One week into summer and our days are already filled with fun activities, time outdoors, and reconnecting with friends and family. I noticed I need to be really intentional with carving out time for my kids to practice their reading and giving them some down time to let their imaginations run wild.
Our partner, Manzano Day School, also believes in the value of summer reading for strengthening reading skills and tapping into your child’s creativity. Download this coloring page to let your child recreate their favorite book or dream up a story about all their own.
Submit your child’s coloring page to [email protected] by June 18, 2021. We will choose 3 submissions and then allow voting on our Facebook and Instagram pages from June 19-24. The coloring page with the most votes will win a $30 gift certificate to Bookworks and the 2nd and 3rd place winners will win $15 gift certificates.
Summer Reading Recommendations from the ABQ Mom Team
One of the best things about summer reading is your child can branch out from what they usually read in school. Funny books, mysteries, and special topics are all fair game. I asked our team of writers and community leaders what books their children love and here are their personal recommendations.
Recommendations for Toddlers & Beyond (3+ years old)
Don’t Feed the Worry Bug by Andi Green
Gerald and Piggie by Mo Willems
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer
Pinkalicious Phonics Fun by Victoria Kann
Jonathan James and the What If Monster by Michelle Nelson-Schmidt
First Laugh–Welcome, Baby! by
Recommendations for Early Readers (5-7 years old)
Bird on My Head by Mo Willems
Firebird by Misty Copeland
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble
Mal and Chad by Stephen McCranie
Mango, Abuela and Me by Meg Medina and Angela Dominguez
Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo
The Bad Guys Series by Aaron Blabey
When We Are Kind / Nihá’ádaahwiinít’íigo by Monique Gray Smith
Zoey and Sassafrass Series by Asia Citro
Recommendations for Tweens (8-12 years old)
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Dork Diaries by Nikki Maxwell
Hank Zipzer The World’s Greatest Underachiever Series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Raina Telgemeier Collection by Raina Telgemeier
The Skirt by Gary Soto
The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
The Watsons Go To Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
Recommendations for Teens (13+ years old)
Amulet Series by Kazu Kibuishi
Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America edited by Ibi Zoboi
Emily of New Moon Series by LM Montgomery
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Luck of the Titanic by Stacy Lee
Percy Jackson & Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan
We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall