In our summer reading challenge, we ask our members to review five books, out of the many books they read during the summer, that they feel challenged them and that they would recommend to others to read. There are some great choices this year.
For more titles from previous years see
Summer Reading Challenge 2022
Summer Reading Challenge 2021
Summer Reading Challenge 2020
Summer Reading Challenge 2019
Summer Reading Challenge 2018
Summer Reading Challenge 2017
Reviewer: Jayce J. Aged 5
Molly Potter. How Are You Feeling Today?
This book is interesting because it tells you all about feelings and what you could do in that feeling. If you feel angry, happy, bored, worried, sad, excited, grumpy, scared, quiet, shy, jealous, embarrassed.
emotion emojis illustrated by Jayce
Ronne Randall based on books by Rev. W. Awdry. A Visit to London for Thomas the Tank Engine
I like this book because Sir Topham Hatt picked Thomas to take Sir and Lady Hatt to London. The book talks about Thomas’s visit to some beautiful places in London like… The Shard, Cutty Sark boat, Big Ben Tower, Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral and London Eye.
Thomas on his way to London illustrated by Jayce
Ifeoma Onyefulu Emeka’s Gift: An African Counting Story
A little boy called Emeka was going to visit his granny and he wanted to give her a present. He saw some beautiful things along the way but he did not have money for it. When he arrived granny said…?
Felicity Everett. The Fairground Ghost
The book is talking about a little boy called Jake who wanted to go to the funfair. Jake wanted to go with dad but he was working, so he asked mom, she was ironing. So he asked his big sister, Marcia, but she decided to call Brad so they three could go to the fair. Marcia and Brad immediately headed to the Tunnel of Love but Jake hated love. He wanted something scarier. He saw a sign with five attractions – Merry Go Round, Shooting Gallery, Big Wheel, Dodgem Cars, and the ghost train. He got on the ghost train and it started to move… how did Jake get on when he met the Ghost Inspector?
Andrew Pinder. Silly Jokes for Funny Kids
I like this book because it talks about Jokes. I have read this book about a trillion times and I am still reading it. My favourite jokes are “Why did the boy eat his homework?” “How do you know carrots are good for your eyes?” and “What’s another word for a snail?”
joke illustrations by Jayce
Reviewer: Nico S. Aged 9
L.M. Montgomery. Anne Of Green Gables
Rated: 4.5/5 stars
This book is about a girl called Anne who gets taken out of an orphanage and sent to live on a farm but the people she lived with were hoping for a farm boy to help with the chores. I’d recommend this book because it is full of courage and adventure.
I’d recommend it for Ages 9-13.
Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities
Rated: 3/5 stars
This book is about a man who travels from England to France during the French Revolution. I’d recommend this book because it is a classic, even though it was quite sad in parts. It was challenging because I didn’t really like most of the story until the middle when it got to the exciting bit. There were also lots of unfamiliar words.
I would recommend it for ages 14+.
Mildred Taylor. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Rated: 4.5/5 stars
This book is about a family’s determination to not be beaten. Even though it used bad and racist language and people did lots of bad things to Black people, I like that we aren’t living in those times now. I found it challenging because of the racism and I nearly stopped reading it twice but I am glad I didn’t.
I would recommend it for ages 12+.
Jonathan Swift. Gulliver’s Travels
Rated: 4.5/5 stars
This book is about a person called Gulliver who travels to the unrecorded corners of the world. I really liked it because it was quite funny that the people of Brobdingnag were giant and the people of Lilliput were tiny and the Hounynms were ruled by horses.
I would recommend it for ages 10+.
Hidenori Kusaka. Pokémon Adventures 02
Rated: 5/5 stars
This book is a collection of Pokémon stories in manga form. This one is about Amarillo (also called Yellow) who tries to find Red, who has lost his Pikachu. It was challenging because it is written in manga form, so is read from right to left on the page and the pages are backwards compared to English books.
I would recommend it for ages 8-14.
About the Author: Geraldine Glover is Potential Plus UK’s Community Information Coordinator. She is a Chartered Information Professional with a background in editorial work and information science. She is the mother of two children with high learning potential.
