06/29/2026
Every summer, we head to Big Sur with about seventy-five of our nearest and dearest friends to camp in the same place we got married back in 2017. It is the kind of trip where I lose track of what day it is by Tuesday. A newer tradition, layered on top, is our stop at Godmothers (later today!) on the way down to pick up a pile of books for the week, and then, once we’re in the redwoods, a pilgrimage to the Henry Miller Memorial Library, which remains one of the most exquisite places on earth.
Last summer, my older son had just finished kindergarten, and when we wandered into Godmothers he reached up and pulled his first graphic novel off the shelf. That night, he said, “Mama, I’m going to read my book and you read yours next to me.” And I was genuinely not ready. I had a familiar little lump in my throat as I cracked open my Joan Didion book and caught a glimpse of my old, pre-kid self curled up beside this new, slightly more independent version of my boy. It was short-lived, thank God. Most nights he still wants to cuddle and the read-aloud, but he has been on a graphic novel kick ever since. He’ll plop on the couch for hours at a time and disappear into one, and I support the habit completely. A round-up of his favorites is coming soon, but before I Brick all my apps for the week and head into the trees with the kind of spotty cell service I genuinely love, here’s what we’re reading in July.
Happy holiday week!
🌲🏄🏼♂️🎆
Penguin Kids
HarperKids
Candlewick Press
Simon Kids
Quirk Books
Honest History
