I love reading and so do my young children. Every summer, since they were born, I challenge myself to read 100 books to them. For the previous two summers I was able to read those 100 books in thirty days! That left me exhausted for the month of August so I went back to my original plan of 100 books during the summer. My children get a kick out of going to the library and (now) using their library card to check out books they want me to read to them. I was also able to see which books they really enjoyed, and that led me to compile a list of their favorite books this summer.

10. Where’s Waldo 30th Anniversary Edition

The kids enjoyed searching the pages to see who can find Waldo faster than mommy. They looked at Waldo as a giant hide-and-go-seek game inside of a book. Especially when they had to search for the other people. This book made this list because this was a special request after my children played the Where’s Waldo game on YouTube. Once they went through the entire book they were ready to move on to the next story. To help children learn to look at the details and find what’s hidden in plain sight, I would definitely recommend this book!

 

9.Just Saving My Money

Little Critter wants to buy a new toy. His parents introduce him to earning money so he can save up for his toy. Will Little Critter save up enough to buy the toy? I introduced the children to the Little Critters with this book. My children know that saving money is a good thing when there are things you want to buy even when they weren’t happy doing it. Reading about the little Critter saving his money to save up for his favorite toy gave them another view on their piggy banks. Now my daughter is thinking of interesting ways to earn and save her money to buy Barbies!

 

 

8. No, David!

This is a classic story about a little boy being told NO! quite often because of the antics he gets into as a lovable preschooler. My three year old son enjoyed this book more than my five year old daughter, but David made the list because at story time this book was requested several times.

 

 

 

 

 

7. The Berenstain Bears Are Super Bears!

The three bear cubs love super heroes, so one day they decide to become super heroes themselves! See what plans they foil and what bad guys they thwart in this funny adventure. My children absolutely adore these little bears. I can’t blame them. I have been a fan of the Berenstain Bears since my childhood and I am happy to see that I was able to share them with my children. I have read quite a few of the Berenstain Bears to my children this summer but this book had them captivated from the cover art! I would have added more but this list is only for the top 10 of this summer. Next summer I may have to add a whole lot more books from this series!

 

 

6. Bee-bim Bop

This is a very lovely book about a girl helping her mom cook her favorite Korean dish for dinner. My children love the rhyming and the pictures. This book even has the recipe for how to make Bee-bim Bop so you can try it yourself! We have this book at home and then my daughter received a copy of it as a prize while participating in the summer reading program at our local library. My son and my daughter love requesting this book at bedtime!

 

 

5. I Broke My Trunk!

This book is another one that is requested quite often by my little ones. The different adventures that Piggie and Elephant get into are hilarious. The story of their friendship is adorable and the story of how Gerald broke his trunk is funny. Surprisingly enough, last summer, neither of my children were to enthusiastic about Piggie and Elephant. Last summer was all about the Pigeon, The Knuffle Bunny and the Cat the Cat series, all by the same author. For the most part, anything by this author (now) is a win for the children!

 

 

4. Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Gerald has a dilemma. The ice cream truck has come and gone and Piggie was not around. Gerald wonders whether or not he should share his ice cream with Piggie or eat the sweet treat by himself? This book tickled all of us. It also opens the door for discussion about sharing. Another book requested regularly. The Piggie and Elephant series came highly recommended by our librarian last summer. I am glad the children finally started enjoying them.

 

 

 

3. I Love My New Toy!

Piggie and Elephant are at it again. This time, Piggie has a new toy that she wants to share with Gerald. This story of friendship helps children see different ways to handle situations. The delight on my children’s faces when they run into the children section to select more Piggie and Elephant books is a joy to see. That makes it that much better for reading time when they select the books themselves.

 

 

 

2. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!

This Pigeon is a hilarious ball of energy! My children can’t seem to get enough of this bird! He is very expressive and has been in rotation on our reading list for three summers in a row. The pigeon series is also a recommendation from our librarian. The Pigeon finds a hot dog and just when he’s about to eat it, here comes the Duckling! Will the Pigeon share his delicious find or will he gobble it up with the Duckling watching? This books is entertaining for me as well as my children and I enjoy reading about this Pigeon.

 

1. Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!

Funny! The pigeon dreams of driving a bus one day so when the bus driver steps away for a little bit, the attempts to get permission to drive the bus. Will he fulfill his dream of being a bus driver? This book is my children’s first introduction to Mo Willems and I couldn’t have expected the amount of laughter I received the first time I read this one. This book has been on our reading list for three summers now also. This was also recommended by our librarian. When ever I check out any of the pigeon books my children get excited and want to read the books immediately. The books delight my children so much that I follow Mo Willems on Twitter and recently asked him if any new pigeon books were coming out any time soon.

Listen, my children loved these books plus many more this summer. Don’t take my word on how great these books are, read them to your children and let them decide how much (or little) they enjoy these books. Reading to children now will create a lifetime love of reading.