Our middle grade book spotlight this week is books that have the word “summer” in their titles!!! To help us kick off these summer months filled with reading, we are exploring books that have “summer” in the titles to give us some inspiration and that summer feel. We have a great mixture of sports, humor, realistic, historical, and more so there is something for everyone and the titles are easy to remember because summer can be found in the titles! These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youthsummervacay as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new middle grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles--Two cousins, Otto and Sheed Alston, are not ready for the summer to end, especially since the two sleuths are being outdone by the Epic Ellison twins, who have already received their third key to the city. Their wish comes true when a wily stranger emerges in town with a special camera that can stop time. The boys must then follow the clues and stop this oversized man and his pet platypus.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia--In the summer of 1968, 11-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know. Much to their surprise, they arrive to a cold welcome and discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. Left without an option, Delphine attempts to make the best of things while attending the day camp but remains skeptical of the hateful words spouted by the camp instructors.
Summer Ball by Mike Lupica--Thirteen-year-old Danny Walker is leaving Middletown to test his basketball skills at Rightway basketball camp. Despite his small size, Danny is used to being the leader on his team, but at Rightway, he's not only the smallest player, he also seems to be the least confident. He must push himself beyond what he's used to and become a leader if he wants to keep up with his competition and battle old rivals. Sports fans will love the action-packed adventure that will leave them on the edge of their seats.
Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Tommy Greenwald--When middle school student Charlie Joe Jackson has to go to academic summer camp, he tries to make the other kids hate reading and writing as well. But at the end of the camp, he has to admit that it wasn't so bad after all.
Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn--Eleven-year-old Cat and her special needs brother, Chicken, spend an unexpected summer vacation with grandparents they've never met. As the glue that holds the family after her father died, Cat is used to taking care of Chicken while their mother works double-shifts to support them. While at her grandparents’ house, however, she remembers what it's like to be a child.
A Summer of Sundays by Lindsay Eland--Always lost in the shuffle of her large family, an eleven-year-old girl decides that this summer she'll make sure she stands out, and a discovery in the library basement may help.