Summer's On: A Non-Fiction Book List

My final list for the summer includes a few non-fiction books that might be worthwhile to keep young readers occupied during the summer, as well as educate them about our Canadian weather.

NON-FICTION 

38 Ways to Entertain Your Parents on Summer Vacation

by Dette Hunter

Illustrated by Kitty Macaulay

Annick Press

48 pp.

Ages 4-9

2005

Get Outside: The Kids Guide to Fun in the Great Outdoors

by Jane Drake and Ann Love

Illustrated by Heather Collins

Kids Can Press

176 pp.

Ages 8+

2012

The Kids Cottage Book: Official Activity Book of Summer

by Jane Drake and Ann Love

Kids Can Press

208 pp.

1993

The Kids Cottage Games Book: Official Book of Games to Play

by Jane Drake and Ann Love

Kids Can Press

Sun and Storms: Canadian Summer Weather

by Nicole Mortillaro

Scholastic Canada

60 pp.

Ages 7-9

2005

Summer's On: A Young Adult Book List

Young adult fiction may have more mature themes and vocabulary than the books of my earlier summer book lists but, let's face it, they're all about spending time with friends, family, and strangers, at home or elsewhere, and experiencing new things, good or not.  Everyone is living in the moment, often a warm, sunny one! Onward with summer!

           

YOUNG ADULT

Acceleration

by Graham McNamee

Wendy Lamb Books

210 pp.

Ages 14+

2003

Before Wings

by Beth Goobie

Orca Book Publishers

203 pp.

Ages 14 and up

2000

Blues for Zooey

by Robert Paul Weston

Razorbill

272 pp.

Ages 13+

2014

Reviewed here

The Darkest Corner of the World

by Urve Tamberg

Dancing Cat Books

251 pp.

Ages 12+

2012

Finding Melissa

by Cora Taylor

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

184 pp.

Ages 14+

2013

Reviewed here

Finding My Own Way

by Peggy Dymond Leavey

Napoleon

173 pp.

Ages 12-15

2001

The Gravesavers
by Sheree Fitch
Doubleday Canada
336 pp.
Ages 12-15
2005

Grist

by Heather Waldorf

Red Deer Press

228 pp.

Ages 13-16

2006

The Isabel Factor

by Gayle Friesen

Kids Can Press

252 pp.

Ages 12-14

2005

Last Chance for Paris

by Sylvia McNicoll

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

204 pp.

Ages 12-15

2008

Last Summer in Agatha

by Katherine Holubitsky

Orca Book Publishers

185 pp.

Ages 14-16

2001

No More Pranks 

by Monique Polak

Orca Book Publishers

100 pp.

Ages 15-17

2004

Once Every Never       

by Lesley Livingston
Puffin Canada
302 pp.
Ages 12+
2011
Reviewed here

Every Never After

by Lesley Livingston
Razorbill
242 pp.
Ages 12+
2013
Reviewed here

Now and For Never

by Lesley Livingston
Razorbill
280 pp.
Ages 12+
2014

Second Chances

by Brenda Chapman

Dundurn

262 pp.

Ages 12-14

2012

The Silent Summer of Kyle McGinley

by Jan Andrews

Great Plains Teen Fiction

200 pp.

Ages 12-15

2013

Reviewed here

Smokescreen

by Nancy Hartry

Tundra

202 pp.

Ages 12+

2013

Reviewed here

Stolen

by John Wilson

Orca

119 pp.

Ages 10-13

2014

Summer of Fire

by Karen Bass

Coteau Books

295 pp.

2009

Swim the Fly
by Don Calame
Candlewick
345 pp.
Ages 13-15
2009

This One Summer

by Mariko Tamaki

Illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

Groundwood Books

2014

Reviewed here

Three Songs for Courage

by Maxine Trottier

Tundra Books

324 pp.

Ages 15-17

2006

Totally Unrelated

by Tom Ryan

Orca Books

120 pp.

Ages 11-14

2013

Reviewed here

Truths I Learned from Sam

by Kristin Butcher

Dundurn

177 pp.

Ages 12-16

2012

Wave Warrior

by Lesley Choyce

Orca

105 pp.

Ages 11-14

2007

Way to Go

by Tom Ryan

Orca

214 pp.

Ages 14-16

2012

Reviewed here

What Happened This Summer

by Paul Yee

Tradewind Books

178 pp.

Ages 15+

2006

Wicked Sweet

by Mar'ce Merrell

Feiwel and Friends

330 pp.

Ages 14-18

2012

Reviewed here

Wild Orchid

by Beverley Brenna

Red Deer Press

156 pp.

Ages 12+

2005

Summer's On! A Fiction Book List

For readers of chapter books, whether they be early readers or middle grade, these summer reads have something for everyone: vacations with family, going to camp, adventures in the wild, pranks, mysteries, melancholy and humour.  But it's all courtesy of time off school and weather that lets you stay outside longer than other times of the year. Enjoy!  

FICTION

Adventures at Camp Lots-O-Fun

by Marilyn Helmer

Illustrated by Mike Deas

Orca Book Publishers

60 pp.

Ages 8-10

2010

After Peaches

by Michelle Mulder

Orca Book Publishers

106 pp.

Ages 9-11

2009

After the Fire

by Becky Citra

Orca Book Publishers

186 pp.

Ages 8-11

2006

Alberta Alibi

by Dayle Campbell Gaetz

Orca Book Publishers

189 pp.

Ages 9-12

2005

The Archaeolojesters
by Andreas Oertel
Lobster Press
192 pp.
Ages 9-12
2010

As Long as the Rivers Flow

by Larry Loyie with Constance Brissenden

Illustrated by Heather D. Holmlund

Groundwood Books

48 pp.

Ages 7-11

2002

Bat Summer

by Sarah Withrow

Groundwood Books

174 pp. 

Ages 10–13

1998

Becca At Sea  

by Deirdre Baker           

Groundwood Books

176 pp.
Ages 9-12

2007          

The Big Swim

by Cary Fagan

Groundwood Books

128 pp.

Ages 9-12

2010

The Big Tree Gang

by Jo Ellen Bogart

Illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Orca Book Publishers

61 pp.

Ages 7-9

2005

Bye-Bye, Evil Eye

by Deborah Kerbel

Dancing Cat Books

168 pp.

Ages 9-12

2014

Reviewed here

Camp Outlook
by Brenda Baker
Second Story Press
245 pp.
Ages 9-13
2014

Days That End in Y

by Vikki VanSickle

Scholastic Canada

194 pp.

Ages 9-12

2013

Reviewed here

Driftwood

by Valerie Sherrard

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

200 pp.

Ages 10+

2013

Reviewed here

The Fossil Hunters

by Marilyn Helmer

Illustrated by Dermot Walshe

Orca Book Publishers

62 pp.

Ages 6-8

2009

Gemini Summer

by Iain Lawrence

Delacorte Press

261 pp.

Ages 10-13

2006

The Green Man

by Michael Bedard

Tundra Books

304 pp.

Ages 11-14

2012

Greysteel’s Ghost

by Robert Sutherland
HarperTrophy Canada
176 pp.
Ages 9-12
2005

A Handful of Time

by Kit Pearson

Puffin Books

186 pp.

Ages 8-12

1987

I Owe You One

by Natalie Hyde
Orca Book Publishers
126 pp.
Ages 8-11
2011

Johnny Kellock Died Today

by Hadley Dyer

HarperCollins

152 pp.

Ages 9-12

2006

Just J.

by Colin Frizzell

Orca Book Publishers

138 pp.

Ages 9-13

2007

Keep Out!

by Hélène Boudreau
Nimbus
82 pp.
Ages 6-9
2010

Losing Joe’s Place

by Gordon Korman

Scholastic

233 pp.

Ages 12-14

1990

Nobody's Dog

by Ria Voros

Scholastic Canada

150 pp.

Ages 8-12

2012

Reviewed here

Off Track (Sports Stories, #62)

by Bill Swan

James Lorimer

106 pp.

Ages 8-13

2003

One Thing That's True

by Cheryl Foggo

Kids Can Press

128 pp.

Ages 10+

1997

On the Road Again! More Travels with My Family

by Marie-Louise Gay and David Homel
Groundwood Books
141 pp.
Ages 7-10
2008

Out of the Box

by Michelle Mulder

Orca Book Publishers

150 pp.

Ages 9+

2011

Reviewed here

      

The Path of Names

by Ari Goelman

Arthur E. Levine/Scholastic
399 pp.
Ages 10-12
2013

Pete's Gold

by Luanne Armstrong

Ronsdale Press

188 pp.

Ages 10-14

2008

Sabotage

by Karen Autio

Sono Nis Press

293 pp.

Ages 10+

2013

Reviewed here

Siena Summer

by Ann Chandler

Tradewind Books

142 pp.

Ages 12-14

2008

Sky Lake Summer

by Peggy Dymond Leavey

Napoleon Publishing

178 pp.

Ages 9-11

1999

Somebody Else’s Summer

by Jean Little

Viking Canada

180 pp.

Ages 9-12

2005

Summer Days, Starry Nights

by Vikki VanSickle

Scholastic Canada

221 pp.

Ages 11-14

2013

Reviewed here

Summer in the City

by Marie-Louise Gay and David Hormel

Groundwood

150 pp.

Ages 8-10

2012

Summer of Discovery

by Eric Wilson
HarperTrophy Canada
96 pp.
Ages 9-12

1996

The Summer of Magic Quartet

by Andrea Spalding

Orca Book Publishers

Ages 9-12

The White Horse Talisman (Book One)

192 pp.

2003

Dance of the Stone (Book Two)

196 pp.

2003

Heart of the Hill (Book Three)

182 pp.

2005

Behind the Sorcerer's Cloak (Book Four)

227 pp.

2006

The Summer of Permanent Wants

by Jamieson Findlay

Doubleday Canada

241 pp.

Ages 10-14

2011

Summer of Suspense (Science Squad Adventure Series #1).

by Kristin Butcher

Whitecap Books

159 pp.

Ages 8-12

2002

The Summer of the Spotted Owl (A Dinah Galloway Mystery)

by Melanie Jackson

Orca Book Publishers

180 pp.

Ages 9-12

2005

Summer on the Run

by Nancy Belgue

Orca Book Publishers

139 pp.

Age 8-12

2005

A Taste of Perfection

by Laura Langston

Stoddart Kids (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

214 pp.

Ages 10-13

2002

Travels with My Family

by Marie-Louise Gay     

Groundwood Books
119 pp.
Ages 7-10

2006

Trouble at Impact Lake (The Archaeolojesters, Book 3)

by Andreas Oertel

Lobster Press

185 pp.

Ages 9-12

2011

The Uncle Duncle Chronicles: Escape from Treasure Island

by Darren Krill

Lobster Press

335 pp.

Ages 14-16

2006

The Way to Schenectady

by Richard Scrimger

Illustrated by Linda Hendry

Tundra Books

163 pp.

Ages 9-13

1998

Wishing Star Summer

by Beryl Young

Raincoast Books

136 pp.

Ages 9-12

2001

Zach & Zoe: Bully and the Beagle

by Kristin Butcher

James Lorimer

117 pp.

Ages 7 -11

2009