Surfing was newly added to the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year, so why not hang ten with one of these books?
For younger kids:
Dude! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat (2018). A platypus and a beaver are out surfing, but there’s something big lurking underneath the water. This hilarious book will have young readers giggling.
Pig Kahuna by Jennifer Gordon Sattler (2011). When two pig brothers find an abandoned surfboard on the beach, they must summon their courage to rescue it when it gets washed out to sea.
Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks by Bonnie Tsui, illustrated by Sophie Diao (2021). Before you tune in to watch the women’s surfing team at the Olympics, pick up this biography of surfer Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf the truly giant waves called Mavericks.
Surf’s Up by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Daniel Miyares (2015). Bro and Dude take a trip to the beach, but they both have very different ideas about how to enjoy it.
For older kids:
Could You Be a Monster Wave Surfer? by Matt Doeden (112 pages; 2021). Think you’ve got what it takes? Put yourself to the test with this choose-your-own-adventure style book about surfing monster waves!
You Should Meet… Duke Kahanamoku by Laurie Calkhoven (48 pages; 2017). Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku popularized the ancient Hawaiian sport of surfing after retiring from a swimming career in which he won five Olympic medals. He was given the nickname “the human fish”!
Joss by Erin Falligant (142 pages; 2020). What happens when a total surfer girl gets dared to join the cheerleading team? Is there room for both in Joss’s life? Joss was the American Girl Girl of the Year for 2020, so if you know a reader who likes the modern day American Girl stories, this might be one to check out.
Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz, illustrated by Fahmida Azim (288 pages; 2021). An 11-year-old refugee in Bangladesh finds solace and support when she joins a girls’ surf club in this novel in verse.
For teens and adults:
In Waves by A.J. Dungo (367 pages; 2019). In this beautiful memoir of love, loss, and surfing, A.J. Dungo remembers his late partner, Kristin who lost a battle with bone cancer.
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton (213 pages; 2004). Not even the loss of her arm in a shark attack could keep Bethany Hamilton from getting back into the water.
