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Books that Take You There: Summer Vacation

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It's finally here! With the last school bell rung and the days stretching until almost 9:00pm, there's not a doubt that it is finally time for summer vacation. Everyone has a different way of celebrating being out of school for the summer, but for many kids, it involves time in the sun, exploring, and sometimes even traveling. Here are some summer books to dive into while you're at the pool, on a road trip, or just curled up at home.

Gossamer Summer
By H. M. Bouwman
New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. Fiction. 182 pages.

Jojo was quite the storyteller until grandma died, telling her little sisters all kinds of tales about fairies, prophecies, and even flying skeletal creatures. But since grandma passed away last year, Jojo hasn't been as interested in telling stories. With summer vacation in full swing, Jojo and her siblings have been exiled to only play outside while her mom finishes her manuscript. When the children start finding fairies and other creatures from Jojo's stories, they have to work together to save fairyland from the skeletal creatures Jojo dreamt up. This book is sure to make your imagination run wild with your own summer vacation adventures.
A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation
By Pablo Cartaya
New York: Kokila, 2025. Fiction. 270 pages.

Gonzalo's mother has sent him to spend the summer with his cranky old grandfather, Alberto, hoping that they'll be able to cheer each other up. Gonzalo has been increasingly reluctant to interact with others since the death of his father, and Alberto (a famous children's book author) is begrudgingly going on a book tour to advertise the finale of his book series. Along their road-trip, the two get to know each other more and understand the inspiration behind Gonzalo's art and Alberto's writing. This story is great for anyone going on a road-trip this summer or getting to see and know their extended family better.

Our Own Little Paradise
By Marianne Kaurin
Stamford, CT: Arctis Books, 2022. Fiction. 206 pages.

Who says you have to travel anywhere to make summer fun? Nora is the only kid in her class who isn't going on an awesome summer vacation, so... she lies. She tells the class that she is going on a three week trip to the Mediterranean. Now she has to make her ruse seem real. Soon into summer break, she befriends Wilmer, a boy who will be in her class next year who also lives in her low-income housing block. Together, they find an abandoned apartment and use it to create their own tropical paradise.

Summer is for Cousins
Written by Rajani LaRocca
Illustrated by Abhi Alwar
New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023. Picture Books.

During the summer, all of Ravi's family--Mom, Dad, Uncles, Aunts, Grandma, Grandpa, and all seven cousins--travel to a beach house to spend time together. However, Ravi's noticed this year that his oldest cousin, Dhruv, has grown up a lot this year. Will he still want to play with young Ravi? To help remind him of their bond, Ravi cooks up a special surprise for the whole family: his and Dhruv's shared favorite ice cream. This picture book is sure to get you into the summer spirit and celebrate time in the sun with family.

Vampire Vacation
Written by Laura Lavoie
Illustrated by Micah Player
New York: Viking, 2022. Picture Book.

Trying to persuade your parents to try something new for this year's summer vacation? Then you have a lot in common with Fang Vladimir Bloodgood the Third. His parents have planned yet another trip to Transylvania this summer, but Fang wants to go to the beach. Thus he starts his campaign, showing his family all the reasons why summer at the beach can be fun, even for a family of vampires. Will his plea be enough to persuade his traditional parents?
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