2022 Summer Books List for Young Readers

The Illustrated Emily Dickinson 
edited by Ryan G. Van Cleave
Bushel & Peck Books
August 2022 
Hardcover, $18.99

In this gorgeous collection, twenty-five of Emily Dickinson's most beloved poems are illustrated with stunning, full-color collage artwork.

Age range: 7—10

Little Parsley
by Inger Hagerup,
illustrated by Paul René Gauguin, 
translated by Becky L. Crook
Enchanted Lion
October 2019
Hardcover, $17.95

Alive with sound, shape, color, and play, this illustrated poetry collection—featuring scrumptious, gumptious gooseberries, a cantankerous crab, and more—comes from Norway's greatest poet, whose rhymes are recited by Norwegian children to this day!

Age range: 5—10
Themes: humor, imagination, play, animals, fruit and vegetables, people, nature

That Summer
by Inger Hagerup,
illustrated by Paul René Gauguin,
translated by Becky L. Crook
Enchanted Lion
December 2019
Hardcover, $17.95

Mosquitoes awaking as elephants, mountains taking millennia to move an inch—these illustrated poems burst with imagination, humor, and delight! Now a classic of Norwegian children's poetry, at publication this collection scandalized critics for offering children free verse.

Age range: 5—10
Themes: humor, imagination, play, animals, plants, nature, numbers

These Are Not the Words
by Amanda West Lewis
Groundwood Books
April 2022
Hardcover, $18.99

New York City in the 1960s is the humming backdrop for this poignant, gritty story about a girl who sees her parents as flawed human beings for the first time, and finds the courage to make a fresh start.

Ages 9—12
Themes: mental health, stories of resilience / dealing with loss

The World Belonged to Us
by Jacqueline Woodson, 
illustrated by Leo Espinosa 
Nancy Paulsen Books
May 2022
Hardcover, $18.99

Two children’s book superstars—#1 New York Times bestseller Jacqueline Woodson, the author of The Day You Begin, and Leo Espinosa, the illustrator of Islandborn­—join forces to celebrate the joy and freedom of summer in the city, which is gloriously captured in their rhythmic text and lively art.

 

Things We Eat 
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
Pomelo Books
March 2022
Paperback, $16.99


Things We Eat features poems that make kids hungry for avocado, dumplings, kimchi, tacos, yogurt, and more! As with Things We Do and Things We Feel, 100% of profits are donated to the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund. 

Grade level: Preschool—2
Themes: diversity, inclusion, healthy foods

If This Bird Had Pockets: A Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration
by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater,
illustrated by Emma J. Virján
Wordsong
March 2022
Hardcover, $17.99

An ideal gift for children who love animals, this picture book is a celebration of Poem in Your Pocket Day and a charmingly illustrated collection of playful poems about 19 different creatures.

Grade level: Pre-K–3

Ordinary Hazards 
by Nikki Grimes 
Wordsong
March 1, 2022
Paperback, $12.99

In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in this compelling and moving memoir in verse.