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
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