Deer Hill Summer Reading

Get your summer reading at Buttonwood! Deer Hill has suggestions to help boost your literacy skills this summer. You can view the slides here. There are also slides of recommended books, of which a few are listed below.

Mac Undercover (Mac B., Kid Spy #1) By Mac Barnett, Mike Lowery (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Mac Barnett, Mike Lowery (Illustrator)
$12.99
ISBN: 9781338143591
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Orchard Books - September 11th, 2018

Gr 3+ Mystery

A thrilling, hilarious fully-illustrated spy adventure series, from the esteemed New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning author Mac Barnett!


Ada Lace, on the Case (An Ada Lace Adventure #1) By Emily Calandrelli, Tamson Weston (With), Renée Kurilla (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Emily Calandrelli, Tamson Weston (With), Renée Kurilla (Illustrator)
$6.99
ISBN: 9781481485982
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers - August 29th, 2017

Gr 3+ Mystery

In this first novel in a brand-new chapter book series, eight-year-old Ada Lace--who has a knack for science, math, and solving mysteries--teams up with her best friend, Nina, to find a missing dog. 


King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats By Dori Hillestad Butler, Nancy Meyers (Illustrator) Cover Image
$6.99
ISBN: 9781682630150
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Peachtree - March 6th, 2018

Gr 3+ Mystery

Kayla made peanut butter treats for Jillian's new puppy Thor. But now the treats are missing. How will Kayla and her dog, King, solve the mystery? 


Wednesday and Woof #1: Catastrophe (HarperChapters) By Sherri Winston, Gladys Jose (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Sherri Winston, Gladys Jose (Illustrator)
$5.99
ISBN: 9780062975997
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: HarperCollins - May 24th, 2022

Gr 3+ Mystery

Wednesday and her service dog, Woof, are the best detectives in the whole world--or at least their neighborhood. But can they find Mrs. Winters's missing cat before her big trip? Or will the case of the cat-napped kitty be their first unsolved mystery?


Bird Bonanza (Nancy Drew Clue Book #18) By Carolyn Keene, Peter Francis (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Carolyn Keene, Peter Francis (Illustrator)
$6.99
ISBN: 9781534488243
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Aladdin - June 6th, 2023

Gr 3+ Mystery

 

The Clue Crew investigates who sabotaged the River Heights Nature Park's fundraiser.


Baby Monkey, Private Eye By Brian Selznick, Brian Selznick (Illustrator), Mr. David Serlin Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781338180619
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Scholastic Press - February 27th, 2018

Gr 3+ Mystery

Baby Monkey, private eye, will investigate stolen jewels, missing pizzas, and other mysteries--if he can manage to figure out how to put his pants on. Bookmaking maverick Selznick and children's book debut author Serlin create a dazzling new form for younger readers.


Ivy and Bean Take the Case (Book 10) (Ivy & Bean) By Annie Barrows, Sophie Blackall (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Annie Barrows, Sophie Blackall (Illustrator)
$5.99
ISBN: 9781452128719
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Chronicle Books - August 12th, 2014

Gr 3+ Mystery

Watch out, diabolical masterminds! There's a new detective on Pancake Court: Bean! She laughs at danger! She solves even the most mysterious mysteries! What? There aren't any mysteries? Then Bean and her assistant, Ivy, will make some! 


Aven Green Sleuthing Machine: Volume 1 By Dusti Bowling, Gina Perry (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Dusti Bowling, Gina Perry (Illustrator)
$6.99
ISBN: 9781454941804
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Union Square Kids - August 17th, 2021

Gr 3+ Mystery

She's solved many important cases like The Mystery of the Cranky Mom, The Mystery of the Missing Ice Cream, and The Mystery of the Smelly Feet. Her record is nearly 100% (only The Mystery of the Cereal in My Underpants remains unsolved to this day). Aven asks all the right questions, wields her detective kit carefully, and follows up on every clue. Then her teacher's lunch bag (with her lunch still in it) is taken and Aven's great-grandma's beloved dog goes missing! Can this perceptive detective crack two cases at the same time? Luckily, Aven has a super-powered brain full of lots of extra brain cells to take on both cases. See, she was born without arms, so all of the cells that were supposed to make her arms went into making her brain instead. At least that's her working theory for The Mystery of Why I Have So Many Extra Brain Cells.


The Secret Explorers and the Lost Whales By SJ King Cover Image
By SJ King
$6.99
ISBN: 9780744021059
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: DK Children - July 7th, 2020

Gr 3+

Meet The Secret Explorers! This group of brilliant kids comes together from all four corners of the globe to fix problems, solve mysteries, and gather knowledge all over the planet - and beyond. Whenever their help is needed, a special sign will appear on a door. They step through to the Exploration Station and receive their mission... In The Lost Whales, marine life expert Connor needs to use his underwater expertise to help save a pod of humpback whales that have lost their way. Along with space expert Roshni, he sets out in a submarine to search for a way to steer the whales back on track, but encounters unexpected problems along the way, including lost baby whales and a fleet of boats. Will The Secret Explorers manage to succeed in their mission? Packed with fun illustrations and facts about humpback whales, marine life, and how climate change is affecting the oceans, this thrilling adventure is perfect for emerging readers. The action-packed narrative keeps kids engaged and makes learning about the natural world fun


A Boy Called Bat (The Bat Series #1) By Elana K. Arnold, Charles Santoso (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Elana K. Arnold, Charles Santoso (Illustrator)
$9.99
ISBN: 9780062445834
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Walden Pond Press - March 13th, 2018

Grades 3+

From acclaimed author Arnold ("A Question of Miracles") comes the first book in a funny, heartfelt, and irresistible series starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum


Lola Levine Is Not Mean! By Monica Brown Cover Image
$5.99
ISBN: 9780316258333
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - July 5th, 2016

Gr 3+

Lola Levine likes writing in her diario, sipping her mom's cafe con leche, eating her dad's matzo ball soup, and playing soccer with her team, the Orange Smoothies. So what if she doesn't always fit in?


Weekends with Max and His Dad By Linda Urban, Katie Kath (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Linda Urban, Katie Kath (Illustrator)
$16.99
ISBN: 9780544598171
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Clarion Books - April 5th, 2016

Gr 3+

From acclaimed author Linda Urban comes a sweet and funny illustrated novel about third-grader Max, who pursues neighborhood adventures with his dad as they both adjust to recent changes in their family.


Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey By Erin Entrada Kelly, Erin Entrada Kelly (Illustrator) Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780062970435
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Greenwillow Books - May 3rd, 2022

Gr 3+

Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard named Peppina...but she's way too scared to climb it. Will Marisol find the courage to climb Peppina? Maybe


Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen By Debbi Michiko Florence, Elizabet Vukovic (Illustrator) Cover Image
$5.99
ISBN: 9780374308346
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) - July 11th, 2017

Gr 3+

New chapter book series star, Jasmine Toguchi, wants to do something before her older sister for once. So when her family comes to visit for New Year's, she sets her sights on pounding mochi, traditionally a boys-only job.


Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things By Lenore Look, Leuyen Pham (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Lenore Look, Leuyen Pham (Illustrator)
$7.99
ISBN: 9780375849305
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Yearling - May 12th, 2009

Gr 3+

From the author of the Ruby Lu series comes a funny and touching chapter book especially for boys. Alvin Ho is an Asian-American second grader who is afraid of "everything"--most of all, school. But at home he's very different.


Just Harriet By Elana K. Arnold Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780063092051
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Walden Pond Press - January 3rd, 2023

Gr 3+

From the award-winning author of A Boy Called Bat comes a new middle grade series in the tradition of Ramona and Clementine starring an unforgettable girl named Harriet.


Clementine By Sara Pennypacker, Marla Frazee (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Sara Pennypacker, Marla Frazee (Illustrator)
$5.99
ISBN: 9780786838837
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - February 15th, 2008

Gr 3+

The "New York Times" bestseller and "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of the Year now comes to paperback. The author of "Stewart's Cape" and "Stewart Goes to School" introduces a charmingly flawed, quirky character with an altogether unforgettable voice.


Anna Hibiscus By Atinuke, Lauren Tobia (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Atinuke, Lauren Tobia (Illustrator)
$7.99
ISBN: 9781536225235
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Candlewick - April 12th, 2022

Gr 3+

Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. She lives with her whole family in a wonderful house. There is always somebody to laugh or play with. She loves to splash in the sea with her cousins and have parties with her aunties. But more than anything else in the world, Anna Hibiscus would love to see snow.


The One and Only Ivan: A Newbery Award Winner By Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao (Illustrator) Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780061992278
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: HarperCollins - January 6th, 2015

Gr 4+

Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal! This stirring and unforgettable #1 New York Times bestselling novel celebrates the transformative power of an unexpected friendship.


The Wild Robot By Peter Brown Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780316382007
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - April 7th, 2020

Gr 4+

Alone on a remote island, robot Roz's only hope for survival is to learn from the island's hostile animal inhabitants. Brown's heartwarming middle-grade debut raises thought-provoking questions about the environment, the role technology plays in the world, and what it means to be alive.


Stay By Bobbie Pyron Cover Image
$7.99
ISBN: 9780062839237
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - May 5th, 2020

Gr 4 +

Piper's life is turned upside down when her family moves into a shelter in a whole new city. She misses her house, her friends, and her privacy--and she hates being labeled the homeless girl at her new school. But while Hope House offers her new challenges, it also brings new friendships, like the girls in Firefly Girls Troop 423 and a sweet street dog named Baby. So when Baby's person goes missing, Piper knows she has to help.


Out of My Mind (The Out of My Mind Series) By Sharon M. Draper Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9781416971719
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Atheneum Books for Young Readers - May 1st, 2012

Gr 4+

From a multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winning author comes the story of a brilliant girl that no one knows about because she cannot speak or write


Front Desk (Front Desk #1) (Scholastic Gold) By Kelly Yang Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9781338157826
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Scholastic Press - June 25th, 2019

Gr 4+

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?


The City of Ember By Jeanne DuPrau Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780375822742
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Yearling - May 25th, 2004

Gr 4+

The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Now, 200 years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city.


The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate By Jacqueline Kelly Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780312659301
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Square Fish - January 4th, 2011

 

Gr 4+

Kelly's highly acclaimed Newbery Honor-winning story about a charming young naturalist determined to prove that girls can be more than homemakers in the year 1899.

 


Count Me In By Varsha Bajaj Cover Image
$7.99
ISBN: 9780525517269
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Nancy Paulsen Books - August 25th, 2020

Gr 4+

Told from two viewpoints, sixth-graders Karina and Chris use social media to stand up to racism in Houston, Texas, after an attack puts Karina's Indian American grandfather in the hospital.


One Crazy Summer: A Newbery Honor Award Winner By Rita Williams-Garcia Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780060760908
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Quill Tree Books - December 27th, 2011

Gr 4+

"One Crazy Summer" tells the story of three girls who go to Oakland, California, to meet their estranged mother and become involved in the civil rights movement in the late 1960s.


Island of the Blue Dolphins: A Newbery Award Winner By Scott O'Dell, Ted Lewin (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Scott O'Dell, Ted Lewin (Illustrator)
$8.99
ISBN: 9780547328614
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Clarion Books - February 8th, 2010

Gr 4+

Scott O'Dell's Newbery Medal-winning classic is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage. Based on the true story of a Nicoleño Indian girl living alone on an island off the coast of California, Island of the Blue Dolphins has captivated readers for generations.


The Animal Rescue Agency #1: Case File: Little Claws By Eliot Schrefer Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780062982339
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - January 12th, 2021

Gr 4+

When an animal is in trouble, there's only one place to turn: the Animal Rescue Agency! Dashing Esquire Fox used to organize the world's most elaborate chicken raids until the day she encountered Mr. Pepper. Meeting the blustery old rooster changed her heart, convincing her to turn from a life of crime and instead form the Animal Rescue Agency, which masterminds rescue operations across the globe. Esquire and her unlikely chicken business manager coordinate their far-flung agents to get them to the Arctic. In that frozen land they learn that what happened to the polar bear cub was no accident--and that saving him will pit them against the scariest predator in the world: a human


Weird Little Robots By Carolyn Crimi, Corinna Luyken (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Carolyn Crimi, Corinna Luyken (Illustrator)
$8.99
Email or call for price.
ISBN: 9781536214710
Published: Candlewick - April 13th, 2021

Gr 4+

When two science-savvy girls create an entire robot world, they don't expect the robots to come alive. But life may be a bit more magical than they thought.


The Smartest Kid in the Universe By Chris Grabenstein Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780525647812
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Yearling - November 16th, 2021

Gr 4+

When seventh-grader Jake McQuade mistakes the world's first ingestible knowledge pills for jelly beans, he suddenly knows all about physics and geometry and can speak Swahili (though Spanish would be a lot more useful)--but his sort-of girlfriend Grace thinks they can use his new found brilliance to save their middle school from the new principal, who is conspiring to get it shut down.

 


Merci Suárez Changes Gears By Meg Medina Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9781536212587
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Candlewick - April 7th, 2020

Gr 4+

Merci Suâarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don't have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci's school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna's jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci's grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately -- forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she's left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school."--Publisher's description.


Savvy By Ingrid Law Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780142414330
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Puffin Books - March 23rd, 2010

Gr 4+

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a savvy--a supernatural power they acquire at 13. On the eve of Mibs's big day, she finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up.


Clean Getaway By Nic Stone Cover Image
$7.99
ISBN: 9781984893000
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Yearling - January 5th, 2021

Gr 4+

From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin comes a middle-grade road-trip story through American race relations past and present, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds.


Echo By Pam Muñoz Ryan Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780439874021
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Scholastic Press - February 24th, 2015

Gr 4+

Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and finds himself entwined in a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica--and decades later three children, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California find themselves caught up in the same thread of destiny in the darkest days of the twentieth century, struggling to keep their families intact, and tied together by the music of the same harmonica.


Number the Stars: A Newbery Award Winner By Lois Lowry Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780547577098
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Please call the store at (781) 383-2665 to confirm availability.
Published: Clarion Books - May 2nd, 2011

Gr 4+

In 1943 Copenhagen, the Germans begin their campaign to "relocate" the Jews of Denmark. So Annemarie Johansen's parents take in her best friend Ellen Rosen and pretend that she is a part of their family. This edition includes a new Introduction by the author.