Join us every Friday in July and August and learn about the Decoda staff’s summer reading picks. Today Natasha Loh, Office Administrator, is sharing her summer reading picks for her children.

The start of the summer in our household is always marked by the end of the school year and sign up for the Summer Reading Club. Every night my oldest son fills out his reading record by ticking a box and every week we pick up a new batch of books from the library to read. It’s become our summer ritual and one I look forward to every year as the weather warms up.

As my son gets older, he’s becoming more and more vocal about what he likes to read and what he doesn’t like to read. It’s also getting harder and harder to find books that will keep a 7-year-old and a 2-year-old enthralled. However, there a handful of books that have captivated both the kids and I this year. They come highly recommended by us and we hope you enjoy them too!

Rainbow Shopping

Written by Qing Zhuang

A beautifully illustrated book about a daughter accompanying her mother to Chinatown to help shop for groceries. As they hunt for the freshest ingredients at the fishmonger and the grocer, the child gets restless and awaits her reward: a treat of her choice. Any reader who’s experienced the long shopping trips to Chinatown as a kid will feel the familiarity of heavy shopping bags in the rain, the dread at seeing a vegetable you have zero interest in eating, and the plethora of sweet and savoury treats on offer at the end of the shopping trip.

Ethan and the Strays

Written by John Sullivan
Illustrated by Hatem Aly

Ethan finds 3 stray cats and wants to take them home. His Dad has a strict no pet rule at home. His older brother is more of a realist and convinces him there are better ways to help these strays like researching how cats can stay warm in winter and getting them spayed so they don’t have more kittens.

It is as much a story about setting realistic expectations when it comes to helping others as it is about the power of strength in numbers.

Maddi’s Fridge

Written by Lois Brandt
Illustrated by Vin Vogel

I found this book incredibly helpful in discussing the difference between secrets and surprises with my older child. Surprises are happy but secrets can often hide shame. In this book, Sofia’s friend Maddi admits they don’t have much food and any food they have they save for Ryan as “he’s still little.” Sofia grapples with this secret and conjures up ways to help Maddi’s family in a way that honours her friendship and the vow she made to her best friend.