All summer, I’ll be sharing books for kids of all ages on topics that interest them or offer something new to learn about. Most of the time, these will be nonfiction books, but sometimes we can learn from fictional stories too. I believe reading over the summer is so important, and keeping kids interested in reading by finding relevant books about topics that they are interested in is very important. Kids should read at least 20 minutes every day, and I hope that these books offer you ideas to keep your kids reading and learning all summer.
I hope you will stay tuned to these posts. They will always have Summer Read-to-Learn in the title and will be tagged in the post. There will be books on all kinds of topics kids love to read and learn about. Be sure to stop by each week to see what book I’m sharing as part of my Summer Read-to-Learn series.
To see all the books in the Summer Read-to-Learn series, click HERE.
TAKE IT APART
By: Katey Howes
Illustrated by: Elizabet Vuković
Published: August 4, 2026
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Books
Fiction
Kids’ brains are all wired differently. Some kids need to manipulate and visualize what they are learning. Need solutions? Need answers? Take it apart! Kids who love working with their hands, seeing how things work, or asking a lot of questions will find that reading this book will feel like they are being heard.
With a rhyming scheme, kids are encouraged to break things down into smaller pieces, to group things together, to investigate how something turns or why it beeps. Busy hands mean busy brains. The book encourages kids to FIND out why, not just to HEAR why. They will also learn to be creative, using some of those extra parts for something new.
The end of the book shows a flowchart of how to tackle a big project, from the collection of supplies to the space needed to the necessary tools and, most importantly, the helping hands and hearts of those who teach, work, learn, clean up, and enjoy the rewards of a completed project.
Katey Howes was an award-winning children’s author and poet whose books celebrated curiosity, creativity, STEAM learning, and social-emotional growth. Her acclaimed works include Be a Maker, Rissy No Kissies—named a Kirkus Best Children’s Book, a Rise: A Feminist Book Project List selection, and a Keystone to Reading Book Award nominee—Woven of the World, Grandmother Thorn, and Where the Deer Slip Through, which has been named one of Amazon’s Best Children’s Books of 2025. Her forthcoming picture book, Take It Apart (Carolrhoda Books, August 2026), continues her legacy of inspiring young readers to explore, invent, and discover. Visit her website, HERE.
Elizabet Vuković grew up around makers in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Her mom introduced her to making with fabrics. She and her sister accompanied their dad on many trips to the hardware store for his constant home renovation projects, and her sister continues to use Elizabet as her guinea pig for many outrageous inventions. Elizabet graduated with a degree in optometry before deciding to return to school to study illustration in San Francisco, where she currently resides. Visit her website, HERE.
Click HERE to learn more about Take It Apart & access a free curriculum guide
Click HERE to purchase a copy of TAKE IT APART
Get BE A MAKER and engage your child with ideas of things to make
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you paying a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, Elizabet Vuković, Engineering, Katey Howes, STEM, Summer Read-to-Learn, fiction