During the summer, we wholeheartedly encourage all our students - and educators - to run free in the fields. Let's be honest: your brain and body need a break from sitting indoors at a classroom desk all day.

However... Reading a gripping novel while lying in the warm sunshine is one of our favorite summer activities and the perfect way to keep your mind from turning to mush.

Here are a list of some of our favorite books. Visit your local library for more suggestions!

Kindergarten – 1st Grade

Grandma’s Records by Eric Velasquez
- Eric and his Grandma explore music together
Pig Has A Plan by Ethan Long
- Pig is trying to take a nap, but his friends are making SO. MUCH. NOISE.
Uptown by Brian Collier
- Experience the vibrant sights and sounds, tastes and scents of Harlem, New York on one hot summer’s day.
The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
- Stunning illustrations illuminate the creative process about how mistakes are not always negative and can open the door to a bigger picture.
Alfie by Thyra Heder
- The reader gets both sides of the story in this clever tale of a lost pet and the search for a perfect birthday gift.

2nd & 3rd Grade

Louie Lets Loose: Unicorn in New York by Rachel Hamilton
- Can a plucky unicorn get his big break in the Big Apple?
The Major Eights: Battle of the Bands by Melody Reed
- Four friends love rocking out in the basement, but are they ready to compete in front of an audience?
Celia Cruz: Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers
- The inspirational life story of one of music’s biggest stars.
Good Night, Planet by Liniers
- Stuffed animal Planet makes new friends and has adventures all while his owner sleeps in this gentle, engaging graphic novel for young readers.
Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz
- A princess’ wish gone wrong leads to cream-puff-loving, wig-wear, chandelier-swinging, king-chasing Crocodile and, in the end, a happier royal family.

4th & 5th Grades

Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
- In 1936, orphaned Bud hits the road to find a jazz band that holds the secret of his own roots.
The Lightning Queen by Laura Resau
- In rural Mexico, Teo and Esma begin a magical friendship and fight to make their dreams come true.
Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon
- 12-year-old Molly shows up to fill the role of Castle Hangnail’s new wicked witch.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
- Red, a quiet wishing tree, is the recipient of neighborhood hopes and dreams. When an immigrant family is harassed in the community, Red is motivated to act.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of R.B.G. vs. Inequality by Jonah Winter
- The woman who would go on to become America’s second female Supreme Court Justice faced & conquered injustice through her young life.

Middle School

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan
- A Pakistani American Muslim middle-school girl attempts to blend her family’s traditions and her experience in school to be accepted.
A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge
- Restless, impulsive Neverfell, with no memory of her past, finds herself in the underground city of Caverna, where faces are expressionless and her life is in incredible danger.
Posted by John David Anderson
- When their school bans cell phones, Frost and his friends communicate through Post-its instead. But when their idea catches on, a sticky-note war begins.
Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher
- Despite learning disabilities, Joseph joins his school’s track team and discovers the value of achieving a personal best, both on and off the cross-country course.
Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say
- The fictionalized biography of self-taught artist James Castle, who grew up deaf, mute, and autistic, and used art to express himself, is as beautiful as it is affecting.

High School

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- A young girl living in Nazi Germany during World War II steals books and shares them with neighbors as well as with the Jewish refugee hiding in her foster family's basement.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
- The novel's 15-year-old narrator with an autism spectrum condition is also its protagonist, searching to unravel the mysterious death of a neighborhood pup.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Entering College

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Check out your college’s website to see if there are any recommended summer reads!

Sources:

Voices Blog