Summer Reading from Raincoast Books

There is only one more month of school left (hard to believe right?!) and the laid back days of the summer are almost upon us. It is so important to keep up with your child’s reading through the summer months. Raincoast books has an excellent selection of books that are perfect for children to read with you and alone through the summer months.

Here are two of my favourite summer time readings for children:

Shark Lady

This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady.

Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks from the first moment she saw them at the aquarium. She couldn’t imagine anything more exciting than studying these graceful creatures. But Eugenie quickly discovered that many people believed sharks to be ugly and scary-and they didn’t think women should be scientists.

Determined to prove them wrong, Eugenie devoted her life to learning about sharks. After earning several college degrees and making countless discoveries, Eugenie wrote herself into the history of science, earning the nickname Shark Lady. Through her accomplishments, she taught the world that sharks were to be admired rather than feared and that women can do anything they set their minds to.

Shark Lady is a truly special book – it reminds children and adults that no matter what anyone says we can be who we want to be. In this beautiful story, Eugenie fell in love with these magical creatures and knew this was her life calling. Nothing could stop her from learning and being a part of their world. No matter what anyone told her about choosing a different field or that it wasn’t the best fit job for a girl, Eugenie showed them that she could study sharks and that you could accomplish anything you wanted to with drive and passion. She showed the world that sharks are not vicious killers but instead she showed them compassion, understanding and respect and wanted the world to do the same. Shark Lady is an amazing book for children to learn to follow their dreams and to show everyone and every animal compassion and understanding.

You can purchase a copy of Shark Lady here.

This Is How We Do It

Follow the real lives of seven kids from Italy, Japan, Iran, India, Peru, Uganda, and Russia for a single day! In Japan Kei plays Freeze Tag, while in Uganda Daphine likes to jump rope. But while the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days-and this one world we all share-unites them. This genuine exchange provides a window into traditions that may be different from our own as well as a mirror reflecting our common experiences. Inspired by his own travels, Matt Lamothe transports readers across the globe and back with this luminous and thoughtful picture book.

In this beautifully illustrated book, we follow the real lives of seven children – Kei (Japan), Ribaldo (Peru), Kian (Iran), Oleg (Russia), Anaya (India), Romeo (Italy) and Daphine (Uganda). It is so important for children to understand different cultures, both are similarities and our differences. This Is How We Do It, offers children a look into the lives of others so that we can see how at the heart of things we are all truly the same. We get a look into where these children live, who they live with, what they were to school, what they eat, how they help and what they do in the evening. My favourite part of the book is right near the end when we get a picture of what each child sees at night, driving home that we are all the same. The book is beautifully illustrated with a well written story line.

You can purchase a copy of This Is How We Do It here.

What do you look for in books for summer time reading?

Disclosure: I received the above books in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.