Children’s Books to Read During Spring Break
By: Hidden Gems on February 28, 2023
Do you have a young reader in your life? Or maybe you’re looking for a great bedtime story to enjoy with your youngest book lovers. With spring break on the horizon, we have a list of books to add to your reading list! Our Hidden Gems ARC readers loved the following titles, and we bet your young bookworm will, as well.
Bellies to the Sky by Colleen Canning
With 100 ratings and an impressive 4.6 average star rating, Bellies to the Sky is recommended for children ages 3-9 years old. According to the book description, this bedtime book will help lead your little one -and you – to a peaceful night/s sleep.
“The best part of life is sitting with a little one and reading to them and watching their wonderment,” writes Debi H. in her 5-star review. “Bellies To The Sky manages to keep their attention while learning about spirit animals and the need for sleep, not only for the animals, but for little children as well. The book gets read multiple times before bed. I am purchasing additional books for the special little people in my life.”
“This is a tender motivating book using animals and a ritual and breathing to help the young ones to sleep,” explains WereCat 2 in their 5-star review. “The illustrations are peaceful and impressive. I highly recommend this bedtime story for introducing children to spirit animals. I also recommend the story for the children who have a hard time getting to sleep at night. There is an Animal Guide Chart in the back.”
Wiilder Animal Adventures A -Z by Joachim Christgau and Alexander Whitman
With an astounding 4.9 average star rating and over a dozen reviews, this children’s book is recommended for ages 5-10 years old. As per the book’s description, young readers will join Hubi, Luna and WiiLDER pals across the planet on a safari to trade waves and scope out wildlife: from wide-winged albatrosses in the Southern Ocean, to wide-eyed hammerheads in the Azores, to speedy yellowfins far off the coast of Brazil!
Jessica H. raves in her 5-star review, “This was an awesome book. An adventurous A to Z book like this is what every young/early reader should have. We really enjoyed all the animals that went along with the ABC’s and the illustrations were really good. I loved the rhyming, especially for my young son. It always helps when there’s a bit of rhyming. I really enjoyed this book and it was adventurous, informative, wonderfully illustrated and overall just really cool. I would definitely recommend this one.”
In her 5-star review, Sue explains, “Read this book with my 7 year old, and she loved it! We took turns reading and she enjoyed the rhyming and learning about creatures on our planet…from A-Z, including some animals we’d never talked about before, so it was very interesting to learn things about some animals that aren’t as ‘popular.’ The illustrations were bright and colorful as well, adding to the reading experience!”
Where’s My Monster? by Wendy Winter
A Literary Titan Award Gold Winner and Mother’s Choice Award Recipient, Where’s My Monster? is suggested for children ages 2-7 years old. With over 240 reviews, this delightful story has a meaningful message for the younger book lovers in your life.
“This is a visually beautiful and creative story that teaches–not preaches–a wonderful lesson, seemingly inspired by a beautiful quote of Dr. Martin Luther King (provided at the back of the book): ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,’” explains Jami B. in her detailed 5-star review. “The illustrations are beautiful, looking to be watercolors that have had special effects done with them. The colors are vivid, rich, and well saturated. I particularly loved the color of the little girl’s amber eyes. They are gorgeous. At the end of the book, the author provides a treasure hunt of sorts, telling the reader to go back and look for particular symbols and count the number of eyeballs. I love children’s books like this that encourage good behavior and overcoming your fears without being overly preachy. When I got to the end quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, that made the story even more touching, as the little girl embodied that quote over the course of the story. We can be the light that overcomes the darkness; we can replace hate with love!”
Doina M. raves in their 5-star review, “There is depth and there is playfulness in Where’s My Monster. Once again, we find a joy infused story that will surely delight children and adults alike. They will also come upon a loving gift that was artfully tucked in these pages: a wonderful seed of enlightenment for the soil of the world. Much gratitude to this very special author!”
Marlon and the Scary Something by Dan Bailes
A B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree & Purple Dragonfly Book Award Winner, this book has an impressive 4.7 average star rating and is recommended for readers ages 6-9 years old who want a tale of adventure, friendship and courage.
Love2Read writes in their 5-star review, “This is a creative book about a mother telling a story to her two children. Marlon the cat saw something big and black and white, but it was not a cat. This creature scared Marlon, and Marlon had fear and anxiety about seeing it again. I like how the book mentions real emotions people have when they are afraid of something. Marlon soon learns that something new does not necessarily have to be scary. Great read.”
“This was a fun, enjoyable, and wonderful lesson for young children about finding courage to meet new friends that do not look exactly like you,” explains RedReviews4You in their 5-star review. “I read this with a young person and we had a great conversation about difference and sameness using Marlon and the Scary Something as the Bridge. Marlon is relatable and my young person was laughing and cheering and offering Marlins advice! A great story to read for all ages, it is well written, beautifully illustrated, and powerful.”
Pippa Park Crush at First Sight by Erin Yun
Erin Yun writes a delightful story for middle grade readers, ages 9-12. With an average 4.5 average star rating, this book even has AAPI Book Club Kit with printable activities available on our author’s website!
“Pippa Park Crush at First Sight by Erin Yun is such a great book for 5th grade and middle schoolers!” writes Heart and Mind Teaching in their 5-star review. “The characters included are realistic and relatable. The storyline hits many tween topics like first crushes, earning money, fitting in, and balancing new responsibilities. There are also a variety of cultures represented throughout the book. Pippa Park is a Korean American girl who attends a private middle school while living with her older sister and brother-in-law. She is busy trying to balance everything from school to friends to working at her family’s laundromat to sports and more. Pippa wants to fit in so badly too. She has her first crush, and her lifelong friend is finding ways to make the required volunteering more fun. Overall, things seem to be going well, except for Pippa’s standing with ‘The Royals’, the popular girls who rule the school. Pippa is asked to host the yearly Christmas Eve party, and with her social standing on the line, she just can’t turn down the request. She has many worries but finds courage to stay true to herself while planning a great party!”
Amazon Customer writes in their 5-star review, “I thought this book looked so cute that I bought it without realizing it was book 2! Luckily, I jumped right into Pippa’s story and read it without feeling like I was missing something (readers of all ages could do the same!) And I was right–it’s so cute! I adored the wholesomeness of the love triangle and I instantly fell in love with the charming characters. Pippa’s emotions and her desire to fit in felt so realistic–I feel like I made a best friend in Pippa! I’m excited to read book 1 and get to meet her all over again.”
Hidden Gems readers got to read these promising stories first, so if you want more books to add to your kiddo’s reading list, sign up today! Subscribers to Hidden Gems receive invitations to read books like these – plus other titles from any of up to 15 other genres – for free. All authors want is for you to consider leaving an honest review of them on Amazon when you’re done reading!
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