16 Summer at the Farm Books for Kids

Published:
June 19, 2019

Contributor:
Sarita Harbour

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Do your kids love to read about life on a farm? All of mine do – and I do too. Ever since I read the Little House on the Prairie series as a child I’ve loved reading about what life is like for kids growing up on a farm.

There are so many good lessons and values to learn from these farming picture books, novels, and non-fiction stories. If you’re looking for a few “Summer at the Farm” books for kids, here’s a quick list to get you started.

And if you’re looking for a way to track your kids’ reading this summer, scroll down to the bottom of this post for a link to a free 8-page reading rewards pack.

16 Summer Farm Books for kids - including picture books and chapter books too

Summer at the Farm Books for Kids: Picture Books

#1. The Year at Maple Hill Farm Alice and Marten Provensen. A beautiful picture book about farm animals and what happens during one year on a farm. Picture book – all ages.

#2. The Ox Cart Man Donald Hall and Barbara Cooney. A journey through the days, weeks, months and seasons of a pioneer New England farmer. Picture book – all ages.

#3. Big Red Barn – Margaret Wise Brown. Introduce your littlest ones to farm life with this delightful rhyming story of a day at the farm. Picture book – all ages (2+)

#4. Farm – Elisha Cooper. This gorgeous award-winning watercolor picture book gives children a taste of life on the farm in the summer. All ages.

#5. On The Farm – David Elliott and Holly Meade. Another beautiful book with artistic woodcut and watercolor images. All ages.

#6. Word of Eric Carle Around the Farm Play-A-Sound Book – Eric Carle. Do you have a little one who’s fascinated with farm sounds? My toddlers, preschoolers and even kindergarten-aged children loved this book! Ages 2+(Note: all that clacking and mooing can get tiresome for moms, though, especially if you haven’t had enough sleep.)

#7. Down by the Barn – Will Hillenbrand. A fun family read-aloud with rhyming, lyrical words and funny bright pictures. Ages 4+

#8. Jobs on a Farm – Nancy Dickman. This non-fiction picture book for children shows the hard work and jobs that need to get done each day when you live on a farm. Ages 4+

#9. Grandpa’s Tractor – Michael Garland. Visiting a family farm where there’s a special tractor reminds a grandfather of his childhood on a farm. A pretty farm picture book to share with children or grandchildren. Ages 4+

Summer at the Farm Books for Kids: Chapter Books

#10. Little House on the Prairie 9 Book Series – Laura Ingalls Wilder. The classic tales of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life as a pioneer homesteading child in the 1800s. Ages 5+

#11. Charlotte’s Web  – E.B. White. One of America’s best-loved children’s farm tales – the story of a girl, a pig, and a spider. Chapter book – Ages 7+

#12. Thimble Summer – Elizabeth Enright. Another award-winning tale of a girl growing up on a farm in Wisconsin and the challenges facing her family. Ages 8+

#13. Strawberry Girl – Lois Lenski. Trying to establish a strawberry farm in the hot Florida climate during the early 1900s is tough – especially when the neighbors aren’t particularly friendly. One of our family’s favorites. Ages 8+

#14. In Grandma’s Attic – Arleta Richardson. This popular series (we read the first four) chronicles Arleta Richardson’s grandmother’s life as a girl growing up in a farm family in Michigan in the 1800s. One of my girls’ favorites. Ages 7+

#15. Little Britches – Father and I Were Ranchers – Ralph Moody. In 1906 young Ralph Moody and his family left New Hampshire to run a Colorado ranch. This was one of my favorite books as a child – it’s a great family read-aloud for a rainy summer day. Ages 8+

#16. Caddie Woodlawn – Carol Ryrie Brink. In the early 1900s, Caddie Woodlawn (the author’s grandmother) was enjoying life as carefree farm girl in Wisconsin when a summer visit from her Boston family put a damper on her fun. Another classic family favorite read-aloud. Ages 8+

FREE Farm Themed Creative Writing & Illustration Prompts for Elementary

elementary creative writing and illustration prompts

You might also want to check out the NEW Farm Notebook, a companion to Julia Rothman’s Farm Anatomy

Farm Notebook workbook cover

Can’t get through all these books this summer? Remember to bookmark or pin this post to save it for later!

And don’t forget to visit An Off Grid Life for your free reading rewards pack!

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