Beach Books for Kids

Are you headed to the beach this summer? Get your kids excited by sharing some great books. Here are some of my favorite beach books for kids.

Keeping students engaged in reading during the summer can be a challenge. However, there's nothing quite like a good beach book to spark a child's imagination and keep them excited about reading. Whether your students are heading to the beach or just dreaming of it, I've got you covered with this list of beach books for kids. From silly stories to exciting adventures, these books are sure to make a splash with your kids. So, pack up your beach bag and get ready for some fun in the sun with these must-read books!

You can click on any of the covers below to learn more about each book or find all of these Beach Books for Kids on my Amazon page.

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Beach Books for Kids

Keeping students engaged in reading during the summer can be a challenge. However, there’s nothing quite like a good beach book to spark a child’s imagination and keep them excited about reading. Whether your students are heading to the beach or just dreaming of it, I’ve got you covered with this list of beach books for kids. From silly stories to exciting adventures, these books are sure to make a splash with your kids. So, pack up your beach bag and get ready for some fun in the sun with these must-read books!

How to Code a Sandcastle

All summer, Pearl has been trying to build the perfect sandcastle, but out-of-control Frisbees and mischievous puppies keep getting in the way! Pearl and her robot friend Pascal have one last chance, and this time, they’re going to use code to get the job done. Using fundamental computer coding concepts like sequences and loops, Pearl and Pascal are able to break down their sandcastle problem into small, manageable steps. If they can create working code, this could turn out to be the best beach day ever!

There Might Be Lobsters

Lots of things at the beach scare Sukie. Lots. Because she is just a small dog, and the stairs are big and sandy, and the waves are big and whooshy, and the balls are big and beachy. And besides, there might be lobsters. With endearing illustrations and a perfectly paced text that captures a timid pup’s looping thoughts, here is a funny and honest read-aloud about how overwhelming the world can be when you’re worried — and how empowering it is to overcome your fears when it matters the most.

The Sandcastle That Lola Built

Lola is building her dream sandcastle–one with a tall, tall tower and sea glass that sends signals to mermaids. But the beach is crowded, and soon enough, a boy steps on her castle. Not to worry! Lola recruits him to build a wall. When a toddler with a bulldozer starts digging too close the walls, Lola decides he can be in charge of digging the moat. As the sandcastle grows, so does Lola’s friendly group of helpers. There’s only one thing that Lola doesn’t want near the sandcastle: a wave! Will the new friends be able to salvage the mermaids’ castle when their hard work is washed away?

At the Beach

Take a stroll along the beach. What do you see? Young readers will learn all about the beach and the animals that call it home in this National Geographic Kids pre-reader.

A Beach Tail

How will Gregory find his way back to Dad? Swish-swoosh . . . Gregory draws a lion in the sand. “Don’t go in the water, and don’t leave Sandy,” warns Dad. But the sandy lion grows a tail that gets longer and longer—and soon Gregory is lost on the beach.

Flotsam

In this wordless book, a bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam–anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there’s no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share . . . and to keep.

Turkey’s Sandtastic Beach Day

Turkey is visiting the ocean for the very first time! But when he arrives, he has to stay in Farmer Jake’s petting zoo on the boardwalk. If only he could get to the beach for some splashing and surfing…Luckily, his friends are determined to help him have an utterly crab-ulous beach day, offi-shell duties or not―and they get to have some fun along the way.

If You Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach…DON’T!

When mom says to get ready to play at the beach, she means with a boat, or a Frisbee, or a shovel. She is NOT talking about the piano. But Magnolia is a little girl with a big idea, determination, and one very heavy upright piano that, she insists, she needs to take with her. What’s the worst that can happen? In a riotous series of mishaps, Magnolia quickly learns that–not surprisingly–a piano doesn’t mix well with sand, sun, and seagulls!

The Big Beach Cleanup

Cora is excited to enter the local sandcastle-building contest―until the contest is canceled due to litter at the beach. Determined to help save their favorite place, Cora and Mama get to work picking up the single-use plastics that have washed onto the shore. It will take more than four hands to clean up the beach, but Cora is just getting started.

Rocket Says Clean Up!

Rocket, is off to the islands to visit her grandparents. Her family loves nothing better than to beach comb and surf together…but the beach is clogged with trash! When she finds a turtle tangled in a net, Rocket decides that something must be done! Like a mini Greta Thunberg, our young activist’s enthusiasm brings everyone together…to clean up the beach and prevent plastics from spoiling nature.

The Seashore Book

This book brings a day at the beach vividly to life as a boy and his mother imagine what it would be like to spend a day at the seashore. Hunting for seashells and building sandcastles, this tribute to the power of imagination and the tenderness of a mother-child connection is also a sweet ode to summer’s greatest pastimes.

Wave

This wordless book tells a vibrant story of a little girl’s day at the beach which is full of joy and laughter.

A Day for Sandcastles

In this wordless book, a busload of beachgoers spills out onto the sand for a day of fun and frolic. Three siblings begin work on a castle, patting and shaping the sand as the sun arcs over the sky. Time and again, their progress is halted: a windswept hat topples their creation; a toddler ambles through it; the tide creeps close, and then too close. Meeting each demolition with fresh determination, the builders outdo themselves time and again, until the moment arrives to pile back into the bus for home.

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach

We know by now that Scaredy Squirrel only feels safe when he’s at home in his nut tree, with his defenses, his emergency kit and his back-up plans at the ready. So even though the sun is shining and it’s time for a vacation, Scaredy does not want to go to the beach — that vast, frightening place where a squirrel could get stranded. (Not to mention other hazards such as sea monsters, falling coconuts, seagulls, pirates and lobsters.) Instead, Scaredy builds his own safe beach getaway under his nut tree, complete with germ-free inflatable pool, artificial beach scenery, a flashlight and a plastic flamingo. Still, the lure of the genuine beach is strong — even a dedicated homebody such as Scaredy can’t resist it forever. Can his back-up plans save him from its perils? Will his No.65 sunscreen protect his delicate complexion?

What Lives in a Shell?

A house is a home for you, a nest is a home for a bird, and a cave is a home for a bear. But for some animals a shell is a home. Snails and turtles and crabs and clams all have shells that act as their homes and protect them from harm. This clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom, is a fascinating exploration of the many creatures that make a home in a shell.

Pete at the Beach

Pete the Cat is one groovy cat at finding shells and building sand castles at the beach. But when it gets too hot, there’s only one way to cool off—jump into the ocean! Except Pete might be a scaredy-cat when it comes to the water.

Bats at the Beach

Quick, call out! Tell all you can reach: the night is just perfect for bats at the beach! So pack your buckets, banjos, and blankets—don’t forget the moon-tan lotion—and wing with this bunch of fuzzy bats to where foamy sea and soft sand meet.

Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag

Oliver’s boring beach bag is gone! This is a perfect case for Nate the Great and his trusty dog, Sludge. But there aren’t many clues in the sand and surf. Which trail should they follow? You can find activities to pair with this book here.

Curious George Goes to the Beach

Everyone’s favorite curious little monkey tries lifeguarding (he loves the tall chair and binoculars), feeds some seagulls, helps a friend overcome her fear of swimming, and even makes a daring ocean rescue when the picnic basket gets swept out to sea!

Aqualicious

Pinkalicious and her family go on a trip to the beach for a day of sun, fun, and sand castles! The day gets even more exciting when Pinkalicious finds a mini-mermaid named Aqua while she’s collecting shells. Aqua wants to find her way home, and Pinkalicious and Peter decide to help—after they show her all of the pinkamazing things to do at the seashore!

Penguin on Vacation

Penguin is tired of the snow and cold–so he decides to visit the beach! But when his favorite activities like skiing and skating don’t work so well on sand, can a new friend help Penguin learn how to have fun in the sun?

Surfer Chick

This is the the story of a little chick and her dad who take to the beach so she can finally learn how to surf. At first Chick’s mood is foul as she struggles through some gnarly waters, but soon she is catching waves on her own board and even doing righteous tricks, just like her rad dad!

The Sand Castle Contest

While on vacation. Matthew is excited to take part in the local sandcastle contest. The winner gets a bathtub filled with ice cream! But Matthew is just too good at building sand castles. The judges all think the house he builds, complete with sand chairs, a sand refrigerator, and sand food is real! He has to prove that it’s all just a big pile of sand so he can win that ice cream!

To the Beach

It’s a perfect day for swimming, building sand castles, and flying kites. But will this wacky family of seven ever make it to the beach? First they need to go back for Fido. Then there’s the cooler full of soda. And what about Baby’s beloved ducky pail? Even with all the things everyone has forgotten to bring, the unpredictable weather, and the stop-and-go traffic, this family’s beach trip is sure to be the best yet. That is, if they (and all their stuff) can get there!

Hello Ocean

Relive a day at the beach with this lovely book of memories. You can almost feel the salt spray on your face and smell the musky scent of ocean in the cool morning air. Remember how the sand squishes between your toes as the tide rushes to shore and taste the tang of the ocean on your lips. Spirited language evokes a sense of closeness and nostalgia for an old friend. The inspiration of the ocean will make learning the five senses as easy as a day at the beach.

Day at the Beach

Every summer, Gideon and his younger sister Audrey build a sandcastle together. But this summer, everything changes. Gideon decides to build the most spectacular sandcastle anyone on the beach has ever seen. And he’s going to do it on his own—without any help from his sister.

Harry By the Sea

When Harry goes on a visit to the beach, he is mistaken for a sea creature when a big wave covers him with seaweed. Harry also has to hunt for his family beneath all the similar beach umbrellas. Children will relate to Harry’s funny misadventures.

Super Sand Castle Saturday

One Saturday at the beach, Laura, Juan, and Sarah decide to have a sand castle contest. As the tide rises, the walls get longer, the towers get taller, and the moats get deeper. The friends measure their sand castles with spoons, shovels, and bare feet until Larry the lifeguard and his tape measure surprise them all. This is a Level 2 book in the MathStart series.