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.
Aquicorn Cove
by Katie O’Neill, illustrated by the author
ONI, 2018
ISBN: 9781620105290
Lana discovers the Aquicorns, magical sea-dwelling creatures who need her help to stop the overfishing that is destroying their home.
The Book of Boy
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
GREENWILLOW, 2018
ISBN: 9780062686206
In 1350, Boy, an orphaned servant, is hired to accompany a shadowy pilgrim on an action-filled quest across medieval Europe for the seven relics of St. Peter.
The Cardboard Kingdom
by Chad Sell, illustrated by the author
KNOPF, 2018
ISBN: 9781524719371
A diverse group of kids create their own world of play and safe self-expression using a little cardboard and a lot of imagination.
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
by Rita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Frank Morrison
AMISTAD, 2017
ISBN: 9780062215918
When his beloved grandfather, the blues man Cool Papa Byrd, dies suddenly, Clayton’s anger and misplaced alliances get him into trouble. This story of family grief, reconciliation, and the power of music is set in New York City.
Front Desk
by Kelly Yang
ARTHUR A. LEVINE, 2018
ISBN: 9781338157796
A young girl and her family manage a motel and adjust to a new life in America after emigrating from China.
Granted
by John David Anderson
WALDEN POND, 2018
ISBN: 9780062643865
What happens when you make a wish? In this story, it may get assigned to a fairy whose job is to make it come true, even if it almost kills her.
Indian No More
by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell
TU, 2019,
ISBN: 9781620148396
Ten-year-old Regina Petit is Umpqua and lives on the Grand Ronde reservation. When the federal government signs a bill saying Regina’s tribe no longer exists, Regina struggles to understand what it means to be “Indian no more.”
Knights vs. Dinosaurs
by Matt Phelan, illustrated by the author
GREENWILLOW, 2018
ISBN: 9780062686237
Action and comedy rule when boasting sends four of King Arthur’s knights back in time to battle a legion of “terrible lizards.”
The Last Last-Dayof-Summer
by Lamar Giles, illustrations by Dapo Adeola
VERSIFY, 2019
ISBN: 9781328460837
On the last day of summer, local crime-solving celebrities and cousins Sheed and Otto encounter members of an interdimensional community battling between good and evil. The boys join the fight when they accidentally freeze time.
The Lost Girl
by Anne Ursu
WALDEN POND, 2019
ISBN: 9780062275097
Twins Iris and Lark are challenged by their first school year in separate classrooms, as well as a mystery involving crows, missing belongings, and a strange new shop in their town.
Mañanaland
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
SCHOLASTIC, 2020
ISBN: 9781338157864
In this magical story, Maximiliano Córdoba goes on a dangerous journey armed only with a compass, a mysterious stone rubbing, and the legends Buelo told about traveling mythical gatekeepers.
Other Words for Home
by Jasmine Warga
BALZER + BRAY, 2019
ISBN: 9780062747808
In this novel in verse, 12-yearold Jude does her best to adjust to American life after she and her mother travel alone to live with relatives as violence approaches their home city in Syria.
The Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson
ARTHUR A. LEVINE, 2018
ISBN: 9780545946179
Candice would rather be home in Atlanta with her friends this summer, instead of where she is, in her grandmother’s small town of Lambert, South Carolina. But the discovery of clues to an intricate puzzle entwined in the town’s complicated history could lead to a hidden fortune.
Rocket to the Moon! Big Ideas That Changed the World
by Don Brown, illustrated by the author
HARRY N. ABRAMS, 2019,
9781419734045
Taking readers through the history of rocket building, this title explores the people and technology that made the moon landing possible. First in a series.
Ruby in the Sky
by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX, 2019
ISBN: 9780374309053
Ruby knows that she and her mom will not be living in Vermont for long, so she is determined to not get attached. When her mom is arrested, she realizes they will be there a bit longer than she originally planned.
Sanity & Tallulah
by Molly Brooks, illustrated by the author
DISNEY-HYPERION, 2018
ISBN: 9781368008440
Two best friends decide to engineer a three-headed kitten named Princess Sparkle, Destroyer of Worlds. If only her name didn’t turn out to be a little too appropriate.
Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome
by Monica Brown and Sarai Gonzalez, illustrated by Christine Almeda
SCHOLASTIC, 2018
ISBN: 9781338236682
For Sarai, awesome means amazing, love, family, and fun… and it’s going to take all that and more to help save the day.
The Simple Art of Flying
by Cory Leonardo
ALADDIN, 2019
ISBN: 9781534420991
A pair of brother-and-sister parrots navigate the perils of living in a pet shop, which means trying to stay together while also spreading their wings. Told from the perspective of the brother parrot, this book offers a unique perspective on relationships and coming of age.
Stanley Will Probably Be Fine
by Sally J. Pla, illustrated by Steve Wolfhard
HARPERCOLLINS, 2018
ISBN: 9780062445797
Stanley struggles to fit in, so he creates an imaginary superhero named John Lockdown who helps him compete in Trivia Quest, a comics-trivia scavenger hunt.
Sweeping Up the Heart
by Kevin Henkes
GREENWILLOW, 2019
ISBN: 9780062852540
Amelia is disappointed to be stuck at home for spring break, but when she meets a new friend at a local art studio who claims to see the spirit of her dead mother, the week takes an exciting turn.
Sweep: The Story of a
Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
HARRY N. ABRAMS, 2018
ISBN: 9781419731402
Nan is an orphan living alone and working in a dangerous, cruel world. She discovers a friendly monster, and together they try to start a new life.
To Night Owl from Dogfish
by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer
DIAL, 2019
ISBN: 9780525553236
Twelve-year-olds Avery and Bett discover their dads are dating and plan to send the girls to summer camp to meet, while they vacation in China. The girls develop a long-distance friendship via email and letters, first to thwart their fathers’ plans and then to reunite them when the men break up.
Twinchantment
by Elise Allen
DISNEY-HYPERION, 2019
ISBN: 9781368008624
Twin princesses must save their mother after magic resurfaces in their kingdom; they do so with the help of some newfound friends, a brave servant and his black kitten.
We’re Not from Here
by Geoff Rodkey
CROWN, 2019
ISBN: 9781524773045
Follow the story of a family from Earth who moves to a new planet in this sci-fi adventure that explores concepts such as immigration, culture shock, and a galaxy of differences.
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet
by Jess French
DK CHILDREN, 2019
ISBN: 9781465481412
What can we do to keep our home, planet Earth, healthy?
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.