My eldest grandson had his final day of kindergarten one week ago today.

Bubby's ready for his last day of kindergarten!

Bubby learned so much in his first year of real school. Reading was one of his best — and favorite — subjects, and just last week he read me his entire list of one hundred sight words without missing a single one.

As many teachers do, Bubby's kindergarten teacher — who just so happened to be his mom, too — sent Bubby and his classmates home for the summer break with ideas for maintaining the lessons they'd mastered throughout the year. Reading books on a regular basis tops the list of ways to avoid that dreaded summer slide.

Summer slide can easily affect even the most dedicated students during the months away from school. In light of that, Candlewick Press suggests the following summer reads for kids of all ages to not only help stop summer slide in its tracks but to keep readers of all ages intrigued and entertained while enjoying their time outside of the classroom.

I received free copies of these books from Candlewick Press for review, but as I've not yet had a chance to read them all (it's slacking not sliding affecting this grandma, it seems!), the descriptions below are pretty much straight from the promotional materials or book jackets. I must say I'm delighted that a few of the story lines prominently feature grandparents!

Peppa Pig and the Great Vacation based on the TV series ($12.99, ages 2-5) From the book cover: "Peppa and George love going on vacation with Daddy Pig and Mummy Pig. There's so much to do — send postcards, go on a nature walk, have picnics, and explore tide pools at the beach. But Peppa misses her pet fish, Goldie. Are Grandpa Pig and Granny Pig taking good care of her back home? Peppa can't wait to get back and find out!"

 

Picnic by John Burningham ($16.99 ages 2-5) From the book jacket: "One day, Boy and Girl go out for a picnic. they meet all sorts of animals along the way and lose several things as well! Can you help them find them all and ensure that the picnic is a success? A wonderful new story for young children done in classic style from renowned children's book author and illustrator John Burningham."

 

 

Jessica Finch in Pig Trouble by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Erwin Madrid (Softcover, $4.99 ages 4-6) From promotional materials: "With her birthday coming up, Jessica hopes that, just maybe, her present will be a real-live potbellied pig. Jessica can hardly wait for her party with Judy Moody and all their friends. But Judy Moody is acting like a pig-head, and Jessica UN-invites her from the party. To make matters worse, Jessica has snooped around the house and has found zero sign of a pig present. Could her birthday be any more of a disaster? Geared to newly independent readers, this story will have Judy Moody fans in pig heaven."

 

Timmy Failure Now Look What You've Done by Stephan Pastis ($14.99 ages 8-12) From promotional materials: "He doesn’t like to pull rank. To reveal that he’s this guy: Timmy Failure, founder, president, and CEO of the greatest detective agency in town, perhaps the nation. But he is. And he’s about to crack the biggest case of his generation: a school competition to find a stolen globe. It’s his ticket to bringing home a $500 prize, which is guaranteed to set him up for life. But someone is clearly trying to game the system. Hoodwink. Con. Defraud. So it’s up to Timmy Failure, with the dubious help of Total, his lazy polar-bear partner, and his unlikely new ally, eccentric Great Aunt Colander, to find a way to avenge these shenanigans. Defeat this injustice. If he can only get his entry form in on time."

 

Three Bird Summer by Sara St. Antoine ($16.99 ages 10 and up) From the book jacket: For as long as he can remember, Adam and his parents have spent their summers at his grandmother's rustic cabin on Three Bird Lake. But this year will be different. There will be no rowdy cousins running around tormenting Adam. There will be no Uncle John or Aunt Jean. And there'll be no Dad to fight with Mom. This year, the lake will belong just to Adam. But then Adam meets Alice, the girl next door, who seems to want to become friends. Alice looks just like the aloof, popular girls back home — what could he and she possibly have in common? Turns out, Alice isn't like the girls back home. She's frank, funny, and eager for adventure. And when Adam's grandma starts to leave strange notes in his room — notes that hint at a hidden treasure somewhere at the lake and a love from long ago — Alice is the one person he can rely on to help solve the mysteries of Three Bird Lake."

 

Swim That Rock by John Rocco & Jay Primiano ($16.99 ages 12 years and up) From the book jacket: "Presumed dead does not mean dead. These thoughts are what Jake Cole clings to after his father goes missing in a fishing-boat accident. While his mother struggles with depression and loan sharks threaten to repossess the family diner, Jake is determined to make enough money to keep his family together — no matter what it takes. But when the quahogger he works for gets injured, Jake dares to partner with a mysterious stranger he knows only by the name "Captain," a surly pirate who drags him through the seedy underbelly of the shellfishing world. With the help of his best friend and a girl he might just want to call a "girlfriend," Jake faces the impossible during the most daring, exciting, and devastatingly heartbreaking adventure of his life."

 

Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs ($16.99 12 years and up) From the book jacket: "When mysterious blue butterflies suddenly appear in Gloria's hometown right before her summer away at a "geek camp" for gifted students, she wonders what they might portend. Fresh from the heartache of losing her grandmother and missing her best friend, Gloria resolves to make the most of her camp experience. But some things prove to be more challenging than she ever imagined, and with new friends, new love, and a whole new way of seeing the world, Gloria sense that her entire future is about to take flight."

 

Disclosure: I received these books free for review.

Today's question:

What are you currently reading and what's next on your list?