Beach Book Week: Beach Reads for Older Kids

Looking for beach-themed books, either to prepare children for a trip to the beach or for reading during down time at the seashore? Join us throughout the week as we celebrate sand between our toes with a series of posts highlighting children’s books about beaches!

This post contains affiliate links (see disclosure below).

Middle Grade:

Junonia by Kevin Henkes

Almost ten-year-old Alice Rice loves the family tradition of celebrating her birthdays in a cottage on the Florida beach. This year she has the faintest sense of foreboding, however, as the rental car passes over the bridge. Who will be able to come to her party? And will she finally find the rare and highly-prized junonia shell (featured on the cover)?

In this lovely book, Henkes has perfectly captured the conflicting feelings of a young girl caught between the immaturity of childhood and the growing maturity of adolescence. Front matter includes illustrations of some common Florida seashells.

Highly recommended!

Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 3 – 7
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books; Reprint edition (April 24, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0061964190
ISBN-13: 978-0061964190

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

When Turtle’s mother finds a much-needed job during the Great Depression, Turtle is sent to the Key West to stay with her aunt whom she has never met. Discover Florida as Turtle discovers herself.

This is a Newbery Honor Book.

Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 3 – 7
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Yearling; Dgs Rep edition (December 27, 2011)
ISBN-10: 037583690X
ISBN-13: 978-0375836909

Young Adult:

 

We Were Liarsby E. Lockhart

Cadence has gone to her family’s private island off the coast of Massachusetts every summer of her childhood. Something happened while she was there during the summer of her fifteenth year, however, and now she doesn’t remember much about it. Will going back help her figure out what happened?

For mature young adults, We Were Liars features a main character who is also an unreliable narrator.

Recommended in the 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults list.

Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press; First Edition edition (May 13, 2014)
ISBN-10: 038574126X
ISBN-13: 978-0385741262

 

Check out related Beach Books Week posts with many more book and activity suggestions (active links will be added through the week):

• Monday: The Beach Book: loads of things to do at lakes, rivers and the seaside
• Tuesday:  Picture Book Beach Reads for Kids
• Thursday:  Feet, Go To Sleep Blog Tour
• Friday:  Beach Science Book Suggestions for STEM Friday

What is your favorite beach read for older kids?

Disclosure: The books were either from the library or my personal copies. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.