#Summer2025 Reading and Road Trips #Vacation2025

We love reading - probably why we started #BookTober, which we are so excited about this year! But that is a bit a ways away. There is still a lot of Summer to be had! And there are those Summer family road trips! What better time to spend with a book! Here are some great reads - just to enjoy or to have in your arsenal for boredom busters on long car rides!

Isle of Ever - Bestselling and beloved author Jen Calonita delivers the first in a brand new series featuring a girl who will inherit a mysterious fortune if she can break a centuries-old curse! Days after her twelfth birthday, Everly “Benny” Benedict learns she’s the heir to a fortune! But to collect the inheritance, she first has to play - and win - a game. Following clues that her ancestor left, Benny must locate a small island that vanished long ago, according to legend. She has only two weeks to play the game and find the island. If she’s successful, she’ll break a two-hundred-year-old curse. If she fails, the fortune will be forfeited. And if she’s not careful, she’ll cross paths with someone else who is after the island’s secrets, and who will stop at nothing to get them. Because, as it turns out, there’s far more than a fortune at stake.

The Last Great Heir - The female heirs of two opposing families must duel to rule the land for the next generation in this dazzling fantasy adventure debut! Merriment Feast's life is one constant party, complete with dazzling gowns and delicious pastries. Well, except for her aunt's physically grueling training. Merri believes it's her responsibility to protect her family's traditions and the power they've held for generations. Rue Famine knows that only Feasts benefit from Feast rule. As the heir of House Famine, she spends her days studying potion-making in an enormous, dusty library and learning how to use her magic to help others. Custom dictates that the heirs of Feast and Famine must duel on their thirteenth birthday. Only one family can rule the land of Fauret, and Merri and Rue have been raised as rivals. But as the contest draws near and dangers escalate, their true enemy may be a shared one.

Curse Of The Night Witch - From #BookTok phenomenon and New York Times bestselling author of the YA fantasy novel, Lightlark (Alex Aster), this fast-paced middle grade series starter is steeped in Colombian mythology and full of adventure. Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Curse of the Night Witch is filled with fantasy, action, adventure, and an unforgettable trio of friends. On Emblem Island, all are born knowing their fate. Their lifelines show the course of their life, and an emblem dictates how they will spend it. Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem, just like his mother. But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself. So, on the annual New Year's Eve celebration, where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted, Tor wishes for a different power. The next morning, Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin…the symbol of a curse that has shortened his lifeline, giving him only a week before an untimely death. There is only one way to break the curse, and it requires a trip to the notorious Night Witch. With only his village's terrifying, ancient stories as a guide, and his two friends Engle and Melda by his side, Tor must travel across unpredictable Emblem Island, filled with wicked creatures he only knows through myths, in a race against his dwindling lifeline.

Finders Keepers - A scavenger hunt takes a sinister turn in the third novel in the Eek! series, tales to scare you silly! In the small town of Farlow, mysterious advertisements appear for a summer scavenger hunt. Twelve-year-old Maggie and her friends can't wait. They have their team, and more than bragging rights, they want that huge cash prize. On the big day, a strange man welcomes everybody to the game. The first items are ridiculously easy ("An egg? Seriously?"). But they quickly grow more difficult. When getting one of the items requires an actual crime - breaking into the school after dark - Maggie loses one of her teammates. But the others manage to steal Mr. Kramer's favorite mug. A bone from the cemetery seems like it's as dark as the game can get, but when they're asked to bring back a human head, nobody wants to play anymore. But it's too late to quit.

The Changelings - Three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Christina Soontornvat's debut novel, now with fresh new cover art for a new generation of readers! All Izzy wants is for something interesting to happen in their sleepy little town. But her wish becomes all too real when a mysterious song floats through the woods and lures her little sister, Hen, into the forest, where she vanishes. A frantic search leads to a strange hole in the ground that Izzy enters. But on the other side, she discovers that the hole was not a hole, this place is not Earth, and Hen is not lost. She’s been stolen away to the land of Faerie, and it’s up to Izzy to bring her home. But inside Faerie, trouble is brewing, and Izzy is in way over her head. A ragtag group of outlaw Changelings offer to help, and she must decide whether a boulder that comes to life, a girl who looks like a ghost, and a boy who is also a stag can help her save Hen before it’s too late.

Camping Activities For Kids - Going on a camping trip? Encourage kids to explore like a scientist with an illustrated camping activity guide for ages 8 to 12. Attention campers! Are you ready to think like a scientist and adventure like an explorer? This fun and interactive guide shows kids how to camp with an active mind for learning. They’ll discover all the different items you need to go camping, the steps to building an awesome campsite, and how to make the most of exploring nature through 20 lessons and 20 activities to try on the trails!

Ocean Activities For Kids - Inspire kids to explore like a scientist with an illustrated ocean activity guide for ages 8 to 12. Calling all ocean lovers: Are you ready to think like a scientist and adventure like an explorer? This fun and interactive guide for kids shows you how to discover the seas with an active mind for learning. Travel down into the depths with 20 lessons and 20 activities that show you how different parts of the ocean work together, and explore all the unbelievable things the ocean does, such as moving with the moon, changing the shape of shorelines, and providing a home to millions of amazing creatures!

Awesome Road Trip Activities For Kids - Bust backseat boredom with fun games, puzzles, and journal prompts for kids ages 8 to 12. Start having a blast the moment you pull out of the driveway with Awesome Road Trip Activities for Kids. You'll find oodles of travel-themed fun for hours of entertainment on long road trips. With 9 different types of activities and over 100 individual puzzles, games, and prompts, this book turns "Are we there yet?" into "Aww, we're there already?"

~Hayley

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. I have used direct text from the website of the company/product I am promoting to facilitate in my review.