See more Summer Reading 2021 selections

Newly proficient readers in the longer form are always delighted to be in on the jokes. Here are 15 titles to get them started.

Cheetah Chases the Story by J.L. Anderson. illus. by Amanda Erb. Rourke. ISBN 9781731615015.

Lively Cheetah is on assignment for WILD Action News. He spots Warthog, who has a tip for Cheetah about a developing story. It seems that some of the animals are leaving the preserve.

Didi Dodo, Future Spy: Recipe for Disaster by Tom Angleberger. illus. by Jared Chapman. Abrams/Amulet. ISBN 9781419733703.

Koko Dodo's Super-Secret Fudge Sauce has been stolen and he can't remember the secret ingredient to make more. With the Royal Cookie Contest right around the corner, he enlists the help of his friend Didi Dodo to solve the case.

Noodleheads: Fortress of Doom by Tedd Arnold & others. illus. the author. Holiday House. ISBN 9780823440016.

Arnold’s buoyant illustrations and the protagonists’ goofy dialogue are sure to entice readers into the latest installment of the Noodleheads, who are as clueless as ever.

Top Secret Smackdown by Mac Barnett. illus. by Mike Lowery. Orchard. ISBN 9781338143713.

Mac, kid spy international, is back! On special assignment from the Queen of England herself, Mac drops everything back in the United States to assist in a missing raven caper—and the Russians may be involved.

Chick and Brain: Egg or Eyeball? by Cece Bell. illus. by author. ISBN 9781536204391.

A bird named Chick; a goofy, underwear-clad human named Brain; and their friend Spot the dog return for a surreal follow-up to Smell My Foot.

Smell My Foot! by Cece Bell. illus. by author. Candlewick. ISBN 9780763679361.

In this send-up of the “Dick and Jane” primers, Bell returns with another story about grammar, miscommunication, and odd-couple friends.

Snow Day in May by Christine Evans (text) & illus. by Patrick Corrigan. Albert Whitman. ISBN 9780807587416.

Second grader Raven Rose dreads doing her “Voices from History” project. After wishing that “something magical could happen” to cancel the presentation, she stumbles upon a coin, makes a wish, tosses the coin into an old well, and is ushered into the mysterious Wish Library. Newly independent readers will relate to Raven while finding humor in the imposing librarian and unbelievable consequences of Raven's wish.

Off I Go! by Kelly Greenawalt. illus. by Amariah Rauscher. Scholastic/Acorn Bks. ISBN 9781338340068.

The second chapter book about Princess Truly, a brown-skinned girl with sparkly curls who embarks on different adventures with her brother, Ty, and her dog, Sir Noodles.

Chapter Two Is Missing by Josh Lieb. illus. by Kevin Cornell. Penguin/Razorbill ISBN 9781984835482.

The narrator teams up with Detective McGarrigan, Milo the janitor, and the reader to help to find chapter two and continue the story in this highly interactive tale.

Pug’s Snow Day by Kyla May. iIlus. by author. Scholastic. ISBN 9781338530070.

When Bella tells Bub that she is wishing for a snow day this winter, Bub has no idea what she mean, in a hilarious and heartwarming tale of a dog’s first snow.

The Fuzzy Apocalypse by Jonathan Messinger (text) & illus. by Aleksei Bitskoff. HarperCollins/Harper. ISBN 9780062932143.

In this wacky sci-fi adventure, a young troop of interstellar space scouts explore both a new planet and the limits of their friendship. The fast-paced plot dabbles in high stakes problems, but the narrative remains lighthearted and at times downright silly, as do Bitskoff’s cheerful illustrations, sprinkled throughout the text.

Baloney and Friends by Greg Pizzoli. Illus. by author.Disney-Hyperion. ISBN 9781368054546.

Like countless lovably naive children’s book characters before him, Baloney the pig may not always know what’s going on, but he approaches every adventure with enthusiasm.

Red Panda and Moon Bear by Jarod Roselló. illus. by author. Top Shelf Productions. ISBN 9781603094443.

Two crime-fighting Latinx siblings star in this series starter that’s perfect for readers who like their superhero stories with a heavy dose of humor.

AstroNuts Mission One: The Plant Planet by Jon Scieszka. illus. by Steven Weinberg. Chronicle. ISBN 9781452171197.

A wacky tale about Earth, where the polluted atmosphere reaches uninhabitable levels. Heavy with glossy pages of vibrant graphics, the book will appeal to “Captain Underpants” and “Geronimo Stilton” devotees.

Pizza and Taco: Who’s the Best? by Stephen Shaskan. illus. by author. Random. ISBN 9780593123317.

The Battle is on! Pizza or Taco? A beautiful friendship is put to the test when Pizza and Taco disagree over who is the best.