The Best Children’s Books to Read in Summer 2025

Mr. Popper paints houses for a living and leads a quiet life, but his imagination is anything but small. Fascinated by polar explorers, he spends his days dreaming of far-off adventures. Inspired by the bravery of these explorers, he reaches out to Admiral Drake, an Antarctic explorer. It’s then that Mr. Popper receives a stunning reply—a package arrives from Admiral Drake, and inside is a real, live Gentoo penguin named Captain Cook.

Before long, Mr. Popper's quiet life is turned upside down. His house becomes a frosty playground to keep Captain Cook comfortable, and things get even wilder when other penguins join the fun. 

This funny and heartwarming collection from the beloved Mutts comic strip follows Mooch and Earl as they dive into all the fun and quirks of summer. Whether they're chasing bugs, lounging through lazy afternoons, or just enjoying a picnic, you’ll be drawn into the antics of Mooch and Earl as they prepare for and enjoy the summer. 

Perfect for fans of comic strips and pet tales (as well as pet tails), The Mutts Summer Diaries is a collection of stories about friendship and nature.

In Amelia Bedelia Makes a Splash, everyone’s favorite literal-minded character explores the joys of summer camp. When Amelia’s mother learns that the summer camp she went to as a child will be closing, she insists that Amelia go there for the summer. Amelia doesn’t start out in the best of moods—the beginning of the story finds her mad at everyone, even her dog. 

But when Amelia arrives, she can’t help but make new friends—even as they find themselves at odds with a fancy camp across the lake. 

When a teacher asks what he did over the summer, the narrator of The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer… spins a wild tale involving buried treasure, pirates, mummies, and high-speed chases. 

What starts as a simple question quickly unravels into a globe-trotting adventure with shocking elements, including a treasure map, a quick-minded magpie, and a hot air balloon. The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer… shines with Davide Cali’s fast-paced, imaginative narration and is brought to life by Benjamin Chaud’s dynamic, detailed illustrations. Each page reveals a new twist, inviting readers to linger and search for hidden visual clues that tie the outrageous story together.

In the fifth installment of Tom Watson’s lovable Stick Dog series, our favorite doodle-drawn canine hero and his quirky pack of friends—Poo-Poo, Karen, Stripes, and Mutt—set out on another absurd adventure, this time in pursuit of spaghetti. When the gang catches a whiff of a delicious tomato-sauce scent, they become obsessed with figuring out where it’s coming from, and how to get some for themselves. 

The only problem is, in order to obtain the spaghetti, Stick Dog and the gang may have to find a way to sneak into a packed restaurant. 

In this second book of The Pyes duology, Eleanor Estes revisits the Pyes as they add a new feline friend to the family. 

This family trip is already out of the realm of the Pyes’ typical lives, but Papa’s work as an ornithologist demands that he make the trip. The family, including their beloved dog, Ginger, all make the journey. During their time on Fire Island, they find Pinky, an abandoned black kitten with a penchant for using a typewriter. 

The second book in the Tales of Magic series, Magic by the Lake follows four siblings—Mark, Martha, Katharine, and Jane—as they go on a lakeside vacation. What starts out as a typical family vacation is turned on its head when they discover that the lake is a magical place, influenced by a grouchy (and reluctantly mystical) turtle. 

The four children find themselves embroiled in a series of magical misadventures, including swimming with mermaids, battling pirates, discovering buried treasure, and even making a trip to the South Pole.

12-year-old Edie is convinced that this is going to be the worst summer of her life. Instead of spending it at camp with her best friend, she’s stuck in steamy Florida with her loud, embarrassing family, helping to clean out her late grandmother Petunia’s house. The only bright spot? Her cousin Rae: cool, confident, and everything Edie wishes she could be. 

Things take a turn when the girls discover an old list their grandmother wrote titled “Good Ideas for Summertime”. But the so-called “good ideas” seem totally ridiculous—kiss a charmer? Ride a roller coaster? Wear something wild? Still, Edie decides to take the challenge. Maybe, just maybe, these silly, bold dares are the key to becoming braver and more adventurous—just like her cousin, and the grandmother she barely knew.

Speed Bump is a laid-back little bird who just can’t seem to live up to his older brother, Early Bird—the one who always, without fail, gets the worm. While Speed Bump snoozes through sunrises and snacks on boring berries, Early Bird is out nabbing the tastiest treats. But everything changes when Speed Bump and his loyal best friend, Slingshot, hatch a plan to finally beat Early Bird at his own game. 

Determined to get the better of Early Bird, the two set off on a hilarious mission to snag the legendary worm. But things take a strange turn when they discover that not all worms are willing to go down without a fight, and some of them are downright creepy. It turns out these worms have their own secret plan—and it’s not looking good for Early Bird.

The fourth book in the Wolves Chronicles, The Stolen Lake follows the indomitable Dido Twite. Dido is on her way back to England aboard the naval steamer The Thrush when the ship is diverted to the mysterious land of New Cumbria in Roman America—a version of South America where ancient Britons and Romans once fled to escape Saxon invaders and never looked back.

Summoned by the formidable Queen Ginevra—yes, the very same from Arthurian legend, who has unnaturally extended her life for centuries—Dido soon discovers that the queen’s lake has been stolen by a neighboring tyrant, and dark magic may be to blame. As Dido investigates, she uncovers a realm riddled with secrets: vanishing children, eerie court dressmakers who might be witches, monstrous birds, and steam-powered silver castles that spin like tops.