In the book Outliers Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that 10,000 hours of practice was needed to become an expert in something. While I’m not suggesting you set aside 10,000 hours for Summer reading, I do think reading everyday is important. Practice does make perfect.

Summer is a great time to read for pleasure. Libraries are filled with engaging titles for all ages. Occasionally, however, we all appreciate a little reading guidance, so I’ve included some books I’ve found students enjoyed during my career as a school library media specialist. The titles are grouped by grade level, but don’t worry about selecting ones not for your specific grade. Just find books you enjoy.

Please leave your Summer Reading suggestions in the comments area. Let us know which books your family has enjoyed and why so we can expand our list.

Kindergarten

Letters From a Desperate Dog by Eileen Christelow

How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them by Laurie Kransy Brown and Marc Brown

Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers

Alphabet Adventure by Audrey Wood

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert

Mama Panya’s Pancakes: A Village Tale From Kenya by Mary and Richard Chamberlin, illustrated by Julia Cairns

Wake Up, Sleepy Bear! by Christine Morton-Shaw and Greg Shaw, illustrated by John Butler

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

Touch the Art: Brush Mona LIsa’s Hair by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo

Grade 1

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian by Jessica Spanyol

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz

Flotsam by David Wiesner

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon

George Washington’s Cows by David Small

The Icky Bug Counting Book by Jerry Palotta, illustrated by Ralph Masiello

Berenstain Bears’ Big Book of Science and Nature by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Have you Seen My New Blue Socks? by Eve Bunting

Arthur’s Tooth by Marc Brown

Grade 2

Sneakers, the Seaside Cat by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Anne Mortimer

Mom and Dad Are Palindromes by Mark Shulman, illustrated by Adam McCauley

Building With Dad by Carol Nevius, illustrated by Bill Thomson

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Babe Ruth Baseball by David Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, illustrated by Marc Simont

Gator Gumbo by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Sally Anne Lambert

Water Hole by Zahavit Shalev

The Flyer Flew! The Invention of the Airplane by Lee Sullivan Hill, illustrated by Craig Orback

Dear Children of the Earth by Schim Schimmel

Grade 3

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet

The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock

The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleishman

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan

The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary, Alan Tiegreen (illus.)

Ol’ Clip-Clop: A Ghost Story by Patricia McKissack

Loser by Jerry Spinelli

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Paul Bunyan, a Tall Tale by Steven Kellogg

2030: A Day in the Life of Tomorrow’s Kids by Amy Zuckerman and Jim Daly

George and Martha by James Marshall

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka

Grades 4 and 5

Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe

Hoop Genius by John Coy

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days! by Stephen Manes

Don’t Hurt Laurie by Willo Davis Roberts

There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by Louis Sachar

A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith

Skinnybones by Barbara Park

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

The Secret Life of the Underwear Champ by Betty Miles

The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith

The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Fudge-a-mania by Judy Blume

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli

Grades 6 – 8

A Bird on Water Street by E. Dulemba

The Revolution of Evelynn Serrano by S. Manzano

Loot: How to Steal a Fortune by J. Watson

Absolutely Almost by L. Graff

My Life in 7th Grade by Mark Geller

My LIfe in Pink & Green by Lisa Greenwald

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

Ashes by Kathryn Lasky

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Extra Credit by Andrew Clements

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise

Swindle by Gordon Korman

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Flush by Carl Hiaasen

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer

The Forever Formula by Frank Bonham

Grades 9 – 12

Caged Warrior by Alan Sitomer

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Everything Leads to You by Makiia Lucier

Fake ID by Lamar Giles

The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal

Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

Glow by Amy Kathleenn Ryan

Hostage Three by Nick Lake

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebeca Skloot

Jackaby by William Riter

Jump by Elisa Carbone

Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Notes from the Blender by Trisha Cook and Brendan Halpin

Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanan

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Stick by Andrew Smith

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

This Girl is Different by J. J. Johnson

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

What Can’t Wait by Ashley Hope Perez

What Comes After by Steve Watkins

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds