Book Passage's Favorite New Summertime Children's Books

Reading is the ideal summer activity and Book Passage has rounded up the most exciting summertime reading books we know you’ll love. There’s something for everyone on this list, so make room this summer for these new children's books! 

Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival

Meet Norman. 
Norman is normal--perfectly normal.
That's until he grows a pair of wings 

Norman loves his new wings, but he's worried about everyone will think. After all, they're definitely NOT normal. Norman decides to cover them with a big coat, but hiding such a big part of his life makes him feel miserable. Can Norman find the courage to be himself?

This bold and uplifting book is about daring to be different and celebrating what makes you--YOU

One Day a Dot by Ian Lendler

One Day a Dot explores the age-old question: Where did we come from? Where did everything come from?

Starting with one tiny dot and continuing through the Big Bang to the rise of human societies, the story of our universe is told in simple and vivid terms. But the biggest question of all cannot be answered: Where did that one dot come from?

One Day a Dot is a beautiful and vibrant picture book that uses the visual motif of circles as to guide young readers through the stages of life on Earth.

Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea by Lynne Rae Perkins

From Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins, this effervescent story introduces two sisters—Alix and Jools—and takes readers on an unforgettable journey to the beach.

In the style of the author’s acclaimed Nuts to You, this joyful celebration of sisters, family, and the ocean contains black-and-white illustrations throughout. Fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale and Rebecca Stead’s Liar and Spy will love this engaging family story.  

Alix and her sister, Jools, have never seen the ocean. When their parents pack them up for a week at the shore, Alix is nervous about leaving home, but excited, too. At the beach, the girls make friends, go exploring, and have adventures both big and small. They pick periwinkles, spot crabs, and discover that the beach is full of endless possibilities. As the week comes to an end, Alix is surprised to find she doesn’t want to leave!

Award-winning author Lynne Rae Perkins has beautifully crafted a genuine and engaging novel about sisters, family, and exploration. Features stunning pencil and ink drawings. A great read-aloud as well as a good choice for newly independent readers.

The Spirit of Cattail County by Victoria Piontek

Sparrow doesn't have many friends. Some kids believe her house near the swamp is haunted. Others think there's something "unusual" about her.

But Sparrow's not lonely -- she has a best friend who's always with her. He sits with Sparrow on her porch swing. He makes her smile by playing pranks in church. Yet Sparrow is the only one who can see him . . . because the Boy is a ghost.

So when her mama passes away, Sparrow doesn't give up hope. After all, if the Boy can linger after death, then surely Mama can return as well. 

But the Boy has a secret of his own, one that Sparrow will need to uncover before the ghost will lead her to Mama. To solve the mystery, Sparrow joins forces with some unlikely allies -- Maeve and Johnny, siblings from a family of town outcasts --and Elena, a visiting child fortune-teller.

With its loving depiction of small town life, and characters who feel like old friends, this magical debut will enchant you, dazzle you. . . and make you feel at home.

Supergirl - Being Super by Mariko Tamaki and Joëlle Jones

She's super-strong. She can fly. She crash-landed on Earth in a rocket ship. But for Kara Danvers, winning the next track meet, celebrating her 16th birthday and surviving her latest mega-zit are her top concerns. And with the help of her best friends and her kinda-infuriating-but-totally-loving adoptive parents, she just might be able to put her troubling dreams--shattered glimpses of another world--behind her.

Until an earthquake shatters her small town of Midvale...and uncovers secrets about her past she thought would always stay buried. 

Now Kara's incredible powers are kicking into high gear, and people she trusted are revealing creepy ulterior motives. The time has come for her to choose between the world where she was born and the only world she's ever known. Will she find a way to save her town and be super, or will she crash and burn? 

Caldecott Honor and Eisner Award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Jo lle Jones (Lady Killer) combine forces for this incredible coming-of-age tale This is the Girl of Steel as you've never seen her before.