Summer days feel longer when you have bored children underfoot.
When it gets too hot to play outdoors and they’ve used up their daily allotment of screen time, it’s time to break out the riveting reads that will occupy children during the dog days of summer. Here is a sampling of chapter books and book series by contemporary authors that are sure to enthrall as we head into the hot summer months.
‘The Wingfeather Saga’
Dragons, lost kingdoms, trolls, scary forests, monstrous creatures, and distant lands—this is the perfect action-adventure-fantasy series for children who love all of the above.
The Igibys—Janner, Tink, and Leeli—live in a small town that is under the oppressive rule of the Fangs from Dang. Their lives are upended by one event after another, and as long-forgotten secrets are slowly revealed, the Igibys flee from the only place they’ve ever called home. They race to get past horned hounds and toothy cows, seeking refuge where they can.
It’s a real page-turner (short chapters help keep the action flowing), and it provides enough visuals to help readers imagine made-up monsters and awful hybrid animals—products of the creative mind of author Andrew Peterson.
Winner of the 2009 Christy Award for Young Adult Fiction—a recognition given for a “novel of faith in contemporary culture”—“The Wingfeather Saga” has some Narnian aspects. Angel Studios has also produced an animated series, which can serve as a reward for children who’ve finished reading the books.
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The popularity of the series has spawned spin-off books for loyal fans (“The Prince of Yorsha Doon” is due to be released Aug. 13, 2024), similar to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise. Though listed as appropriate for 8-year-olds, it may be better targeted for children 10 years old and older for scenes involving creepy Fangs and deadly battles.
‘The Wingfeather Saga’
By Andrew Peterson
WaterBrook, Nov. 23, 2021
Hardcover: 4-book series
‘Jane Austen Investigates’
Even if young readers don’t know who Jane Austen is, this makes a great introduction to the famous English novelist, reimagined as an inquisitive 13-year-old sleuth. Using her powers of deductive reasoning, she figures out there are surely no hauntings happening at the ruins of a monastery in the first book “The Abbey Mystery.” She catches a thief in “The Burglar’s Ball,” and in the latest book in the series, “The Convict’s Canal,” young Austen visits her brother in Oxford, where convicts work at the canals in the age of industrialization. When one of the convicts goes missing, Jane, with her trusty notebook in hand, attempts to determine his whereabouts.
Each book is filled with youthful adventures showcasing Jane as an independent thinker, with her wit and creativity on full display in her missives to her family about her adventures. Each book is also filled with references to Jane Austen’s actual published works. The novels “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and posthumously-published “Northanger Abbey” are well-represented in each of the “Jane Austen Investigates” books.
The series is not only entertaining but also provides a creative gateway for young readers to Austen’s classics. Perfect for children aged 10 and older.
‘Jane Austen Investigates’
By Julia Golding
Lion Fiction, April 23, 2021
Paperback: 3-book series
‘Ranger’s Apprentice’
“The Ranger’s Apprentice” series by international bestselling author John Flanagan provides adventures involving dark lords and faraway places. The series focuses on Walt, an orphan, who grew up as a ward of Baron Arald of Castle Redmont. Since Walt is wiry and quick, he is a natural choice to be a ranger’s apprentice. A ranger’s skills, he soon realizes, require more than just shimmying up castle walls undetected or staying invisible. It requires patience, mental discipline, and physical fitness, as he learns to accurately shoot arrows from his trusty steed.
The first book, “The Ruins of Gorlan,” introduces the main characters in the series and deals with Will’s training and his first foray into a major battle. The 11 other books deal with the many adventures that take Walt beyond the walls and periphery of Castle Redmont. The books chronicle his growth into a full-fledged ranger, watch him create his own reputation, and show how he leaves his own legacy.
It’s a great series for boys (and girls) who love adventure stories where chivalry is alive and well. Walt’s character is a reminder that we all have talents and skills, and we can be great at something in our own small ways. Prequels and spin-off books are also available for this series.
‘Ranger’s Apprentice’
By John Flanagan
BMI Educational, Jan. 1, 2013
Paperback: 12-book series
‘Jungle Jim and Jungle Jen Go Camping’
Younger readers can also go on an adventure closer to reality. In “Jungle Jim and Jungle Jen Go Camping,” Jim, the walking encyclopedia, and Jen, the imaginative daydreamer, explore wildlife as they go on a camping trip.
Some chapters are dedicated to a woodland animal like the squirrel, porcupine, or the moose. Other chapters deal with aspects of camping, such as canoeing, fishing, and identifying poison ivy. Each short chapter is chock-full of facts, guaranteeing that children will gain a lot of information.
The humor that Jen provides and the whimsy found in each chapter’s illustrations make the reading fun. Parents may want to read this book aloud as some of the words may be challenging to decode (“ophidiophobia”—the fear of snakes), and terms like “dermatitis” and “portaging” may need some explanation. Nevertheless, this is a fun way for kids to learn plenty of animal facts without picking up a textbook. It’s a great read-aloud chapter book for young inquisitive minds and is perfect for the budding outdoorsman.
‘Jungle Jim and Jungle Jen Go Camping’
By Jennifer J. Bergin
Balboa Press, Nov. 9, 2023
Paperback: 80 pages
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