Tails & Tales: Summer Reading Recommendations

July 16, 2021



Tails and Tales

This year’s Summer Reading theme is Tails and Tales, so why not try a story featuring animals? Our display of books (and a few movies) includes fiction and nonfiction for adults and kids of all ages – featuring everything from fantastical beasts like dragons to incredible real-life sea creatures to our own pet dogs. Each item is available through the Minuteman Library Network, so all you need is your library card.

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Summer Reading 2021: Featured Recommendations


Dog Songs

Mary Oliver

A selection of new and favorite poems by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Primitive celebrates the canine companions who have enriched her world, exploring how they have accompanied her walks, inspired her work and served as life guides.

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The Wasp that Brainwashed the Caterpillar

Matt Simon

"On a barren seafloor, the pearlfish swims into the safety of a sea cucumber s anus. To find a meal, the female bolas spider releases pheromones that mimic a female moth, luring male moths into her sticky lasso web. The Glyptapanteles wasp injec

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Spirits of the Coast

Martha Black, Lorne Hammond, Gavin Hanke, Nikki Sanchez

"An insightful collection exploring the plight, past and promise of the orca, powerful symbol of BC's wild coast and apex predator of all oceans. Spirits of the Coast brings together the work of marine biologists, Indigenous knowledge keepe

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River of Teeth

Sarah Gailey

Sarah Gailey's wildfire debut River of Teeth is a rollicking alternate history adventure that Charlie Jane Anders calls "preposterously fun." In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotam

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Lobizona

Romina Garber

"Garber’s gorgeous novel combines the wonder of a Hogwarts-style magic school with the Twilight-esque dynamics of a hidden magical species that has strict rules about interacting with the human world." - BOOKLIST (Starred Review) Some peo

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Seraphina

Rachel Hartman

Lyrical, imaginative, and wholly original, this New York Times bestseller with 8 starred reviews is not to be missed. Rachel Hartman’s award-winning debut will have you looking at dragons as you’ve never imagined them before… In the kingdom of

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Mwd

Brian David Johnson, Jan Egleson

With unflinching candor, a moving graphic novel follows a young woman s return from war and her bond with two dogs one who saves her life in Iraq, and another who helps her reclaim it at home. Liz served in Iraq with her trusty military working dog,

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Elatsoe

Darcie Little Badger

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream. There are some differences. This America been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigeno

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The Scorpio Races

Maggie Stiefvater

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a

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The Tea Dragon Society

Kay O'Neill

From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of

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The Good Hawk (Shadow Skye, Book One)

Joseph Elliott

In a mythic Scotland, two unlikely heroes must make a dangerous journey to save their people. Agatha is a Hawk, brave and fierce, who protects her people by patrolling the high walls of their island home. She is proud of her job, though some in her c

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Mega-Dogs of New Kansas

Dan Jolley

The story of a girl and her dog—in space. Sienna Barlow loves nothing more than riding around New Kansas on top of her mega-dog, Gus. He's one of the massive pooches protecting the human settlers of a strange planet. In fact, Sienna connects be

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The Elephant in the Room

Holly Goldberg Sloan

From the New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s comes a heartfelt story about "the importance of compassion and bravery when facing life’s challenges” (Kirkus) for fans of The One and Only Ivan and Front Desk. It's been alm

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Dragons in a Bag

Zetta Elliott

In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.

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A Wolf Called Wander

Rosanne Parry

“Don’t miss this dazzling tour de force.”—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal winning author of The One and Only Ivan This gripping novel about survival and family is based on the real story of one wolf’s incredible journey to find a safe pl

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Solomon Crocodile

Catherine Rayner

Poor Solomon is looking for some fun but no one wants to play. The dragonflies tell him to buzz off, the storks get in a flap, and the hippo? Well, the less said about the hippo, the better! But then somebody else starts causing trouble . . . and for

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CatStronauts: Mission Moon

Drew Brockington

CatStronauts, you are needed! When the world is thrust into darkness due to a global energy shortage, the Worlds Best Scientist comes up with a bold plan to set up a solar power plant on the moon. But someone has to go up there to set it up, and that

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Looking for more resources? We have you covered. Check out our entire list of Summer Reading recommendations. For more personalized recommendations, fill out our recommendation form.