Okay, so school’s been out for slightly more than thirty-five seconds and you’re already in bad need of something interesting to do. You’re done with your chores, finished that puzzle Mom bought, and you’re so over the stuff in your room.

Maybe you need more stuff. Maybe you need these great books about fun things to do this summer…

The smallest reader will want to explore the great outdoors with “Animals of the National Parks: An Alphabet Book by Fifty-Nine Parks, illustrations by Kim Smith (Ten Speed Press, $18.99). Take your A-B-Cs, match them with the appropriate animal from parks in the U.S., and add intriguing facts about the animal or its habitat (or both!) and you’ve got a great book for a traveling 5-to-7-year-old, or for the kid who dreams of seeing those creatures and parks someday.

Another perfectly kid-centric book is “A Natural History of Bums” by Crab Museum, illustrated by Inga Ziemele (Wide Eyed Editions, $19.99), a book about, well, you know, but it’s not just about that thing that’s on the backside of your front side. There’s actual science inside this book, including an explanation for the very reason we and other creatures of the world have the thing we sit on. Kids as young as 5 or 6 will laugh at what’s inside here; kids ages 7-12 will also learn a lot from it.

For the child who has varied interests or for a kid who likes to ask questions that can’t quite be answered, “Is There Anybody Out There: Interplanetary Questions for Intelligent Earthlings” by  Ellen Duthie & Studio Patten (Tra Publishing, $15.99) is a great book that could last the whole summer. This book starts with a basic fictional premise in which a woman meets an alien race and the aliens need to know more about us Earthlings. The rest of the book is filled with philosophical questions, some of which go beyond the title query and are surprisingly sophisticated. Smart kids ages ten and up will find a lot of subjects to think about, some that may send them on a fact-finding search, and others that could launch some really interesting discussions.

And if your six-to-thirteen-year-old likes to stick closer to home, “Cooking Up Change: Recipes by Michael Platt and Grandma Sarah” by Michael Platt, illustrated by Alleanna Harris (Magic Cat Publishing, $18.99) is what you’ll want to bring home. This book does double-duty: half of it’s Black History for the kid who loves solid history; the other half is full of delicious things you can both make at home, to eat while you read.

But what if these books aren’t enough to occupy your child this summer? Then head for your local bookseller or librarian and ask for help, because they know how to find out what your kid will love to read – activity books, novels, picture books, puzzle books, trivia, and more – that will get them (and you!) through the summer and that’ll occupy them for the seemingly-thirty-five seconds until school starts…