Miranda’s Beach Day by Holly Keller

From chapters.ca:
What makes a perfect beach day? Seagulls squawking through the sky. A crab carrying his house. And Miranda and her friends, building a castle out of sand. But at the end of a day at the beach, the seagulls go back to their nests, the crab goes back to the sea, the castle goes back to the sand... and Miranda goes back to Mama, who wraps her up in a hug when it's time to go home. Because Miranda and Mama will always belong to each other. Perfect.

A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

From chapters.ca:
When his father tells him not to leave the lion he is drawing on the beach, a little boy starts making a very, very long tail - and a trail to follow back.

Hot Day on Abbott Avenue by Karen English, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe

From chapters.ca:
It's the hottest, stickiest day of the summer. A fat- sun- in- the- sky day. An eating- ice- pops- on- the- porch day. And for Kishi and Renée, it's a best- friends- breakup day. Each girl sits on her own front porch, waiting for the other to apologize, even though they know they'll never speak to each other again, no matter how bored they get. But then the sounds of feet slapping the pavement and voices chanting double- dutch rhymes drift up the avenue, and neither one can resist going out in the street to play. This lyrical friendship story, the first collaboration of two outstanding artists, pairs a rhythmic text with distinctive collage illustrations. Its subtle message about sharing and forgiveness will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the ups and downs of being, and having, a best friend.

Get Outside: The Kids Guide to Fun in the Great Outdoors by Jane Drake and Ann Love, illustrated by Heather Collins

From chapters.ca:
Armed with Get Outside, a kid will never say, "I'm bored!" again. This book is a key to the world of fun beyond the front door. Activities are divided into four categories (Nature Lover, Outdoor Fun and Games, Cozy Inside and Look to the Sky), where readers will find instructions for making things like sundials, bird feeders and kites, as well as rules for games such as 500 Up, Spud and Shinny. Accompanying these descriptions are fun facts and scientific, historic and cultural context. The passage on playing jacks, for example, includes a sidebar about a similar game played by the ancient Greeks. Children in Northern climes will love learning to play traditional First Nations winter games and be thrilled to find out how to create a backyard ice rink. It's a wealth of fun and fascination that will captivate any young person - who won't mind ditching the video game for the great outdoors.

Pig Kahuna by Jennifer Sattler

From chapters.ca: Fergus and his little brother, Dink, love collecting the things that wash up on the beach, especially if it means that Fergus doesn't actually have to go in the water. Then one day, they spy the greatest treasure of all - an abandoned surfboard. When no one comes to claim it, they make it the star of their collection and name it Dave. But when Dave accidentally (on purpose?) gets cast back into the ocean, can Fergus find the courage to rescue him? Whimsically brought to life with Jennifer Sattler's bright, comedic style, here's a story about bravery and brotherhood that little kahunas (and their parents) are sure to love.

The Sleeping Porch by Ian Wallace

From chapters.ca: On a hot, steamy summer night, young Brando and his parents move out onto the porch to sleep, hoping they might catch a hint of the breeze. They soon fall asleep, but around midnight Brando stirs. And in the flicker of a firefly, the cat from the nearby graveyard lands on his cot... and so begins an amazing adventure. Together, Brando and the Graveyard Cat soar over the city that is melting in the heat and leap into the night sky, as high as the rings of Saturn. They head north where the arctic seas are full of seals and whales and shimmering icebergs. They scale jagged cliffs and slide down whistling slopes. But when the iceberg they're riding on begins to melt and they both nearly fall into the frigid water, their cries fill the hot summer night. When Brando wakes up the next morning, it all seems to have been a dream... or was it?

Heat Wave by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Betsy Lewin

From chapters.ca:
The mercury is climbing in Lumberville, and the folks are doing everything they can to keep cool. Officer McGinnis spends the day in a cold bath, Lottie Mims does her housework in her bathing suit, and Abigail and Ralphie Blue sell ice cubes. When the temperature refuses to relent, the entire community seeks solace by the river - where everyone dreams of cool relief. A cast of quirky characters and lots of playful details from two celebrated picture- book talents make this heat wave look like fun!

Beach by Elisha Cooper

From Kirkus Reviews:
Another charmer from Cooper, who, with his signature impressionistic, diminutive figures and scenes, delivers a perfect day at the beach. As soothing and satisfying as the spray from dancing waves, sand between your toes and sun-warmed, waist-high water, this is as close as you can get to the beach without getting wet.

Mama, is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure

A beautifully illustrated book about the change in the seasons as spring comes to an end and summer begins.

The Boy who Wouldn't Swim by Deb Lucke

From chapters.ca:
Come on in! The water's fine. Electric, sherbet-y colours, uniquely comic characters, and a story line filled with high comedy mark this fabulous picture book by new talent Deb Lucke. Eric Dooley just won't swim. If sweating in the hot summer sun while everyone else cools off in the pool isn't bad enough, Eric's younger sister is having the time of her life. When he sees her dog- paddling right across the middle of the pool, under his sunblock he''s positively green with envy. Not to mention sweaty. And irritated. But after the babies in the wading pool give him dirty looks for invading their territory, Eric finds a way to conquer his fears. And just like that he goes from being the boy who wouldn't swim...to being the boy who won't get out of the pool. Not even in October.

Pictures from our Vacation by Lynne Rae Perkins

From chapters.ca:
Snap! With their new cameras Snap! a brother and sister Snap! take pictures of their vacation. But when they look at their photographs they see:
1. The back of Dad's head
2. Feet
3. A container of noodles
That's it? Does 1 + 2 + 3 = summer vacation? What about how it felt to swim in the lake? What about the stories their cousins told and the taste of a just- invented strawberry and whipped cream dessert? For those memories — the memories of summer and the memories of family that mean the most — they need to look someplace else. Someplace deep inside. Someplace permanent.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

From chapters.ca:
In this moving and funny celebration of young boys, childhood friendships, and the power of the imagination, Frazee captures the very essence of summer vacation and what it means to be a kid.