Summer Reading List
Reading can be one of the many fun activities children choose to fill their summer time. Research has shown it is also much more! Children who participate in public library summer reading programs make achievement leaps during the summer and score higher on fall reading achievement tests. The books on this list come highly recommended by kid readers from all over the country and may also be available in eBook, audio book, braille, and large print formats. This summer, take your child to participate in the summer programs happening at your library.
All Are Welcome
by Alexandra Penfold,illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
KNOPF, 2018
ISBN: 9780525579649
A group of diverse students is shown throughout the school day having fun together, with an emphasis on how all are welcome. The story ends at a neighborhood gathering where all are welcome!
All the Animals Where I Live
by Philip C. Stead
ROARING BROOK, 2018
ISBN: 9781626726567
Follow the story of the author, who recently moved from the city to the country, and see the moments that shape his and his dog Wednesday’s world.
Alma and How She Got Her Name
by Juana Martinez-Neal
CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2018
ISBN: 9780763693558
Alma learns the stories behind the wonderful people who influenced her name.
Another
by Christian Robinson
ATHENEUM, 2019
ISBN: 9781534421677
In this wordless picture book, readers are taken on a fantastical journey through a young girl’s dream.
Auntie Luce’s
Talking Paintings
by Francie Latour, illustrated by Ken Daley
GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2018
ISBN: 9781773060415
A young girl explores her identity and culture through her aunt’s striking artwork.
Camp Tiger
by Susan Choi, illustrated by John Rocco
PUTNAM, 2019
ISBN: 9780399173295
A young boy finds friendship in a talking tiger while on his family’s camping trip. Along with the amazing pictures, readers will love the adventure these two have.
Carl and the Meaning of Life
by Deborah Freeman
VIKING, 2019
ISBN: 9780451474988
Carl is an earthworm who wonders why he matters in this ecological and philosophical picture book.
Dreamers
by Yuyi Morales
NEAL PORTER BOOKS, 2018
ISBN: 9780823440559
Morales and her young son discover how they fit into their strange, new country when they find the public library in this gorgeous, personal picture book.
Fox the Tiger
by Corey R. Tabor
BALZER + BRAY, 2018
ISBN: 9780062398697
Fox wishes he were a tiger— fast and big and sneaky— and pretends to be one, until he meets someone who likes him for being a fox—fast and big and sneaky.
Hey, Water!
by Antoinette Portis
NEAL PORTER BOOKS, 2019
ISBN: 9780823441556
Zoe thinks about all the ways we see water in the world in this cheerfully illustrated poem. Curious minds will enjoy additional information about water and conservation at the end.
Jabari Jumps
by Gaia Cornwall
CANDLEWICK, 2017
ISBN: 9780763678388
The big moment has come for Jabari to jump off the diving board, but is he ready?
Just in Case You Want to Fly
by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Christian Robinson
NEAL PORTER BOOKS, 2019
ISBN: 9780823443444
What do you need for your next adventure? Explore this nurturing tale through colorful pictures and lyrical text.
Llama Destroys the World
by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Heather Fox
HENRY HOLT, 2019
ISBN: 9781250303172
A funny, silly llama eats too much cake, and the resulting silliness takes the reader on a rollicking journey through his wild adventures.
Meet Yasmin!
by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly
PICTURE WINDOW, 2018
ISBN: 9781684360222
Meet Yasmin, a bright, fun Pakistani American secondgrader. With her oversize imagination and a little help from her family, there’s no problem she can’t solve.
Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero!
by Kara West, illustrated by
Leeza Hernandez
LITTLE SIMON, 2018
ISBN: 9781534432703
Mia embarks on a super journey after finding out that she has a super secret.
My Papi Has a Motorcycle
by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña
KOKILA, 2019
ISBN: 9780525553410
Daisy and her papi take a spin on his motorcycle, taking in the sights and sounds of their beloved neighborhood.
Our Celebración!
by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Ana Aranda
LEE & LOW, 2018
ISBN: 9781620142714
Join a spirited, bilingual summer fiesta complete with a parade, costumes, and fireworks.
The Patchwork Bike
by Maxine Beneba Clarke, illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd
CANDLEWICK, 2018
ISBN: 9781536200317
Against a backdrop of dynamic, action-filled paintings, a young girl describes, with tremendous pride, the bike that she and her brothers made from scrap material, and the adventures they have.
Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths
by Graham Annable
FIRST SECOND, 2019
ISBN: 9781626725720
When a hurricane blows their tree away, Peter, Ernesto, and their friends must find a new tree suitable for a group of sloths.
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S. K. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly
LITTLE, BROWN, 2019
ISBN: 9780316519007
Faizah’s older sister, Asiya, is a princess. She certainly looks like one on her first day of sixth grade and her first day wearing her beautiful, bold blue headscarf to school.
Saturday
by Oge Mora
LITTLE, BROWN, 2019
ISBN: 9780316431279
Ava’s mom works all week long, but Saturday is their special day off! When their plans don’t go as expected, can Ava and her mom still have a perfect day?
Skulls!
by Blair Thornburgh, illustrated by Scott Campbell
ATHENEUM, 2019
ISBN: 9781534414006
A book all about skulls and their many functions!
Summer
by Cao Wenxuan, illustrated by Yu Rong
MACMILLAN, 2019
ISBN: 9781250310064
Readers find out how some of their favorite animals stay cool during the summertime in this whimsical, poetic book.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac
CHARLESBRIDGE, 2018
ISBN: 9781580897723
Following a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences, this book shares the contemporary life of the Cherokee people, highlighting their tradition of gratitude.
Where Are You From?
by Yamile Saied Méndez, illustrated by Jaime Kim
HARPERCOLLINS, 2019
ISBN: 9780062839930
A young girl is asked where she is from, so she turns to her abuelo for help answering and gets a very unexpected response.
Click here to download the booklet
www.ala.org/alsc
The 2019 Summer Reading Book List was created by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Titles on this list were selected by members of ALSC’s Quicklists Consulting Committee.