Summer Reading for Early Childhood and Lower School Students 2025

Nebula means "cloud" in Latin, but these little-known astronomical phenomena are different from Earth's clouds. They can be the last breaths of supernovas, spreading the elements of life far and wide, or they can be star nurseries, swirling molecules together to form stars and planets. In this gorgeous nonfiction look into the cosmos, the nebula narrator invites young astronomers to learn more about these immense space clouds, from how they form to what they do. Readers will be entranced by the vibrant illustrations, which incorporate real photographs of nebulae, and the poetic text, which reveals that we are all grown from scattered stardust. Rich back matter provides details about nebulae and how people have studied them, the nebulae pictured in the illustrations (listed as the "cast"), and resources for further learning.

Readers will learn about baseball's beginnings and how it has evolved into the sport we know today. Learn about the first World Series, how equipment has changed over the years to better protect players, the most well-known MLB stars, and more. Sidebars and a Take a Look! infographic present interesting, supplementary information, and a timeline highlights critical events in the sport's history. Children can learn more about baseball using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. The History of Baseball also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, a glossary, and an index. The History of Baseball is part of Jump!'s History of Sports series which also includes Gymnastics, Hockey, Football, Swimming and Basketball.

This first picture book biography of Rubik's Cube creator Erno Rubik reveals the obsession, imagination, and engineering process behind creating an iconic puzzle.
Celebrating 50 years of the most popular puzzle in history!
In the hills of Budapest, near the banks of the Danube River, lived a quiet boy named Ernő Rubik. He loved books, art, nature, and--most of all--puzzles. And he grew up to create the most popular puzzle in history. This picture book biography explores the experience and interests that inspired the inventor of the Rubik's Cube.
From the time he was a child, Ernő was curious about the objects around him. What did they look like on the inside? What about geometric shapes? How many ways could he fit them together? Could he combine them so they somehow became something that was greater than its components?
Ernő grew up and became a professor of architecture and design. Still fascinated with how shapes worked together, he fashioned an object, a cube made up of smaller cubes that twisted and turned without breaking. This object eventually became known as the most popular puzzle in history, the Rubik's Cube.
Kerry Aradhya's accessible text takes us behind the scenes of the creative process and into the mind and imagination of a remarkable inventor. Kara Kramer's cheerful, multi-media illustrations encourage readers to think about inspiration, reflection, and the joy of puzzles--and solutions.

Build your very own Rube Goldberg Machines in this must-have guide for builders of all ages! To build a Rube Goldberg Machine, all you need is a pile of junk and a great imagination. World-renowned Rube Goldberg Machine builder Zach Umperovitch and STEAM educator Tori Cameron have teamed up to show us just how true that is in this comprehensive guide to building Rube Goldberg Machines at home. Written in partnership with Rube Goldberg's granddaughter herself, Jennifer George, this book breaks down how to build a variety of machines that solve simple problems in complex ways. Progressing in difficulty with each chapter, kids (and builders of all ages) will learn how to construct super simple machines that fit on a tabletop, to hard ones that take up entire rooms or yards! Learn how to start chain reactions that refill your popcorn automatically on movie night, open umbrellas, and even pack a picnic, one step at a time. Filled with famous quotes from Rube Goldberg, jokes, fun facts, and tips and tricks to make building as successful as possible, this book is sure to satisfy every family's most curious and inventive of minds! Available via SORA.

This incredible story about Bertha, the massive tunnel boring machine that successfully constructed the longest and widest road tunnel in the contiguous United States, under the city of Seattle, brought to life in vibrant and engaging illustrations, will appeal to kids ages 7-10 fascinated with big machines and how they work.
In 2013, construction crews raced to replace a crumbling elevated highway along Seattle's waterfront with a double-decker tunnel running almost two miles under the city. This is the story of Bertha, the mammoth and complex tunnel boring machine that simultaneously dug and built the tunnel, and Deputy Project Manager Greg Hauser and his dedicated crew.
Kids interested in engineering and how machines function will love learning about the tunnel boring machine, how it worked, and how Bertha's crew solved problems that arose along the way to ultimately construct an amazing, earthquake-safe highway under the city.
In addition to the narrative story the book includes additional information about Bertha and this fascinating engineering feat, including:
Facts about Bertha and the tunnel
How Bertha simultaneously dug and built a tunnel
Engineering background about the tunnel's construction

How do you breathe underwater? What tools can we use to go deeper and deeper into the oceans? And...what's down there?
Two-thirds of our Earth is covered in ocean, yet only 5% of it has been explored.
DIVE deep into our long history of sea exploration to learn why, how, and when humans have dived, and uncover our biggest questions about what hides in the Earth's deepest waters.
Perfect for STEM-oriented minds and young and old readers fascinated by the sea, Dive! is a must-have to add to any nonfiction shelf. Available via SORA.

Do you want to know a secret? Sometimes grown-ups need YOU to explain things to THEM. Like climate science!
In this tongue-in-cheek guide, an in-the-know narrator instructs kid readers in the fine art of explaining climate science to a grown-up. Both children and their adults learn:
The difference between weather and climate.
How climate scientists collect data.
What causes climate change.
What we can do to reverse course and repair the planet.

Fun and fact-filled, the How to Explain Science to a Grown-Up series will empower kid experts to explore complex scientific concepts with any grown-up who will listen.

How does an amphibian cross the road? With the help of the Amphibian Migration Team! Learn all about a citizen scientist who acts as a crossing guard for migrating amphibians and helps build them a tunnel to safety in this delightful nonfiction picture book!
From Kari Percival, Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning author of How to Say Hello to a Worm, comes an entertaining and informative children's book perfect for curious, nature-loving young readers.
Every spring, frogs and salamanders must travel from wooded uplands where they were born to vernal pools where they will mate. Unfortunately, roads constructed through their habitats have made the journey dangerous for these slow-moving animals. Many never reach their destinations. But with the help of the Amphibian Migration Team, there is hope for a safe crossing!
Readers will learn so much about amphibians and their habitats and get a great introduction to civic participation, too. The citizen scientist at the heart of this story presents her proposal for a wildlife tunnel to her local City Council and coordinates with stakeholders in the process like a wildlife biologist, a herpetologist, a roadway engineer, a surveyor, the Conservation Commission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Transportation, contractors, and reporters. It's a fascinating way to find out how local government works and how kids can actively create social change.
Playful and educational, Safe Crossing offers an empowering example of how even the youngest citizens can raise awareness about a meaningful cause, drive change, and unite people locally and globally.

It's a beautiful day on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. But while all seems calm now, a hurricane is barreling across the Atlantic, and everyone is wondering when it will hit the U.S. coast. And where.
Night and day, meteorologists use satellites to monitor the storm. Brave pilots fly directly into the tempest, dodging lightning bolts to gather crucial data. Back on the island, families board up windows, drag furniture upstairs, and stock survival kits to prepare for what may come.
From its dramatic opening, Hurricane alternates between striking maps charting the hurricane's progress and daily life on the island.
Hurricane is at once a fascinating view into a natural disaster and a reassuring survey of the tools we use to mitigate the damage. As climate change makes hurricanes ever more destructive, this engaging and rigorous book is perfect for classrooms, and for families making their own safety plans.

On one side of the ocean, a war had ended, leaving many in Europe without enough food.
On the other side of the ocean, Americans asked, How can we help?
The need was too great for any one person to fill-but what could people do if they joined together?
The answer was the Friendship Train, which ran from the West Coast to the East collecting good food for hungry bellies. Americans of all ages gave what they could. Especially children! They donated their allowances, sold newspapers, collected food from neighbors, loaded packages onto trucks and boxcars-all for strangers across the sea.
And in return, those strangers asked themselves How can we say "thank you"? Still recovering from the war, they didn't have a lot to give, but they found a way-their own train full of ways-to express their gratitude.
This heartwarming nonfiction picture book from Debbie Levy and Boris Kulikov shows how small acts of kindness can grow, healing lives and helping turn strangers into friends.

In the 1940s, the ground rumbled as they thundered across the United States, 25 600-ton steam locomotives called Big Boys. These mammoth engines were built to pull trains transporting soldiers and freight, supporting the war effort.

When less-expensive diesel-electric engines became popular, Big Boy engines were pulled from service, either to be scrapped or sent to museums and other venues as exhibits. Big Boy 4014 pulled her last train in 1959. She spent most of her retirement in California at an outdoor train museum. People came from around the world to visit, marveling at her size.

But one day in 2013, a different group of visitors came to see Big Boy 4014. This group wondered what it would take to get her back on the tracks. May 9, 2019, would be the Golden Spike Celebration, the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Could Big Boy 4014 be restored in time for the celebration? Would she ever roll on the rails again?

From deadly nightshade to the flying duck orchid, discover how some of the biggest, baddest, smelliest, and strangest plants around the globe earn their reputation as masters of survival.
Ready to meet some far-out flora? Leaf through this book and you'll unearth some of the amazing adaptations that help plants thrive: Seeds that explode. Leaves that look like stones. Berries so deadly that swallowing just a few will stop your heart. A plant that eats meat, and another that pretends to be meat--rotten meat, with a smell so rank you'll want to plug your nose. Dig in to the science of plant survival in a botanical book blooming with lush illustrations and filled with engagingly narrated, fascinating facts about how plants flourish, even in the most extreme environments on earth. A glossary, source notes, index, and select bibliography round out the back matter for readers eager to know more.

Following a trail of intriguing clues, take an epic journey around the world and discover heart-stopping true stories of treasure lost, stolen, and found.
Exactly where is Queen Nefertiti's mummy HIDDEN?
Can the Titanic's treasures be SAVED from the waves?
Could you help find a Viking HOARD with a metal detector?

Find out which artist's work has been STOLEN more than 80 times and where you can DIG UP the tooth of a T. rex as YOU become the treasure hunter . . .
Countries around the world readers will visit:
Scotland
Norway
Egypt
Indonesia
India
Colombia
Madagascar
And many more

Kids will love this engaging and interactive book that's chock-full of information and facts. THEY are the treasure hunter, and THEY get to be a map reader, code cracker, and puzzle solver, searching for lost treasure and figuring out the mystery.