6 books for teens and kids to read this summer
Recommendations from three local experts — from picture books to YA fantasy.
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Teens and tweens may spend between six and nine hours a day on digital media, according to a survey conducted by Common Sense Media. If you’re trying to get your child to escape into a book this summer and not a video game, it’s best to consult the experts. That’s why we got summer reading picks from the staff at Trident Booksellers and Cafe, Brookline Booksmith, and Harvard Book Store. Below, six titles ranging from picture books to YA fiction that will transport your kids to different worlds — no screen necessary.
Shop: Trident Booksellers and Cafe (338 Newbury St., Boston; 617-267-8688)
Expert: Clarissa Hadge, assistant bookstore manager
Pick: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (Viking Books for Young Readers; $25)
This YA fantasy, suggested for ages 12 to 17, is a read Hadge said she wants to get into everyone’s hands this summer. She “devoured” the book, which follows the epic actions of young female sharp-shooter in a wild west universe, in one sitting, she said.
“In this world there’s monsters and creatures and things out in the desert that she’s never encountered before,” she said. “So it’s a rip-roaring adventure, and it’s a really fast read.”
Pick: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; $17)
Hadge said this story about a gentle-souled robot named Roz who finds herself on a remote island, is one that turns classic sci-fi tropes upside-down. Perfect for 8- to 12-year-old readers, Hadge said it’s the first time she’s found a middle grade book with a female robot, rather than male, as the protagonist.
“It’s a very sweet story,” she said. “The chapters are fairly short, so it’s good for reading out loud or for readers who may be a little bit reluctant to read on their own.”
Shop: Brookline Booksmith (279 Harvard St., Brookline; 617-566-6660)
Expert: India Winslow, children’s bookseller
Pick: Once Was a Time by Leila Sales (Chronicle Books; $17)
Engaging characters fill this heartwarming story of a young girl who travels through a portal from 1940 to 2013 and spends her life trying to get back to her best friend, Winslow said. Since the protagonist is a 10-year-old, the book is recommended for 10- to 13-year-old readers, she said.
“It’s just a very beautiful story about the power of friendship and the ability of the human spirit to adjust to any situation that’s thrown its way, which I think is wonderful for kids to learn,” Winslow said.
Pick: Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley (Dial Books; $18)
Winslow said this YA novel is beautifully written with fantastic characters. Recommended for teens 14 and older, the tome follows what happens when a girl who wants to be a psychologist decides she will help “fix” a fellow classmate who is agoraphobic.
“It’s the story of how people don’t need to be fixed and that it’s important to understand what makes a person tick,” she said.
Shop: Harvard Book Store (1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge; 617-661-1515)
Expert: Liz Sher, children’s book buyer
Pick: Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie; Illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; $18)
This picture book, recommended for ages 4 to 7, is a great book to read aloud with the whole family, Sher said.
“It’s just a really sweet, super positive story of identity — being very proud of your own roots but also wanting to claim your own space in the world,” she said. “And it also has a very sweet, surprise ending too.”
Pick: Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai (HarperCollins; $7)
Sher said summer is a great time to read a title in paperback that you may have missed in hardcover. This book, which follows a 13-year-old California girl’s adventures at her family’s village in Vietnam, is perfect for 8- to 12-year-olds.
“I love Thanhha Lai’s work because she honors how complex young people can be,” Sher said. “So at one point, [the narrator] can feel homesick for California, overwhelming love for her family, frustration with her parents, embarrassment, and gratitude. Somehow she builds all of that in the same paragraph, within a few sentences of each other.”
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