When class is dismissed for summer, keep your kids’ brains active with these fun reads.

Guinness World Records books
Who wouldn’t want to know about the man with the largest nose in the world? Guinness World Records’ books are just irresistible, full of quirky facts, photos and illustrations that grab a kid’s attention. Two I Can Read books, Daring Dogs and Whacky Wheels (HarperCollins Children’s Books, $3.99), are perfect for young readers. Four new paperbacks tap into an older child’s natural curiosity, Amazing Body Records, Super Humans, Whacky and Wild! and Biggest and Smallest! (HarperCollins Children’s Books, $12.99).

National Geographic Kids
The U.S. National Parks Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year – no better time to learn about the diversity of wildlife and terrain in this network of protected green spaces. A children’s version of National Geographic’s Guide to National Parks called National Parks Guide USA (National Geographic Kids, $14.99) presents facts about the park in a highly readable way, with lots of photos and illustrations to keep kids interested. Do you know which park was the home of Smokey Bear, the cub who was rescued from a forest fire and became the Parks Service’s symbol?

DK Books
Kids are endlessly fascinated with bugs, and Super Bug Encyclopedia (DK Books, $24.99) takes advantage of that, dishing out facts on “the biggest, fastest, deadliest creepy-crawlies on the planet.” They are also some of the weirdest, with nasty or fascinating habits. The ruby-tailed wasp, for instance, slips into the nest of a wasp or bee and lays its eggs; when the wasp’s larvae hatch, they consume the young of the nest owner. A young scientist could spend hours poring over this book.