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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Gnome
Blunt, Fred
Paper Book
Mr. Gnome is a grumpy little fellow. He's really quite rude and he is definitely NOT cute. So when Miss Witch asks him to kindly stop fishing in her pond, Mr. Gnome is in danger of finding out exactly what happens to gnomes who say "NO!" From author illustrator Fred Blunt comes this laugh-out...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

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 with his parents,...

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)

Marigold Fairy makes a friend
Dennis, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Meet Marigold Fairy and the Flower Wings in this second Level 1 Ready-to-Read in a sweet series that's filled with rainbows, dewdrops, and stories of friendship! Marigold Fairy and her friend Butterfly help keep pests out of the garden in the Land of the Flower Wings. Can a pest...

Early Readers (Grades K-2)

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
Paper Book
Introduce young readers to the fascinating process of how catepillars become butterflies. Follow the transformation from a tiny white egg laid on a leaf to a brilliantly colored butterfly in this kid-friendly introduction to metamorphosis.  With detailed, bright watercolors,...

Children's Nonfiction (PreK-2)

My garden
Henkes, Kevin.
Paper Book
How does your garden grow? A wondrous New York Times bestselling picture book from Caldecott medalist Kevin Henkes. A girl helps out in her mother's garden, but in the garden of her imagination, there are chocolate rabbits, tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color, and...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

The way of the hive : a honey bee's story
Hosler, Jay
Paper Book
"A wonderful graphic novel."--Neil Gaiman Experience the life of a honeybee in this coming-of-age story about a bee named Nyuki, in this full-color graphic novel by Jay Hosler, perfect for curious kids who are fans of the Science Comics series. Nyuki is a brand-new honeybee--and she...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

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. "This candid, heartwarming look at a child grappling with major changes will resonate with fans of...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

The flower garden
Kurilla, Rene?e
Paper Book
After planting a seed packet in the backyard, things don't go as expected for best friends Anna and Tess. They fall asleep in the sun and wake up to blooms as tall as buildings! Did the seeds really grow that fast? All is explained when Anna and Tess meet May, a little garden gnome...

Bridging Graphic Novel (Grades 2-4)

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 delightfully peculiar story about finding joy in being wonderfully weird. Garden Glen is a very bland place. Every house and every garden looks exactly like the other. That is, until Millie Fleur La Fae comes to town. Up on a scruffy hill, beside a ramschackle...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

The hidden rainbow
Matheson, Christie
Paper Book
All the colors of the rainbow are hidden in the garden, but can the little bee find them--with help from the reader? Christie Matheson, author of the popular and acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree, brings a garden to life in this bright, interactive picture book about the

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)

Hope is a hop
Moore, Katrina
Paper Book
Just in time for Easter, a moving exploration of hope, from its resilient roots to its sprouting-and surprising!-possibilities. When Eva's hopes for a cheerful flower garden are dashed by a rascally-and hungry! -rabbit, she sinks into despair. But it's from this new vantage point...

Picture Book (PreK-2)

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)

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)


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