Ocean & Beach Books Perfect for Summer!

Disclosure: We were sent these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are our own.

With the start of summer I am in the beach mood even if the temperatures here haven't been beach weather yet. At Crafty Weekends I shared a beach theme craft this week (have you shared your creations there yet?), and today I'm sharing some books about oceans, fish, sea glass and boats. Yup basically beach and boating themed!! So much fun. These books include picture books as well as nonfiction books. Let's start with the nonfiction books. We will start with a new one from National Geographic Kids. It is Captain Aquatica's Awesome Ocean by Jess Cramp with Grace Hill Smith and Joe Levit. 

This book is suggested for ages 8 to 12. It is a National Geographic Kids,  so it is factual and has many photographs!! This book goes through the various oceans and discusses what is special about each one and how they are connected and really one ocean. It teaches about tides, waves, and water and about the life under the water and the zones as well as the underwater technology. Finally there is a chapter on saving the ocean. It is packed full of fun facts and information that will be perfect for a classroom or just for fun!

Each chapter begins with a Captain Aquatica cartoon to introduce what will be discussed. This is a book that will be loved by kids and they will learn while having fun!
Another nonfiction book about oceans is Ocean: Secrets of the Deep by Sabrina Weiss and Giulia De Amicis. 

This book is recommended for ages 7 to 11. This book is illustrated and has beautiful illustrations of sea life and more. This book starts with the fact that it is all one ocean as well. Then it goes into the legends of the sea and talks about Atlantis, mermaids and more. Next the book travels through the zones--sunlight, twilight, midnight, the abyss, and hadal zone--and some of the life you can find at each one. Next comes the ecosystems and marine life. You will travel the world with this book from polar regions and coral reefs as well as the Great Barrier Reef. And it of course discusses the environmental issues and what one can do to protect it.

Our last nonfiction book is all about fish. It is Fish Everywhere by Britta Teckentrup. 

This beautifully illustrated book is recommended for ages 6 to 9. It describes what a fish is and something about other sea animals. It goes into some types of fish like freshwater, deep sea, coral reef and more. The illustrations in this book are fun and the information is great.

Now I am going to share two fictional picture books with you. The first is Sea Glass Summer by Michelle Houts and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.

This sweet book is recommended for ages 4 to 8. It tells the story of a boy who finds sea glass on the beach at his grandmother's cottage. His grandmother explains about what sea glass is and at night the boy dreams of the story of the glass. Throughout the summer he keeps finding sea glass and with the pieces next to his bed he dreams about the origin of the glass. I love how this story gets the reader thinking about the past of the treasures one finds on the beach. 

The illustrations are beautiful and the story is one that could easily become a classic. I know I want to go look for sea glass on the beach now. 

The final book for today is The Real Boat by Marina Aromshtam and illustrated by Victoria Semykina. 

This book is recommended for ages 5 to 8. It tells the tale of a paper boat that wants to meet a real boat. The search is on and he meets all sorts of friends--a tug boat, an ocean liner and more but keeps searching for a real boat. He also learns about the dangers of the ocean. 

This book has that wonderful message about seeing what is in front of you as well persevering. It is a sweet tale that kids will love!

As you get ready for the summer and beach trips or if you are landlocked be sure to check out these fun books!