T he New Orleans Public Library’s annual Summer Fun & Reading Challenge is a great way for kids to fight the summer slide, maintain educational gains from the school year, and have some fun along the way. Registration is open now, and the challenge starts on June 1.
from the bookshelf
MIDDLE GRADE
TEENS In We’re a Bad Idea, Right? by K. L. Walther , readers meet rule-following Audrey as she embarks on an unforgettable summer. Between faking a relationship with her best friend to make their exes jealous and AirBnBing her home while her parents are out of town to solve their financial problems, the business of love starts to get messy. After her boyfriend cheats on her and ruins her summer, Sarah Beth Durst’s The Faraway Inn follows 16-year-old Calisa as she escapes to rural Vermont to help her great- aunt run the Faraway Inn. Once she’s there, Calisa discovers a rundown inn in need of repair, the groundkeeper’s handsome son, and mysterious, almost otherworldly secrets lurking among its residents. Summer Events at the Library Don’t miss the Library’s free summer programs for every age. Visit events. nolalibrary.org to explore our jam-packed summer calendar.
All you have to do is read for 800 minutes and complete four activities to win this year’s prizes: a limited-edition tote bag, books, and more. Visit summerfun. nolalibrary.org or stop by any New Orleans Public Library location for more information and to sign up. Once you’re signed up, check out these seasonal reading recommendations to get you started. CHILDREN From the cousins playing Double Dutch, to the uncles throwing horseshoes, to the savory smells of Grandma’s cooking, At the Cookout by Nadia Fisher is a love letter to family, summer, and the magic that happens when we all get together. In Kitty Camp by Drew Brockington , readers follow one little girl on her way to camp for the first time—excited to hike, swim, and sing around the campfire. But when she accidentally gets on the wrong bus, she ends up at a very different summer camp. This one is full of kitties!
Camp Monster by Kate Messner & Falynn Koch tells the story of Camp Yeti, run by Tasha’s family for generations. But these days there just aren’t enough Yetis to fill the bunks, causing a need for a rebrand— Camp Monster, a super fun summer camp experience for all monster-kind. But things get off to a rocky start. Can the monsters set aside their differences to find out who is behind the hijinks? The year is 1976, and America is throwing its biggest birthday party ever—its bicentennial. What better way to celebrate than with an 8,000-mile road trip? In My Bicentennial Summer: True Adventures from the Most Epic Family Road Trip of All Time by G. Neri & Corban Wilkin , author G. Neri recalls his family’s real-life journey in a station wagon crossing 26 states in seven weeks, from California to Washington, DC, with only the aid of paper maps and transistor radios rather than smartphones and GPS.
Kacy Helwick is the youth collection development librarian for the New Orleans Public Library’s collections and acquisitions department. Marie Simoneaux is the media and communications coordinator for the New Orleans Public Library.
8 JUNE 2026 | NOLAFAMILY.COM
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