Summer Reads 2025 from Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly

Blood in the Water

Tiffany D. Jackson (Scholastic Press)

Though Brooklynite Kaylani initially feels out of place at her family friends’ large Martha’s Vineyard home, sweet treats, scenic beaches, and new friends raise her spirits—until the mysterious death of a local teen sets the community on edge. In her exhilarating middle grade debut, Jackson utilizes chilling prose to deliver an accessible thriller packed with suspenseful mystery, atmospheric storytelling, and rich examinations of the island’s Black history.

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A Day at the Beach

Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge, illus. by Yaoyao Ma Van As (Clarion)

Via story vignettes that capture the experiences of more than two dozen kids, Schmidt, Koertge, and illustrator Ma Van As present a winsome work about a single day on a New Jersey beach. Beginning at dawn, standalone narratives featuring competitive siblings and tender familial interactions unspool and intersect, culminating in one cohesive tale. Animated full-page illustrations enliven this immersive exploration of freedom, personal transformation, self-expression, and summertime fun in the sun.

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Graciela in the Abyss

Meg Medina, illus. by Anna and Elena Balbusso (Candlewick)

A mortal boy is waylaid in his mission to dispose of an enchanted harpoon by the unexpected interference of the weapon’s creator. Now he must team up with a spirit from the bottom of the sea to retrieve the item and protect the living and the dead. The Balbussos’ haunting b&w illustrations render richly imagined elements of magical realism in this introspective high-stakes adventure, Medina’s first fantasy offering.

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A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation

Pablo Cartaya (Kokila)

Young painter Gonzalo accompanies his estranged, curmudgeonly grandfather, a famous author, on a cross-country book tour in Cartaya’s buoyant novel. As the duo travel from Mendocino to Miami in a powder-blue convertible, playful prose and cheeky humor relay their growing bond over their cultural heritage, love of art, shared grief, and family history. It’s a touching intergenerational road trip epic that considers heavy themes through personable narration.

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Into the Bewilderness

Gus Gordon (HarperAlley)

Animal buddies Luis and Pablo enjoy an idyllic existence playing music, admiring nature, and sharing meals with neighbors in their cozy woodland hamlet. Then Luis is invited to an event in the city, prompting the furry BFFs to leave their comfortable routine behind. Enriched by a warm, earth-toned color palette, Gordon’s loose line art relays the duo’s delightful journey in an inviting graphic novel debut featuring new experiences, social-emotional learning, and enduring friendship.

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The Summer of the Bone Horses

Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illus. by Steph Littlebird (Amulet)

Seamlessly layered plotting builds to a captivating climax in Sneve’s gentle chapter book about an Indigenous boy immersing himself in his heritage. Away from his mother and father for the first time while visiting his grandparents, Lakota youth Eddie struggles with intense loneliness. But as the summer progresses, he helps Grandma and Grandpa care for their Rosebud Reservation home and gains valuable skills and confidence, experiences conveyed in Littlebird’s vivid colored pencil drawings, which are enhanced with block print textures.

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