School’s out, and summer has finally arrived! Now’s the time to grab some new reads and stretch out on the hammock. We’ve combed the reviews to find out what’s about to hit the shelves, and these are the new books for June 2024 we’re most excited to relax with this summer.
- New Fiction Picture Books June 2024
- June 2024 New Easy Reader/Chapter Books
- New Middle Grade Fiction Books for June
- New Young Adult Fiction June 2024
- June 2024 Graphic Novels for All Ages
- June 2024 New Nonfiction Books for All Ages
- New Books for Teachers June 2024
New Fiction Picture Books June 2024
Willow the White House Cat by Jill Biden, illustrated by Kate Berube
Though Willow started her life in a humble barn, she soon found herself living in the grandest home in the country. First lady Jill Biden tells Willow’s story, sharing a cat’s-eye view of the White House kids are sure to love.
Buy it: Willow the White House Cat
Cesaria Feels the Beat by Denise Rosario Adusei, illustrated by Priscila Soares
Cesaria may be deaf, but that doesn’t keep her from dancing! The thing is, she needs to dance in her bare feet to feel the beat. Her director insists she wear shoes so she looks like the rest of her troupe, but Cesaria finds a way to stand up for herself and join her friends to embrace the beat of Carnivale.
Buy it: Cesaria Feels the Beat
I See Color by Valerie Bolling and Kailei Pew, illustrated by Laylie Frazier
A whole generation of children were brought up to “not see color” in an effort to promote equality. We’re realizing now that it’s better to understand and celebrate differences rather than ignore them, so this book urges a new generation to “see color” and recognize the wonders of diversity.
Buy it: I See Color
Desert Song by Laekan Zea Kemp, illustrated by Beatriz Gutiérrez Hernández
In the Texas desert, a Latine family combines their traditional music with nature’s night songs. Instruments like the ocarina and maracas blend with cicadas and barn owls as they all enjoy the stars and cool air. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the text, and the entire book is also available in Spanish.
Buy it: Desert Song
Tate’s Wild Rescue by Jenny Turnbull, illustrated Izzy Burton
Bighearted Tate writes letter after letter to wild animals, offering to “rescue” them with a place in her home. But orcas can’t live in swimming pools, and tigers love hunting, not cookies. Fortunately, a stray dog is happy to take Tate up on her offer, and she accepts that it’s best to leave wild animals in the wild.
Buy it: Tate’s Wild Rescue
June 2024 New Easy Reader/Chapter Books
Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi
Sometimes the best stories are those about the pleasant moments we experience each day. These three sweet short stories about Little Shrew’s daily life are simple, calming, and perfect for emergent readers.
Buy it: Little Shrew
Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Dung Ho
This new series is a welcome addition to the chapter book genre, with the first two volumes available in June. Bibsy is an engaging young heroine, one who sometimes breaks the rules but always looks for ways to “turn the sours sweet.”
Buy it: Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple
Ava Lin, Best Friend! by Vicky Fang
Joining Bibsy in debuting a new chapter book series, Ava Lin is about to start first grade and couldn’t be more excited. But while she loves her new pencils and backpack, what she really wants is a best friend. Can first grade help her find one?
Buy it: Ava Lin, Best Friend!
New Middle Grade Fiction Books for June
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko
Middle schooler Hank is sadly used to his mom not always coming home at night. But after she’s gone for a whole week, he realizes he needs to ask for help for himself and his toddler sister. That means foster care and new schools and a whole lot of questions that are very hard to answer.
Lei and the Invisible Island by Malia Maunakea
The second entry in this fantasy series is just as enthralling as the first, skillfully weaving real life with Hawaiian mythology. Lei and her friends are searching for a missing pendant on an invisible island defended by evil spirits. To get there, they’ll face sharks, jump over rainbows, and lean on each other as friends always do.
Buy it: Lei and the Invisible Island
Anatomy of Lost Things by Shawn K. Stout
The crisscrossing stories of three teens who’ve all faced recent losses anchor this new middle grade read full of laughter and tears. In addition to their tangible losses, all three are navigating challenging relationships with adults in their lives, making their own growing friendships all the more important.
Buy it: Anatomy of Lost Things
Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr
Australian tween James is dealing with his parents’ recent divorce, and not particularly enjoying the present. So when he makes a new friend that shows him time travel is possible, he’s eager to join her and try to correct the past. It’s a little difficult to get to the exact time they want, though, so first they’ll experience moments from past and future, navigating their way toward accepting the present as it is and was always meant to be.
Buy it: Countdown to Yesterday
Red Bird Danced by Dawn Quigley
Told in verse, this novel of two tweens living in an Intertribal Housing Complex is intriguing and heartbreaking. Ariel has given up her beloved ballet lessons so her family can use the money to search for her missing aunt. Her friend Tomah struggles in school but finds comfort in nature. As Ariel learns the power of the healing jingle dance from Tomah’s grandmother, and Tomah himself realizes he has a gift for storytelling, the two learn, change—and grow.
Buy it: Red Bird Danced
New Young Adult Fiction June 2024
The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson
It’s 1955 in idyllic Leavittown, Pennsylvania, where Calvin’s family has just moved from Chicago. The problem is that Leavittown is a restricted community, and in order to live there, Calvin and his family must “pass” as white, denying their Black heritage. As his school is integrated and the Civil Rights Movement begins to gain momentum, Calvin must make difficult decisions about who he is and who he wants to be, inside and out.
Buy it: The Color of a Lie
Adventures of Mary Jane by Hope Jahren
Mary Jane makes a brief appearance in the classic Huck Finn, capturing the hero’s heart in just a few pages. Now, she’s getting her own book, as she too travels down the Mississippi in the 1840s, facing (and thriving throughout) her own challenges and adventures.
Buy it: Adventures of Mary Jane
Louder Than Words by Ashley Woodfolk and Lexi Underwood
HS junior Jordan is transferring from a private school to a public one this year, but her past seems determined to follow her. Jordan thrives and makes friends in her new environment, but the popular but catty Tomcat Tea podcast soon threatens to reveal the reason she was expelled from her former school. Now Jordan and her friends are determined to take the podcast down, but can she do it without facing up to the past she’s determined to leave behind?
Buy it: Louder Than Words
The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor
Desperate to win back her boyfriend, neurodivergent “STEM nerd” Marlowe makes a deal with her AP English partner. If Ashton teaches her how to be romantic, she’ll help Ash’s goth band improve their website and social media image. But is romance really something you can learn, and even if it is, does Marlowe really want to change?
Buy it: The Calculation of You and Me
June 2024 Graphic Novels for All Ages
Willa and Wade and the Way-Up-There by Judith Henderson, illustrated by Sara Sarhangpour
Willa is an ostrich, and Wade is a penguin—two birds who were never meant to fly. But they’re determined to learn nonetheless! Maybe they can help each other find their way to the “way-up-there”? (Grades K-2)
Detective Sweet Pea: The Case of the Golden Bone by Sara Varon
Join the newest doggy detective, Sweet Pea, in this series opener, as she searches for the Golden Chew Bone missing from the town museum. She’s new to detective work, but her strong sniffing skills make her a perfect fit for the job. (Grades 2-5)
Sink or Swim by Veronica Agarwal, illustrated by Lee Durfey-Lavoie
Ty was looking forward to summer camp with his best friends. Then he broke his arm and missed an entire season as swim team captain, and he doesn’t even want to think about swimming again at camp. He and his pals team up to build a canoe from scratch, but Ty’s whole world still feels a bit underwater. This is the perfect read for kids who are headed to a summer camp experience of their own this year. (Grades 3-7)
Buy it: Sink or Swim
Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia
Almudena’s white mom has to spend the summer traveling for work, so she leaves Almudena with her estranged Guatemalan father in the city. Almudena speaks little Spanish, her father speaks little English, and the two seem to have little in common. But as she spends the summer helping him to restore an old brownstone to create affordable housing for folks in need, Almudena begins to develop an appreciation for her Latine heritage and newly discovered community. (Grades 7-12)
Buy it: Brownstone
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
Mags, a graduating senior, lives a complicated life with her strict mother and ailing grandmother, part-time job, and convoluted romantic relationship. Oh, and there’s the monster that lives under the basement floorboards that she must appease by feeding it her blood every night. When her childhood friend Nessa, a trans artist, returns to town, she and Mags reconnect, overcoming the terrors of life together and discovering love in all its complex glory. (Grades 10-12)
Buy it: The Deep Dark
June 2024 New Nonfiction Books for All Ages
Life After Whale by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Jason Chin
Whales are the mighty giants of the sea, and when they die, they go on to nurture the ecosystem in amazing ways. Follow a 90-year-old blue whale from its natural death through its fall to the ocean floor below, where her body will feed scavenging creatures for a century or more. The subject matter seems dark, but it’s surprisingly fascinating and inspiring, even for children. (Grades Pre-K to 3)
Buy it: Life After Whale
Lessons From Our Ancestors by Raksha Dave, illustrated by Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong
Explore 14 different world cultures spanning 40,000 years, learning about their incredible accomplishments and the wisdom they passed along through generations. Visit historic sites and events through archaeological digs and artifacts, and learn fascinating facts you won’t find in most textbooks. (Grades 4-8)
Buy it: Lessons From Our Ancestors
Hike It by Iron Tazz, illustrated by Martin Stanev
Could there be a more perfect read to get kids ready for a summer of adventure? Learn the basics of hiking and camping, including the equipment, skills, and etiquette everyone should know. Discover some of the best national parks and natural places in the United States too. (Grades 2-8)
Buy it: Hike It
Shift Happens by J. Albert Mann
The history of labor and the labor movement may seem like an unlikely topic to grab the interest of teens. But as their social consciences begin to awaken, they’ll likely find this narrative of capitalism and the labor that supports it surprisingly compelling. This book pulls no punches, and the stories here are bound to shock many who’ve never thought much about how workers’ rights affect their own lives on a daily basis. (Grades 9-12)
Buy it: Shift Happens
The Great River by Boyce Upholt
For millennia, indigenous people lived in harmony with the Mississippi River, accepting the gifts of its seasonal floods and native wildlife. But American pioneers had different ideas, and over the last few centuries, we’ve spent millions of dollars trying to control the river so it bends (quite literally) to our own needs. Read the Great River’s long history, and you’ll find yourself wondering if perhaps the time has come to let the river run and restore nature’s wonder to what it once was. (Grades 9 and up)
Buy it: The Great River
New Books for Teachers June 2024
Free To Be by Jack Turban
Any teacher who wants to know more about gender identity (a topic that’s become incredibly important to many of today’s youth) should add this volume to their summer reading list. Approach it with an open mind, and you’ll find yourself better equipped to help your own students as they question, seek, and find their own true identities, as every generation must.
Buy it: Free To Be
What new books are you looking forward to in June 2024? Come join the discussion in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Plus, check out Is Summer Slide Real? (Free Toolkit To Fight Summer Learning Loss).
