Laid-back summer days and a good book go hand-in-hand. Last month, we gave you a list of captivating books for children to read during the school hiatus. And this month, because there’s no such thing as kids reading TOO much, we’re giving you more of the same.
   
The books recommended this time were chosen by The Horn Book (hbook.com), which has been reviewing children’s books for more than 80 years.

Reprinted with permission of The Horn Book, the nation’s oldest journal about children’s literature.

Dog and Bear: Two’s Company [Grades K-3]
By Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Porter/Roaring Brook, $12.95, 32 pages)
The three stories, told mostly in dialogue, lend themselves to independent reading and group sharing; readers may also enjoy acting them out. Seeger demonstrates the power of the small brushstroke as Bear’s eyebrows tell the whole story of what it means to be Dog’s friend. A stark white background highlights the action – the rest is dark ink outlines, with deep colors within.

Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole [Grades 1-3]
By Wong Herbert Yee (Houghton, $15, 48 pages)
After Mole (Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole) is disappointed to learn that magic tricks are more trick than magic, Mouse tries to show him the “real” magic that takes place all around them in nature. Plentiful charcoal-pencil and gouache illustrations help readers to follow the story with ease, and imbue the moonlit nighttime scenes with mystery and wonder.

Being Bee [Grades 4-6]
By Catherine Bateson (Holiday, $16.96, 126 pages)
Resentful of her dad’s new live-in girlfriend, Jazzi, Bee vents her frustration in letters to her guinea pigs. She takes solace in their sympathetic replies, which are really written by kind-hearted Jazzi. Though narrated in Bee’s voice, the book also manages to convey Jazzi’s point of view. By the novel’s end, Bee sees that Jazzi is a worthy addition to the family.

Hero [Grades 7 and up]
By Perry Moore (Hyperion, $16.99, 428 pages)
More than he dreads coming out to his father, Thom fears revealing his superhuman healing powers. As Thom trains for hero duty, he uncovers family secrets. Readers will appreciate the satire that provides moments of relief in an often dark narrative. Filled with inexorable villains and disillusioned heroes, the book spans isolation and romance for a larger-than-life coming of age.