Plant a Seed, Read! | Summer Reading 2026

A few books about gardens, gardening, and (of course) gnomes that tie into this year's summer reading theme.

Updated March 25, 2026
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Wonder in the Garden
Aikens-Nunez, Talia
Paper Book
Vibrant illustrations brings to life a day full of fun for a little girl and her dog as they play-and cause a ruckus-in their wondrous family garden. Nina loves spending time in her family's garden, and so does her dog, Nube. They delight in all the wonders found growing there...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

Gardening lab for kids : 52 fun experiments to learn, grow, harvest, make, play, and enjoy your garden
Brown, Renata Fossen.
Paper Book
A refreshing source of ideas to help your children learn to grow their own patch of earth, Gardening Lab for Kids encourages children to get outside and enjoy nature. This fun and creative book features 52 plant-related activities set into weekly lessons, beginning with learning to read...

Children's Nonfiction (Grades 2-4)

Box tales. Grow, strawberries, grow!
Burks, James
Paper Book
"Fun, expressive, informative, and imaginative! I want a box full of these books!" --Ben Clanton, New York Times bestselling author of the Narwhal and Jelly A trilogy of fun, charming, and how-to stories following the curious and spunky Beatrix and Box-With a Bonus...

Bridging Graphic Novel (Grades 2-4)

Poppy & Sam and the leaf thief
Cathon
Paper Book
A duo of strawberry-sized sleuths cracks a case in this cute and lively picture book with graphic novel touches -- the first in the Poppy & Sam series. It's a beautiful day in the garden when Poppy and her panda friend, Sam, hear a commotion. Their friend Basil--who has always been...

Bridging Graphic Novel (Grades 2-4)

Bee dance
Chrustowski, Rick
Paper Book
In Bee Dance, follow a foraging honeybee as she searches for food and returns to the hive to share the news in a honeybee dance! A honeybee searches for nectar, then returns to the hive to tell the other bees. She does a waggle dance, moving in a special figure-eight...

Children's Nonfiction (PreK-2)

Diary of a worm
Cronin, Doreen.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller! This hilarious picture book from the bestselling, acclaimed author-illustrator team of Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss tells the adventures of a worm through his daily diary entries. This is the diary of a worm. This worm lives...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

Parker grows a garden
Curry, Parker
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling team behind Parker Looks Up returns with this Level 1 Ready-to-Read about the joy of growing a garden. Parker is growing her own backyard garden! She plants tulips with Nana and herbs and vegetables with Mom Mom. After patiently...

Early Readers (Grades K-2)

Poppy's pollinators
Derting, Kimberly
Paper Book
Spring has sprung on the farm! Poppy is excited to plant new flowers in her garden. While they work, Dad teaches her all about the pollinators that play a role in keeping the farm going. Poppy discovers the magical secret behind the blooming flowers and a good harvest. Can she take what she's...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

Planting a rainbow
Ehlert, Lois.
Paper Book
In this perennial classic by Caldecott Honor-winning author Lois Ehlert, little ones learn the colors of the rainbow as they watch a plants grow in a beautifully vibrant garden. Through brilliant, textured cut paper collages, the story follows the progress of a mother and daughter in their...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

Monarch Butterfly
Gibbons, Gail
Ebook
"Bonnie Kelley-Young's narrative voice is well suited to the subject matter and its audience....The sound effects enhance the story and add to the sense of wonder." -AudioFile

Children's Nonfiction (PreK-2)

Where wonder grows
Gonza?lez, Xelena
Paper Book
Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner 2023 - American Library Association (ALA) A 2023 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner From the creators of the award-winning picture book All Around Us comes another lyrical intergenerational story exploring our connections to...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

Outdoor science lab for kids : 52 family-friendly experiments for the yard, garden, playground, and park
Heinecke, Liz Lee
Paper Book
Learn physics, chemistry and biology in your own backyard!

Children's Nonfiction (Grades 2-4)

My garden
Henkes, Kevin
Paper Book
How does your garden grow? This wondrous New York Times bestselling picture book from Caldecott medalist Kevin Henkes celebrates imagination, a child's first burst of independence, and the promise of warmer weather. "This intimate exploration of a child's burgeoning...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

Stepping stones
Knisley, Lucy
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER . The first book in an acclaimed graphic novel series inspired by the author's own childhood tells an amazing story of unlikely friends, sisters, and home. "Like Raina Telgemeier, Lucy Knisley has a knack for crystallizing coming-of-age anxieties and social...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Frog and toad together
Lobel, Arnold.
Paper Book
The beloved classic about friendship--a Newbery Honor Book! Frog and Toad are best friends--they do everything together. When Toad admires the flowers in Frog's garden, Frog gives him seeds to grow a garden of his own. When Toad bakes cookies, Frog helps him eat them. And when both...

Early Readers (Grades K-2)

Millie Fleur's poison garden
Mandin, Christy
Paper Book
*A great book for holiday gifting, and one of the best picture books of 2024! *An instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller! Wednesday Addams meets The Curious Garden in this delightfully peculiar story. Millie Fleur's Poison Garden is a...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

Eliza and the flower fairies
McDonald, Megan
Paper Book
"[A] joyful tale of learning to believe in oneself and rejoicing in magic both grandiose and mundane."--Publishers Weekly From the beloved author of the Judy Moody and Stink series comes the first in a sparkling series of chapter books about a girl whose love for magic...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

If you plant a seed
Nelson, Kadir
Paper Book
The bestselling book about the power of one kind act from Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winner Kadir Nelson. "Timeless and delectable."--School Library Journal If you plant a carrot seed . . . a carrot will grow. If you plant a cabbage seed . . . cabbage will...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

How to say hello to a worm : a first guide to outside
Percival, Kari
Paper Book
Say "hello" to worms, dirt, peas, and more in this gentle how-to guide for connecting with nature. * Winner of the EZRA JACK KEATS WRITER AWARD * An ALA Notable Children's Book * A CLEL Bell Award Winner The beautiful simplicity of a...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

Forest magic for kids : how to find fairies, make a secret fort, and cook up an elfin picnic
Spikol, Susie
Paper Book
Your enchanted guide to 50+ magical activities for everything from finding hidden flower fairies in your own backyard and making a special wizard staff to creating a tiny woodland village and making your own forest potions. Come discover the wild magic tucked into the...

Children's Nonfiction (Grades K-3)

Gnome and Rat
Stohler, Lauren
Paper Book
Readers will get a kick out of the whimsical and hilarious everyday shenanigans of best friends, Gnome and Rat, in the first book of this new early graphic novel series. " Mo Willems fans appreciate expertly crafted comedy, and this endearing early graphic novel has some of the best....

Bridging Graphic Novel (Grades 2-4)

Little Witch Hazel : a year in the forest
Wahl, Phoebe
Paper Book
Little Witch Hazel is a tiny witch who lives in the forest, helping creatures big and small. She's a midwife, an intrepid explorer, a hard worker and a kind friend. In this four-season volume, Little Witch Hazel rescues an orphaned egg, goes sailing on a raft, solves the mystery of a haunted stump...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

The secret garden on 81st street : a modern graphic retelling of The secret garden
Weir, Ivy Noelle
Paper Book
The Secret Garden with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, this full-color graphic novel moves Mary Lennox to a New York City brownstone, where she and her very first group of friends restore an abandoned rooftop garden...and her uncle's heart.

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)


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