Reading can be one of the many fun activities children choose to fill their summer time. Research has shown it is also much more! Children who participate in public library summer reading programs make achievement leaps during the summer and score higher on fall reading achievement tests.The books on this list come highly recommended by kid readers from all over the country and may also be available in ebook, audio book, braille, and large print formats. This summer, take your child to participate in the summer programs happening at your library.
Here are some recommended books in the Southfield Public Library catalog with commentary by the article’s writer. If you don’t see a copy available, contact a librarian to place an item on hold for you!
 | Ballet Cat: Dance! Dance! Underpants! Shea, Bob Ballet Cat is simply manic for ballet and tries to get her friend Butter Bear to join in the dance. Our Catalog |
 | Beastly Verse Yoon, JooHee Text and art are interwoven to bring to life sixteen animal-related poems in this award-winning anthology. Our Catalog |
 | The Cookie Fiasco Willems, Mo & Santat, Dan From the new Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series, a hippo, crocodile, squirrel with pigtails, and squirrel with glasses have to divide three cookies evenly between them. Our Catalog |
 | Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music Engle, Margarita Based on the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, one of Cuba’s first female drummers, this picture-book biography inspires us all to follow our dreams. Our Catalog |
 | Flowers are Calling Gray, Rita Playful rhyming text alternates with factual callouts that describe flowers and the pollination process. The watercolor illustrations are gorgeous and sure to inspire young naturalists everywhere! Our Catalog |
 | Freedom in Congo Square Weatherford, Carole Boston Slaves are forced to work hard all week long, so they look forward to Sunday, when they can gather in New Orleans’ Congo Square to dance, sing, and enjoy an afternoon of freedom. Our Catalog |
 | Get a Hit, Mo! Adler, David A. Mo is used to striking out, but when the bases are loaded, he may just finally hit a home run. Our Catalog |
 | Hank's Big Day: The Story of a Bug Kuhlman, Evan Pill bug Hank and his human pal Amelia spend a marvelous day exploring the outdoors in a sweet story of friendship and imagination. Our Catalog |
 | Ice Cream Summer Sis, Peter Get the scoop on some fun history, math, new vocabulary, and much more in this entertaining book all about ice cream. Our Catalog |
 | Little Elliot, Big Fun Curato, Mike A big amusement park brings more fear than fun until a mouse friend helps Little Elliot find the rides that are just right for him. Our Catalog |
 | The Night Gardener Fan, Terry & Fan, Eric William and an elderly gardener help transform their town by creating anonymous topiary artwork. Our Catalog |
 | ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! Descubriendo el bosque nublado / Olinguito, from A to Z! Unveiling the Cloud Forest Delacre, Lulu Explore the cloud forest of the Andes in Ecuador in this bilingual alphabetical book in verse. Our Catalog |
 | The Quickest Kid in Clarksville Miller, Pat Zietlow In 1960, on her way to meet Olympic track star Wilma Rudolph at the hometown parade, Alta discovers that it is not shoes that make her fast. Our Catalog |
 | Strictly No Elephants Mantchew, Lisa Pets—and friends—come in all shapes and sizes. Our Catalog |
 | Surf's Up Alexander, Kwame Frog friends Bro and Dude hilariously debate whether surfing or reading is a better way to spend a day at the beach. Our Catalog |
 | They All Saw a Cat Wenzel, Brendan Difference in perspective is clearly demonstrated in this book as many animals all look at the same cat. Our Catalog |
 | Treat Sullivan, Mary Learn the many things this dog does in order to get a treat to eat in this light tale filled with humor. Our Catalog |
 | Urgency Emergency! Itsy Bitsy Spider Archer, Dosh In this funny early reader, Doctor Glenda and Nurse Percy rush to work when the penguin paramedics bring in a very small spider who has fallen down a waterspout Our Catalog |
 | Waiting for High Tide McClure, Nikki While the tide is out, a young boy and his family find treasures of all kinds in the muddy shoreline; stunning cut-paper illustrations make this a visual treat. Our Catalog |
 | We Are Growing Willms, Mo & Keller, Laurie While all of the other blades of grass find something at which they are the “-est” Walt, an ordinary blade, feels a bit left out in this Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series title. But, wait, what is that sound? Is that the . . . lawn mower!? Our Catalog |
 | We Found a Hat Klassen, Jon The final book in the hat trilogy, this one offers another unique twist to resolve who gets the hat. Our Catalog |
 | What do You do With a Problem? Yamada, Kobi A child experiences an unexpected problem, worrying and wrestling it through until he realizes it’s not really a problem after all—it’s an opportunity. Our Catalog |
 | Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? DiCamillo, Kate To get away from her older sister, Eugenia, Baby Lincoln packs her suitcase for an adventure, discovering that there’s no place like home. Our Catalog |
