It’s time for summer reading! School may be out, but that doesn’t mean we should take a time out from nurturing a love of literacy in our kids. We’re stocking up on all kinds of fantastic books and plan to cart our treasure trove from Philly to St. Louis to Lake Michigan and where ever else our summer adventures take us and we suggest you do the same!
As always, we encourage you to shop local! Word and Greenlight are our favorite Brooklyn shops and it’s Head House Books in Philly. Check out Indiebound for an independent bookseller near you.
Angelina on Stage
Story by Katherine Holabird; Illustrations by Helen Craig
We avoided it for six years, but Angelina recently arrived at our house in a stack of hand me down books from a relative. And she has firmly implanted herself in our bookshelf. In Angelina on Stage, Angelina gets her first chance to dance in a stage production (she’s a fairy! who flies!) and somehow her smaller cousin Henry gets cast as well. In a speaking role. Angelina spends much of the rehearsals green with envy at the special treatment little Henry receives, until he gets stage fright on opening night and Angelina has to come to the rescue. A sweet story about helping others and keeping our jealousies in check, Angelina on Stage is not without its charm. And it is fast becoming a bedtime standard.
Off We Go To Mexico! An Adventure in the Sun
By Laurie Krebs and Christopher Corr
Go on a whirlwind trip through Mexico with this gorgeously illustrated tale of a family’s adventure through the country. Visit some Mayan ruins, shop in a colorful market, hit the beach and learn some Spanish vocabulary while you’re at it in this colorful picture book.
Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too
By Anna Dewdney
True confessions: most of the bedtime reading in our house is done by Daddy. I suspect it’s his favorite time of the day (and he just has more patience for the inevitable “read one more!” begging – and nearly always obliges). So, we love a good book featuring a cool dad, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Nelly Gnu and Daddy spend the day constructing a playhouse out of a cardboard box, complete with a trip to the hardware store for paint and supplies. And Daddy Gnu even makes dinner after all that fun (I’m practically swooning)! If you’re a fan of the Mama Llama books, you’ll recognize Anna Dewdney’s signature rhyming and rhythm, and will happily oblige your little’s cries of “read one more!” if this tome is in arm’s reach.
I Will Take a Nap!
By Mo Willems
When our girls finally outgrow the Elephant and Piggie books, I may weep. These are, hands down, my favorite books on our shelf, and we own every single one that’s been published. The newest, published earlier this month, I Will Take a Nap!, features a tired and cranky Gerald who tries to take a nap until Piggie interrupts him with her snoring. But is Piggie really snoring? Or is she floating? And does she have a turnip head? Are the stuffed animals talking? Wait a minute, maybe Gerald is dreaming… Don’t miss the newest installment in this absolutely fantastic series.
Mollie Michel, the editor of A Child Grows in Philly, is a South Philly resident and a Philadelphia public school parent. A recovering non-profit professional, Mollie is also an experienced birth doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, and the mom of two awesome girls and a sweet pit bull named Princess Cleopatra. In her spare time, she is usually trying to figure out how Pinterest works, training for a(nother) half-marathon with her dog at her side, or simply trying to keep up with her increasingly wily daughters.