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.
Antiracist Baby
by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky
KOKILA, 2020
ISBN: 9780593110416
Racial consciousness develops younger than many people realize, and this picture book will give parents and caregivers a launchpad for having these important conversations with their little ones.
Families Belong
by Dan Saks, illustrated by Brooke Smart
RISE X PENGUIN WORKSHOP, 2020
ISBN: 9780593222768
A celebration of families loving, singing, and belonging together.
Hurry Up! A Book about Slowing Down
by Kate Dopirak, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
BEACH LANE BOOKS, 2020
ISBN: 9781534424975
With repeating refrains, this picture book follows a busy morning and afternoon of a young girl. After school, she learns to slow things down and enjoy what is around her.
I Love My Tutu Too!
by Ross Burach
SCHOLASTIC, 2020
ISBN: 9781338504279
Every animal loves their tutu and wants to find more animal friends who love their tutus as well. Clever rhymes and a vibrant color palette make this a highly re-readable board book.
I Love You, Baby Burrito
by Angela Dominguez
ROARING BOOK, 2021
ISBN: 9781250231093
With a mix of both English and Spanish languages, this book takes you through the act of swaddling a newborn.
Me & Mama
by Cozbi A. Cabrera
SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2020
ISBN: 9781534454217
A young child enjoys a day with her mama, splashing in the rain and being cozy at home.
A New Green Day
by Antoinette Portis
HOLIDAY HOUSE, 2020
ISBN: 9780823444885
Poetic riddles create a guessing game as readers explore nature during a summer day.
Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak
by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
HARBOUR PUBLISHING, 2020
ISBN: 9781550179040
The sounds of the Pacific Coast are shared in this board book with simple text accompanied by colorful illustrations from an Indigenous artist.
Sing with Sing with Me / Canta conmigo
by José-Luis Orozco, illustrated by Sara Palacios
SCHOLASTIC, 2020
ISBN: 9781338121186
Enjoy six classic children’s songs in both English and Spanish, with charming illustrations.
Two Many Birds
by Cindy Derby
ROARING BROOK, 2020
ISBN: 9781250232540
A monitor shouts rules as birds line up to sit in a tree, but when the tree reaches capacity and two more birds hatch, things start to get a little wild.
We Are Little Feminists: On-the-Go
by Brook Sitgraves and Archaa Shrivastav
LITTLE FEMINIST, 2020
ISBN: 9781734182415
A board book celebration of how we move, featuring colorful photographs of a variety of people moving in many different ways, highlighting the diversity of people and abilities in our community.
You Matter
by Christian Robinson
ATHENEUM, 2020
ISBN: 9781534421691
An uplifting and inspiring book encourages readers to explore the many different people we encounter in our world and our connection to them, highlighting the important mantra of the title, “You matter.”
Click here to download the full list
www.ala.org/alsc
The 2021 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.