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    Friday, April 26, 2024

    Parental Guidance: Summer beach reading for kids

    Summer beach reading suggestions for grown-ups are a staple for newspapers and magazines come Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff of the season. But what about lists for kids? What are some great books for them to read while stretched out on the sand under those colorful umbrellas?

    Here are 10 fun books published in 2017 for toddlers through teens that celebrate swimming, camp, baseball and other summertime pursuits, as suggested by Long Island children’s librarians, local bookstore employees and starred reviews.

    'There Might Be Lobsters'

    A little dog named Sukie is scared of lots of things at the beach; after all, there might be lobsters, as the title goes. This 32-page hardcover picture book by Illinois author Carolyn Crimi earned a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. For ages 3 to 7 (Candlewick, $16.99).

    'Jabari Jumps'

    The hardcover book, written and illustrated by Rhode Island author Gaia Cornwall, tells a story of overcoming fear as Jabari works up the courage to jump off a diving board for the first time. The 32-page picture book features an African-American protagonist, garnered a School Library Journal starred review and is meant for ages 4 to 8 (Candlewick, $15.99).

    “Vampirina at the Beach”

    This is Virginia author Anne Marie Pace’s third book in the “Vampirina” series for kids in preschool and kindergarten. In this 40-page hardcover, Vampirina takes in the surf and sand — in the moonlight, of course, because she’s a vampire. Disney Junior is scheduled to come out with a TV show based on the Vampirina character this fall (Disney-Hyperion, $16.99).

    'National Geographic Kids Beach Day Sticker Activity Book'

    This book is crammed with 1,000 stickers, activities, games and fun facts, and features seashells, sand castles, hermit crabs, beachwear and more. For ages 4 to 8 (National Geographic Children’s Books, $6.99).

    'Dolphin Rescue: True-Life Stories'

    The book, by Jinny Johnson in collaboration with the Born Free Foundation, tells the story of two bottlenose dolphins, Tom and Misha, who were in a “swim-with-the-dolphins” attraction in Turkey and eventually were rescued and released into the ocean. The 91-page paperback is geared to ages 8 to 11, and is part of the Born Free series that tells stories of wild animals that are saved from suffering (Barron’s, $6.99).

    'Beach Party Surf Monkey'

    This is the second book in Manhattan-based author Chris Grabenstein’s “Welcome to Wonderland” series. It takes place on St. Pete’s Beach in Florida, where P.T. (named for circus founder P.T. Barnum) is growing up in a beach motel. When one of the hottest teen idols in Hollywood begins filming a movie called “Beach Party Surf Monkey” on the beach, P.T. and his friend Gloria get involved with crazed fans, missing stars and other wackiness. The 301-page hardcover book is meant for ages 8 to 12 (Random House Books for Young Readers, $13.99).

    'Short'

    Michigan author Holly Goldberg Sloan’s book tells the story of Julia, who is very short for her age, and how she “grows” when she is cast in a summer production of “The Wizard of Oz” as a Munchkin. The 304-page hardcover book is for ages 3 to 12 (Dial, $16.99). “Theater kids and fans of Tim Federle’s ‘Nate’ books will love this,” says School Library Journal.

    'Camp So-and-So'

    In the novel by Los Angeles-based author Mary McCoy, 25 girls received invitations to spend a week at a lakeside summer camp for girls. A glossy brochure showed young women climbing rocks, performing Shakespeare and playing volleyball. But it turns out no one has ever heard of the camp run by a mysterious recluse. Booklist gave the 424-page book a starred review and called it “pure weird entertainment from start to finish.” (Carolrhoda Lab, $18.99)

    'The Whole Thing Together'

    This Young Adult book takes place in a sprawling old beach house on Long Island, and it was written by Ann Brashares, author of the bestselling “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series. Ray and Sasha share the same room in the house, but have never met. That’s because Sasha’s dad was married to Ray’s mom before they were born, and their new families now split the time at the beach house that the couple once owned together (Delacorte, $18.99).

    'Baseball Genius'

    In Tim Green and baseball great Derek Jeter’s book, readers meet Jalen DeLuca, a kid with an above-average talent for predicting baseball pitches. Jalen gets himself out of a scrape by helping his favorite professional baseball player out of a batting slump. The 352-page hardcover book is meant for ages 8 to 12 (Simon and Schuster, $16.99).

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