After a year of assigned reading, kids may be understandably reluctant to pick up a book. But we’ve got just the thing to reinvigorate them: a summer reading challenge that makes browsing for books feel like a game. There’s just one rule: Young people (age 18 and under) must check off each step to complete the challenge. They can choose to read anything they like, though the titles we’ve suggested capture the pleasures of summer: camp, travel, and the joy of doing absolutely nothing. The reward? Have a grown-up with an email address fill out the submission form with all five titles by Aug. 15, and you’ll be entered in a drawing where five lucky winners will receive a $50 gift card for Bookshop.org.
1. READ A BOOK ABOUT FRIENDSHIP.
Our suggestion: An end-of-year celebration awaits the classmates of Emma Steinkellner’s graphic novel Last Day Pool Party (Labyrinth Road, April 7), but these kids have plenty of drama to deal with, from a friendship feud to the fallout of an embarrassing viral video. Still, Steinkellner keeps the vibes as sunny as her poolside setting; these good-hearted, empathetic characters find ways to help each other bounce back—and enjoy the party.
2. READ A TRAVEL STORY.
Our suggestion: While visiting his grandparents in India, Texan tween Rohan observes a tiger and her cubs at the sanctuary his grandfather runs. Danger looms—poachers, a mining project encroaching on sanctuary land—but Rohan and his family are determined to protect these majestic yet vulnerable animals. Varsha Bajaj’s Roar (Nancy Paulsen Books, May 12) sees its shy, sensitive protagonist embarking on a transformative journey, reconnecting with his roots while summoning the courage to stand up for what he believes in.
3. READ A SUMMER CAMP BOOK.
Our suggestion: After Rubie learns that BFF Riley won’t be accompanying her to Camp Pineview, she agrees not to do anything on their “Ultimate Camp Experience” list. Unsurprisingly, she breaks that promise but wrestles with feelings of disloyalty. Relying on a diary format, Maddie Frost’s Really Rubie (Aladdin, June 2) shifts between pure goofiness (fans of butt jokes, this is your book) and moments of heartfelt vulnerability—in other words, the coming-of-age experience in all its awkward glory.
4. READ A STORY WITH AN UNLIKELY HERO.
Our suggestion: The title character of Zach Weinersmith’s Sawyer Lee and the Quest To Just Stay Home (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, June 16) is committed to a life of sheer laziness, but despite his efforts to do nothing, he finds himself helping best friend Angela take part in the town’s gourd competition. Absurdist humor, clever wordplay, and an unforgettable narrative voice (Sawyer feels like a middle-grade Bertie Wooster) blend for a tale that will resonate with couch potatoes the world over.
5. READ AN ADVENTURE NOVEL.
Our suggestion: Jenny Howard’s Transylvania County (Roaring Brook Press, July 21) follows Dig, a wayward tween whose parents have sent him to stay with his aunt and uncle in hopes that his well-behaved cousin’s habits will rub off. Instead, Dig discovers that there may be some truth to a local myth involving Count Dracula. Though most grown-ups in Dig’s life are dismissive, several classmates join him as he investigates. Howard has all the ingredients for a gripping tale; most satisfying of all is the vicarious thrill of seeing kids embark on adventures entirely free of adult supervision.
Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.
