“It’s Summer!” by Linda Glaser - This book is about all the changes a little kid observes with the start of a new season. It’s is filled with many great summer activities, crafts, and games.

“Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping” by Peggy Parish – Amelia is excited to go camping for the first time. She tries repeatedly to help, but always gets instructions mixed up and leaves a bigger mess. This is a hilarious, classic story about one of summer’s most fun activities.

“By the Seashore” by Maurice Pledger – A cute story filled with beautiful illustrations, lift flaps, and different textures you would find at the seashore. This book introduces different aspects of the ocean world to children and makes for a fun time reading.

“Blueberries for Sal” by Robert McCloskey - A little girl named Sal, goes on an adventure; blueberry picking. No matter how many berries she picks, her bucket is still empty. At the end of the day, Sal has eaten hundreds of berries and managed to run into a mother bear and her cub. This is a cute story about growing children’s curiosity and appetite.

“Painting the Wind” by Patricia & Emily Maclachlan and Katy Schneider – A beautiful story about a young boy and his dog. All summer, he learns from the artists who visit his island.

“The Summer Solstice” by Ellen Jackson – “The Summer Solstice” is a great book for young children. It’s all about the longest day of the year, and has many different cultural customs and beliefs. This book is filled with great activities and has a little science sprinkled in.

Don’t see your favorite summer book? Leave a comment. Have fun reading this coming summer!

The Runaway Bunny presents lots of learning opportunities.

The Runaway Bunny is a book and about a young, white bunny who wants to runaway from his mother. He suggests many impossible ways that he could leave her; Becoming a boy, a rock on top of a mountain, a little sailboat, and several others. She continually insists on following and finding him. In the end the little bunny decides to stay and be her child. This is an extremely cute story with wacky illustrations and a perfect description of any mother’s love for her child. The Runaway Bunny is written by Margaret Wise Brown, and illustrated by Clement Hurd.

Ways to teach social awareness to children using The Runaway Bunny:

Parents and Family- The little bunny wishes to leave his mother, and run away. She tells him that no matter where he goes, she will follow him and bring him back home to be her boy. If you are the child’s parent, tell them what you would do if they ran away or were missing.

Strangers- It is never a good idea for a young child to go off on their own. The Runaway Bunny puts a cute twist on an important lesson that all kids should learn. Teach your child the danger of running away and talking to strangers.

Art activities you and your child can do:

The bunny imagines becoming many different things when he runs away. Have your child pretend to be one of those and draw a picture of it. Are they are flower? A sailboat? A fish?

Early Home Economics that can be learned with The Runaway Bunny:

In the end of the story, the little bunny stays with his mother and eats a carrot. Have your child help you prepare and eat some of your own carrots.

Recreational activities that you can do with The Runaway Bunny:

The mother bunny tells her boy that she will find him no matter where he goes. Play hide-and-seek with your child. Take turns being the seeker.