We asked librarians and booksellers for summer reading recommendations for children, and here’s a list to keep young readers busy.
Pre-K-2nd grade
“Amazing Sharks!” Sarah L. Thomson
“Biscuit Goes to School” Alyssa Satin Capucilli
“Captain Underpants” Dav Pilkey
“Danny and the Dinosaur” Syd Hoff
“Don”t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!” Mo Willems
“Listen to My Trumpet” Mo Willems
“Nate the Great and the Big Sniff” Marjorie Sharmat
“Pete the Cat” Eric Litwin and James Dean
“Smash! Crash!” Jon Scieszka”There”s a Bird on Your Head” Mo Willems
“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” Eric Carle
1st-3rd grade
“Chrysanthemum” Kevin Henkes
“Frog and Toad” Arnold Lobel”Humphrey’s Creepy Crawly Camping Adventure” Betty Birney
“Junie B. Jones” Barbara Park”Mercy Watson” Kate DiCamillo
“Parts” Tedd Arnold”The Bravest Dog Ever; The True Story of Balto” Natalie Standiford
1st-5th grade
“A Boy Called Bat” Elana Arnold
“I Survived” Lauren Tarshisis”The Spiderwick Chronicles” Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
2nd-4th grade”Magic Tree House” Mary Pope Osborne
2nd-7th grade
“Sherlock Sam” A.J. Low
3rd-5th grade
“Garvey”s Choice” Nikki Grimes
“Hiawatha and the Peacemaker” Robbie Robertson
“Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph” Roxane Orgill
“Juana and Lucas” Juana Medina”The Jumbies” Tracey Baptiste
“The Last Kids on Earth” Max Brallier
“Lola Levine Is Not Mean!” Monica Brown
“Makoons” Louise Erdrich”Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” Judy Blume
3rd-8th grade
“Amina”s Voice” Hena Khan
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” Jeff Kinney
“Real Friends” Shannon Hale”Roller Girl” Victoria Jamieson
“Smile” Raina Telgemeier”Sunny Side Up” Jennifer L. Holm
“The Castle in the Attic” Elizabeth Winthrop
“The Land of Stories” Chris Colfer
“The Other Boy” M.G. Hennessey”Who Was?” various authors
“Wings of Fire” Tui Sutherland
4th-6th grade
“Esperanza Rising” Pam Munoz Ryan
“Fish in a Tree” Lynda Mullaly Hunt
“Spy School” Stuart Gibbs
4th-9th grade
“Blackthorn Key” Kevin Sands”Dork Diaries” Rachel Renee Russell
“El Deafo” Cece Bell”Ghost” Jason Reynolds
“Julie of the Wolves” Jean Craighead George
“The Cay” Theodore Taylor
5th-7th grade
“Beyond the Bright Sea” Lauren Wolk
“Hatchet” Gary Paulsen”Lemons” Melissa Savage
“The Midwife”s Apprentice” Karen Cushman
“The Shakespeare Stealer” Gary Blackwood
“Track” Jason Reynolds
6th-8th grade
“As Brave As You” Jason Reynolds
“Beetle Boy” M. G. Leonard”Booked” Kwame Alexander
“Dream on Amber” Emma Shevah”Eragon” Christopher Paolini
“Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary” Gail Jarrow
“Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods” Hal Johnson
“Harry Potter” JK Rowling”Mrs. Fris and the Rats of NIMH” Robert C. O’Brien
“The Boy Who Spoke Dog” Clay Morgan
“The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club” Phillip Hoose
8th-10th grade
“Percy Jackson” Rick Riordan
Compiled by staff from library and bookseller recommendations
