom.com simplifies and personalizes the book selection process by providing readers with both social networking tools, private and public Book Clubs and curatorial expertise to help discover new titles through tailored suggestions. The site also provides reviews and expert critical analysis from the New York Times and The Guardian (London) as well as reviews from TheReadingRoom.com members and respected book bloggers.
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