summer (and fall) reads 2025
bring the kids and a picnic blanket
It is June (!) and I have a slew of books for you and your kids to enjoy this summer. But first, here are our next four scheduled reads:
Which brings me to the most fun we’ve (probably) had in Gaining Ground yet, because…
WE HAVE STARTED WINNIE THE POOH!
(Sorry for yelling, but YAY!)
Note that this is actually The Complete Tales/Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (depending on your version) which includes The House at Pooh Corner...without which we would never meet Tigger, and many things would be left unbounced that need to be bounced.
“There's the South Pole, said Christopher Robin, and I expect there's an East Pole and a West Pole, though people don't like talking about them.”
― A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Our ancient, much-loved, and taped-up copy looks like this:
We just started last week but it goes so fast you’ve got time to jump in. The crustimoney proceedcakes — er, customary procedure — is that we roughly follow a schedule that I put out a week or so ahead of time, but since we’re a week or so behind time already, here you go and I’m sure you’ll do just fine anyway:
And now for some…
more great summer books for kids
Looking for fun books to keep (or get) you and the kids outside? Here are some that we’ve loved:
An Egg is Quiet by Diana Aston: This book is so gorgeous, and it is just one of a series (A Seed is Sleepy, A Butterfly is Patient, etc) of about seven books.
In and Out of the Garden by Sara Midda and The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden are both nature journals that will inspire your artsy doodle-y kids (or your artsy doodle-y self).
Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots and Sunflower Houses by Sharon Lovejoy: Brilliant ideas for your yard and garden that will fascinate and occupy your kids in most weather. We’re on year 2 of our bean/pea pole teepee.
The Secret World of Weather by Tristan Gooley: This is not a book for little kids (more complex info, not a picture book) but his explanations are fabulous even though he needlessly mentions Covid (gahh) at least twice. (Side note: When authors do this in recent works it immediately bugs me; therapists please advise.) If you love this book, he’s got several more along these lines, too.
…aaand for the writerly among us
If you want to take advantage of the slowdown of summer to brush up on your writing skills (or you have a kid who needs/wants to), I offer personal feedback and coaching. Schedule as many months as you want, or jump in and out as your schedule allows; you can write pieces that go along with our scheduled reading, or your topics can be entirely different. It’s super flexible, just $30/month — details here.
Aside from that though, here’s a simple prompt for you or your kids, for your journal or discussion:
Which character in Winnie the Pooh do you most identify or resonate with, and why?
I used to be very much like Rabbit, but have eased back toward a blend of Owl and Kanga.
Owl looked at him, and wondered whether to push him off the tree; but, feeling that he could always do it afterwards, he tried once more to find out what they were talking about.
— The House at Pooh Corner
Happy reading (and writing!),
Shannon
