Who is headed to the beach this summer? Or are you mountain people? Or is a staycation more your style? Whatever you do, take a break from the normal rhythms and enjoy your days this month.

Around the Web
Beach Books! (Librarians’ List)
Betsy at Redeemed Reader has a book list for us!
- Of course a professional book reviewer and librarian takes books with her to the beach—for herself AND her family. In case you’re of like mind, here are some beach-related books and Dewey numbers to check out before you head to the coast this summer. Kids enjoy both fiction and nonfiction, so this list is a mix.
Read more
The Best 4th of July Picture Books
Sure, Independence Day was last week, but that doesn’t mean reading picture books about it has to stop. Here are some great recommendations from Reshelving Alexandria.
- Celebrate the Fourth of July with books highlighting fireworks, picnics, parades, and family!
This list focuses solely on celebrating the holiday, its history, the documents that got us here- and one side quest to learn about King George and how he lost a whole country. With many diverse characters, we trust there’s a book for everyone here!
Read more
Moms, You Have Permission to Invest in Yourselves
Summer can be a hard time to find space for yourself, but you have that permission.
- I did something I have never done in 11 years of motherhood today. I paid for a babysitter to sit with my sleeping toddlers so I could go out into the world on my own…for no other reason than to just be. I do not have a doctor’s appointment, grocery run to make, or meeting to attend. I am not even going to the gym. I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop, eating a gluten-free brownie and sipping on a delicious latte.
Read more
Stabbed by Joy
Greg Morse digs into that deep longing we all experience.
- I can’t recall the first moment I experienced the tease, the turmoil, the torment of Joy.
When most speak of joy — when for many years I mentioned her — they mean a smiling joy, an uplifting joy, a joy for sunny days, a pleasant satisfaction. Comforts, fulfillments, good health, gratitude fills her banquet. She bequeaths a desire to be where you already are, a wish for what you already have.
Read more

Around the Warren
Books for Celebrating America, the Beautiful
Kelly Keller points us to more books for celebrating America.
- Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays. It feels like the very pinnacle of summer. In our home, planning and preparing for next year’s school year doesn’t happen until after July 4 — even when I was homeschooling five kids at a time.
Read more
What to Wear: Guiding Tweens in the Word
Kathryn Butler reviews a devotional for tweens on finding identity in Christ.
- Discipling tweens is tough.
In the younger years, it’s easy to enthrall kids with the vast assortment of storybook Bibles that line Sunday school bookshelves. Featuring brightly-colored illustrations and maybe a rhyme or two, these books coax kids to lean forward mid-bite during lunch or to fall silent during Sunday school in their eagerness to hear more.
Read more

Something to Do with Your Kids
Tackle a flower dissection and learn all about how God made these beautiful plants.
Something to Watch
Fun fact, I have three friends who have spent time living in Antarctica.

Thanks for reading. We’re on your side.
–The Story Warren Team
- The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 5 - February 15, 2025
- The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 4 - February 1, 2025
- The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 3 - January 25, 2025
Leave a Reply