I love having seasonal books out right near our nature table for the kids to read. Now that spring is coming to an end, it’s just about time to get out our summer book set. Here’s our favorite summer themed children’s books!

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We have a seasonal book area in our home  located right near our nature table. (Having the seasonal books nearby allows the kids to enjoy books related to the nature treasures they’re collecting outside.) As the seasons change, so do the books that we put out to enjoy. The kids always get so excited when it’s time to welcome the new books for the season. And, luckily, it’s just about time to put away our spring books and pull out our summer books! (This post contains affiliate links. Thank you so much for your support.)

Here are some of our favorite children’s books related to summer.  (With commentary by Lucy, age 5, in green.)

Our Favorite Children’s Books for Summer

Fireflies
by Julie Brinckloe

Catching fireflies (or lightning bugs as I remember them) is one of my favorite memories as a child. This book does a fabulous job of  sharing the excitement  and joy kids feel as they are chasing fireflies. It’s especially moving at the end as the main character finally decides to release his fireflies back outside.

“This little boy wants to catch some fireflies. Then he finally catches them, but he wants to keep them. He puts them in a jar beside his bed. And they went down in the jar. So they really were sad. So finally he let them go! My Grandaddy helped me catch fireflies once.”

Summer
by Gerda Muller

 We love having these seasonal Gerda Muller books. They contain beautiful illustrations of the seasons and have no text, allowing the freedom to relate to the pictures in any way you’d like.

“It’s a book that you can make up your own words. I like when they are all playing at the beach. It reminds me of when I go out in summertime, and I can play and have fun with my brother and people can come over.” 

Peter in Blueberry Land
by Elsa Beskow

This is one of our favorite Elsa Beskow books! Peter is off to find berries for his mother’s birthday when a wonderful forest adventure begins!

” It’s a boy’s mom’s birthday so he goes out to find berries for her, but he can’t find any berries. But then he gets small and meets the blueberry king.”

Mama, Is It Summer Yet?
by Nikki McClure

A little boy is so anxious for summer to begin. His mother points out all the changes in spring as summer begins to approach.

 ”A boy keeps asking his mom if it’s summer yet, but it’s not.”

Marshmallow Kisses
by Linda Crotta Brennan

This is one of the first books we bought about summer, and it remains one of our favorites still. It shares all the special things you can do during the summer using a nice rhyming text. The illustrations are just beautiful and full of bright, happy colors!

“It’s a rhyming story. I like when they eat the marshmallows at the end.” 

Summer Themed Children’s Books on Our Wish List

Flower Fairies of the Summer
by Cicely Mary Barker

Baby Loves Summer
by Karen Katz

Summer Days and Nights
by Wong Herbert Yee

Harry by the Sea
by Gene Zion

The Relatives Came
by Cynthia Rylant

What are your favorite children’s books for summer?