Our 2021 Summer Reading List

The best way to help your child become a strong reader is to serve up lots of great books! When it comes to building their library at home, it’s a good rule of thumb to choose books from the grade level your child will be going into (unless they need modifications up or down). Not sure what their current reading level is? Try this 5 Finger Test first.

Here is a short list categorized by age to point you toward some of today’s top titles for your child:

Preschool picture books

• It’s So Quiet: A Not-Quite-Going-to-Bed Book by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann
• Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee

1^st Grade

• My Toothbrush is Missing by Jan Thomas
• An Elephant & Piggie Biggie! by Mo Willems
• We Dig Worms by Kevin McCloskey

2^nd Grade

• Cat Ninja (Volume 1) by Matthew Cody
• Real Pigeons Fight Crime by Andrew McDonald
• Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey and Sassafras, 1) by Asia Citro

3^rd Grade

• Wallace the Brave by Will Henry
• Doodle Adventures: The Search for the Slimy Space Slugs! By Mike Lowery
• Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lyla Lee

4^th Grade

• Diary of a 6^th Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson
• Allergic by Megan Lloyd
• Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray by Jess Keating

5^th Grade

• Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo
• Nooks and Crannies by Jessica Lawson
• Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

6^th Grade

• When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
• The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
• The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

7^th Grade

• Treasure of the World by Tara Sullivan
• City Spies by James Ponti
• Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories by Amanda Li

Teens ages 13-18

• Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter
• 180 Seconds by Jessica Park
• Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi
• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Not particularly interested in any of the above titles? No problem! Click here for more than 100 books specially for Pre-K to 12 years old, or Brightly for even more ideas. And if your child has access to a Kindle or device, you may want to explore this resource that provides 15 of the Best Places to Find Free Books Online.

Happy reading!