Young Reader's Summer List
Books recommended to read during the TDC Summer Reading Challenge. Or just for fun! Sit down with your young ones and explore the world through stories.
Storyteller Skye : teachings from my Ojibway grandfather
King, Lindsay Christina, author
2023
Berani
Kadarusman, Michelle, 1969- author
2022
Perspectives of two Indonesian middle-schoolers and a caged orangutan entwine. Wealthy Malia faces the consequences of disobediently circulating an anti-palm-oil petition at her school, resulting in suspensions for herself, her best friend, and her teacher. Ari, fortunate to be plucked from his impoverished village to attend school and compete in chess tournaments, helps the uncle who is hosting him but worries about Ginger Juice, the orangutan his uncle keeps in a cage. When Ari learns about orangutan rehabilitation centers from Malia's petition, the young people unite to plot a rescue.
Field trip!
Sutherland, Suzanne, 1987- author.
2022
"In this partially illustrated early chapter book, two young friends sneak away from their school field trip to explore the sights, sounds, and tastes of the big city"-- Provided by publisher.
The fossil whisperer : how Wendy Sloboda discovered a dinosaur
Becker, Helaine, author
2022
A captivating look at the life of a modern-day fossil hunter who makes the find of a lifetime told by author Helaine Becker.
Ghostlight
Oppel, Kenneth, 1967- author
2022
Rebecca Strand was just sixteen when she and her father fell to their deaths from the top of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse in 1839. Just how they fell--or were they pushed?--remains a mystery. And their ghosts haunt the lighthouse to this day. . . Gabe tells this story every day when he gives the ghost tour on Toronto Island. He tries to make it scary enough to satisfy the tourists, but he doesn't actually believe in ghosts--until he finds himself face to face with Rebecca Strand. The true story of her death is far more terrifying than any ghost tale Gabe has told. Rebecca reveals that her father was a member of the Order, a secret society devoted to protecting the world from 'the wakeful and wicked dead'--malevolent spirits like Viker, the ghost responsible for their deaths. But the Order has disappeared, and Viker's ghost is growing ever stronger. Now Gabe and his friends must find a way to stop Viker before they all become lost souls. . .
If you could be anything
Britton, Jennifer, author
2022
Asks the reader what they would be if they could be anything. Responses consist of things that a part of the natural and cultural landscapes of the East Coast.
Kumo : the bashful cloud
Maclear, Kyo, 1970- author.
2022
Wishing to float unseen, extremely shy cloud Kumo decides to pull her fluff together and do her duties, meeting some new friends along the way and inspiring the imagination of a small daydreamer like herself.
A long way home
Little, Jean, 1932-2020, author
2022
Jane and Maya are very different. Maya is a quiet girl and a refugee, new to this country, while chatty and outgoing Jane has lived in the same place her whole life. The girls become instant friends. When they learn about endangered species in school, they decide to do their own small part to help by supporting migrating monarch butterflies. Together they plant a milkweed garden to feed and shelter the tiny creatures, then watch in amazement as a monarch hatches and grows before leaving on the long journey to Mexico. After all the butterflies have departed, Maya shares her own migration story -- her family's long journey to Canada. Maya wishes the monarchs safety in their new home too.
Swim team
Christmas, Johnnie, author, illustrator
2022
Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees-until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help. With Etta's training and a lot of hard work, Bree suddenly finds her swim-crazed community counting on her to turn the school's failing team around. But that's easier said than done, especially when their rival, the prestigious Holyoke Prep, has everything they need to leave the Mighty Manatees in their wake. Can Bree defy the odds and guide her team to a state championship, or have the Manatees swum their last lap-for good?
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
Zhao, Xiran Jay, author
2022
After his augmented reality gaming headset is possessed by the spirit of the First Emperor of China, twelve-year-old Chinese American Zack Ying is compelled to travel across China to steal an ancient artifact, fight figures from Chinese history and myth, and seal a portal to prevent malicious spirits from destroying the human realm.