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Breezy Summer Reads 2021 (Grades K-2)

By Skokie Staff Youth Services

Amazing inventions, hilarious mistakes, killer animals (and cute ones), families of all kinds, and so much more! Our team of experts chose their favorite titles--from picture books to early chapter books--for the youngest readers. Vote for your favorites, watch videos and more on our Summer Reads page.

  • Willa the Wisp

    2020 by Auxier, Jonathan

    Auggie is the caretaker at the Fabled Stables, a place for mythical creatures to call home. As you might imagine, there is never a dull moment! With short, exciting chapters peppered with pictures, this is an excellent book for those looking to dip their toes into longer, more complex stories.

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  • I Am Every Good Thing

    2020 by Barnes, Derrick

    This young Black boy really is every good thing; a go-getter, a difference-maker, and a leader!

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  • Hi, Jack!

    2019 by Barnett, Mac

    Jack is a naughty, snack-loving, lipstick vandal, and you're going to love him. This is an excellent book for emerging readers, with clever, repetitive text and lots of laughs.

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  • If You Come to Earth

    2020 by Blackall, Sophie

    What would you tell a visitor from outer space about Earth? Caldecott winner Sophie Blackall offers her ideas in this picture book that celebrates our diverse human family and the planet we share. Enjoy the gorgeous, detailed illustrations that you can pore over again and again.

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  • Art Is Life: The Life of Artist Keith Haring

    2020 by Brown, Tami Lewis

    Modern artist Keith Haring celebrates art in this beautiful picture book.

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  • Dragons and Marshmallows

    2017 by Citro, Asia

    Zoey must figure out what is making a baby dragon sick and how to cure it in the first book of this early chapter book series.

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  • Crossings: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals

    2020 by Duffield, Katy

    Compassionate people around the world, some of them children, have come up with amazingly creative ways to ensure wildlife can get to where they need to go. These bridges, tunnels, nets, or even ropes are designed to lead animals high above or way below dangerous roads or highways.

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  • The Barnabus Project

    2020 by Fan, Terry

    Barnabus is a "Failed Project" in a world of perfect pets, so he is kept prisoner with other cast-offs until they embark on a dangerous escape mission.

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  • Happy Paws

    2020 by Fang, Vicky

    Not only is Layla in a super cool rock band, she is a friendly robot-building, science mastermind! The pictures and the story are great, and you'll love the embedded message that making mistakes is part of the scientific method.

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  • What about Worms!?

    2020 by Higgins, Ryan T.

    What's worse: worms, or worrying about worms? This hilarious and adorable story is full of great words for building skills and confidence, but it also works wonderfully as a picture book readaloud.

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  • Eyes That Kiss in the Corners

    2021 by Ho, Joanna

    A young Chinese American girl discovers the beauty in the shape of her eyes that mirrors her mother’s and her grandmother’s eyes. They do indeed “kiss in the corners!”

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  • Deadliest! 20 Dangerous Animals

    2017 by Jenkins, Steve

    Written by one of the best nonfiction writers out there, this is a fascinating account of some of the deadliest creatures on our planet. Enjoy the large, beautiful illustrations, find out where they live, and learn what makes them deadly.

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  • Bunbun and Bonbon

    2020 by Keating, Jess

    This book is a party--a very fancy party! Every page is a colorful delight, with a sense of humor and great words for building confidence. Enjoy it alone, or split the characters and read it together. Either way, you're in for a treat.

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  • How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of A Rock-Climbing Champion

    2020 by Shiraishi, Ashima

    Ashima discovered her passion for rock climbing when she was just 6 years old. Follow along as she plans how to climb a boulder (climbers call them "problems") in her head before attempting to tackle it. It looks so scary! Will she make it without falling?

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  • Along the Tapajós

    2019 by Vilela, Fernando

    You might have heard about the Amazon Rainforest in South America with its abundance of plants and animals, but what is it like to live there? This story takes you on a fascinating journey to life in a place where houses are built on stilts and kids take a boat to school; and yes, there's a pet giant tortoise, too.

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  • Nana Akua Goes to School

    2020 by Walker, Tricia Elam

    Grandparents Day is coming up at school. Zura is nervous to bring Nana Akua, her "favorite person in the whole universe," because her grandmother looks different from her classmates' grandparents. This story celebrates the culture of Ghana in West Africa and what makes us each special.

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