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13 Summer Reading Suggestions for Kids: Amazing Indie Books You’ll Love!

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Summer is almost here, and that means long sunny days, popsicles, splashy adventures—and the perfect time to dive into a good book! Whether your child is lounging in a hammock, traveling on a family road trip, or just enjoying some quiet time indoors, reading keeps their imagination sharp and their minds engaged. This year, why not discover something new? We’ve gathered a list of wonderful children’s books from indie authors—talented storytellers who pour their hearts into creating fun, thoughtful, and inspiring books for young readers. These books might not be on every big-box shelf, but trust us—they’re gems worth reading! Check out these books: 1. Website: www.sockcrewadventures.com Book title: The Sock Crew Adventures Series Ages- 5-8 About: Sara and her magical socks travel the world learning culture, art and history. It’s not just a book it’s a coloring book too!   2. Website: www.thereselynchcreates.com Book title: A Mole in One Ages: 4-9 About: Join Fergus the golfing mole as he discovers that being true to himself and embracing his unique talents leads to victory on and off the course.   3. Website: https://hunnyandkoko.com Book Title: Hunny & Koko Series Ages: 3-7 About: Dog Best Friends go on adventures like a mission to space, the county fair, the farm, and even the grocery store! With vibrant illustrations and sweet life lessons, these stories are a hit with young readers and grown-ups alike.   4. Website: www.amydoslich.com Book Title: Seeking Snowball About: Uh-oh! Snowball, the family dog, has escaped, and it’s up to your little one to bring him home safely! Join Hannah and Mary in this delightful adventure from The Hannah Banana and Mary Berry Series, where every page is a new opportunity for fun and exploration.   5. Website:https://www.katiegigliotti.com Book title: Wander World About: Up, up, and away! Boredom doesn’t always have to be bad. When a bored young girl persuades her sleepy grandpa to take a journey with her, they embark on an imaginative adventure. Together, they wander around the world visiting each of the seven continents, right from the living room couch!   6. Website: https://www.kathycherrybooks.com Book series: Erutuf National Park series Ages: 7-12 About: Join two siblings on an exciting adventure to the magical Erutuf National Park. Can they work together and overcome obstacles to complete their mission and protect this extraordinary place?   7. Website: http://www.dumplingsandus.com Book series: Five Little Dumplings Series Ages: 2-10 About: Five Little Dumplings is a delightful picture book series for children, featuring uplifting and educational stories that inspire joy, curiosity, and growth in young readers.   8.Website: http://www.clareshort.com About:  Join Bo the Boat and Capt. Mo on their adventure at sea! This lift-the-flap board book was written by a Speech-Language Pathologist and supports early speech skills. 9.Website: www.erinmurphybooks.com/ Book titles: Halfway Home: A Rescue Dog’s Sky-high Journey to Acceptance Daring Dexter: How Aviation Sparks Change in a Rescue Dog’s Life About: Two great stories about animal rescue and adoption. These books feature some great humor and provide an insight into how dogs may be feeling throughout the rescue and adoption process with an emphasis on how aviation has been a great resource for these rescue dogs.   10. Website: www.mrs-bs-books.com Book title: Missy Moo and the Great Fart Mishap About: Join Missy Moo and her barnyard friends as they tackle one hilariously stinky situation on the farm. Packed with laughs and lovable characters, it’s the perfect pick for early readers and silly storytime fun.   11. Website: Www.fruity-budz.com/ Book title: Frog Fish and Worm and Dorothy Dustbucket About: Frog, Fish, and Worm is a funny, rhyming tale for kids aged 2–8. Three cheeky pals outwit the hairy fisherman, Stan. With help from a toothless croc, they show that teamwork can take down a bully.   12. Website: www.rachaeltarfmanperez.com Book series: Gia Toddler-Preschool-Kindergarten Series In this charming series, little Gia tackles big milestones like potty training, discovers the joy of her favorite foods, and makes sweet new friends along the way. With laugh-out-loud moments, helpful tips for parents & children, and delightful illustrations, these stories make everyday challenges feel fun, relatable, and oh-so-cute.   13. Website: https://www.quilltownbooks.com Book title: Count to 20 With the Silly Dinosaurs This book combines counting and fun by featuring a hidden little dinosaur bird on each page. It helps children learn to count while preparing for bedtime. The book also includes a list of dinosaur names and pictures for better association. Happy reading!

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Names

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We all know the names of Pippi, Ramona, Winnie, Sherlock, Charlie Bucket, Harry Potter, and many more. Character names represent more than a word on a piece of paper. The name of the character comes to life and becomes a real person throughout a novel. Authors take great care in naming their characters. The ideas can come from many sources and places of inspiration. In my children’s book, Turtle Tube: An Erutuf National Park Novel, I selected the names of Reese and Dean by using my children’s middle names. Reese and Dean fit their characters really well. I based other characters’ names on their personalities and characteristics. I even changed a name at one point. Olivia was originally named Eva. In the editing process, I discovered that Eva and Emma were too similar of names to have in this book. I couldn’t imagine changing Emma, so opted to change Eva to Olivia. I’m working on the second book in this series and need a name for a 5 year old boy character. I decided to ask for some help and who else best to help than a class of children. 🙂 A local fourth grade class agreed to help and all wrote down name suggestions on pieces of paper for me to review. I love the suggestions! I am really impressed how serious the students took this task and wanted to help. Thank you to Mrs. Anderson’s class for all these thoughtful and creative suggestions!

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Dewey Decimal System

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Happy Dewey Decimal System Day! Melvil Dewey was born on this day in 1851. In 1873, he invented the most widely used library classification system called the Dewey Decimal System. It was first published in the United States in 1876. It is used today in more than 140 countries and translated into more than 30 different languages. The system places the books on the shelf by subject using numbers from 000 to 999. It is called “Decimal” because it uses numbers to the right of the decimal point for more detail. Each subject has its own set of numbers. I looked up my thesis book at my university’s library and it’s number is 361.4 A756a1999. The 300’s contains the classification of social sciences. To celebrate this day, go to the library, look at the call number on your book, and know that this system was created back in 1873!

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Madeleine L’Engle

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Happy birthday to Madeleine L’Engle born on this day in 1918 in New York. Madeleine L’Engle was an American writer of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry including such great works as A Wrinkle in Time. Did you know that publishers rejected A Wrinkle in Time at least 26 times for being “too different” and for “dealing with the problem of evil”? It’s hard imagine this unique book not being published! To celebrate her birthday, read of her great pieces of work. “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” ~ Madeleine L’Engle Happy birthday also to my better half today also celebrating this day! 😉

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Edits and Treats

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I’m working hard on my book edits right now. I’m dreaming about commas, hyphens, and semi-colons these days. 🙂 I am getting excited about the progress and really can’t wait for it to come out! To stay focused on my manuscript and the edits, I indulge in a fun candy. Cinnamon red hots! Yes, the little red round candies often associated with Valentine’s Day. I pour out a few on my desk. I eat the candies one at a time while reviewing paragraph by paragraph. I only allow myself to eat these goodies during my writing time. It’s my own little reward. What treats do you enjoy to stay focused at work? We all deserve a treat for working hard. Back to my edits.

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Peter Pan Day

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Happy Peter Pan Day or really, J.M. Barrie’s birthday! “All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan J. M. Barrie authored “Peter Pan” as a play first in 1904 and then as a novel in 1911.  Cheers to this Scottish author and playwright for creating such a memorable set of characters and story! To celebrate, make some pixie dust, go on an adventure, tell a good story, battle a pirate, and act like a kid! Or pick up the original book and read it today! Happy Peter Pan Day! “To live will be an awfully big adventure.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

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Winnie the Pooh Day 🍯

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“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” ~ Winnie the Pooh Winnie the Pooh Day was created to celebrate the creator’s birthday, A.A. Milne. Milne was born on this day in 1882 in London, England. Milne brought this adorable, honey-loving, bear to life in his writings in a collection of books first published in 1926. Milne’s lovable Pooh Bear is a fictional bear inspired by a black bear named Winnie who lived at the London Zoo during World War I. The author’s son, Christopher Robin, would visit the bear often at the zoo and named his own teddy bear after her. Milne created other characters in these books, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo, after his son’s other stuffed animals. I so remember enjoying Winne the Pooh as a young girl and love seeing my own children enjoy these lovable characters. Winnie the Pooh continues today to inspire and entertain many fans throughout the world. To celebrate this fun day, go and enjoy a Winne the Pooh book, enjoy some honey, snuggle one of your stuffed animals, host a picnic, draw your house in the woods, or even bounce around the room a bit. 😉 “It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine.” ~ Winnie the Pooh ☀️ 😍❤️🍯

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Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

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Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in England.  She authored six books and these books continue to be revered today. Her books include Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Mansfield Park. Jane’s father encouraged her writing back then and even bought her expensive paper and pencils even when the family needed the extra money. She used her father’s library frequently by reading lots of books. I distinctly remember reading Pride and Prejudice many, many years ago. I loved that book! I dreamt about meeting my own Mr. Darcy some day. But, I also remember Jane’s great sense of wit and wisdom in her writing throughout her novels. Enjoy a few quotes from Jane Austen’s works: “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” ― Sense and Sensibility “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Pride and Prejudice “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” ― Northanger Abbey  “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” ― Pride and Prejudice To celebrate her birthday, go out and read (or reread) one of her great books!  

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