For Children

Summer Reading

Pick a great book for some summer reading fun!

Books for Younger Readers

  • Arena, Jen. Lady Liberty's Holiday (Juv-E A)
    When the Statue of Liberty decides she wants to see more of America, she leaves her post in New York to explore.
  • Caswell, Deanna. Beach House (Juv-E C)
    In simple rhyming text tells a story of a family's day at their beach house by the sea.
  • Cornwall, Gaia. Jabari Jumps (Juv-E C)
    In this sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, Jabari believes he is definitely ready to jump off the diving board.
  • Danziger, Paula. What a Trip, Amber Brown (Juv-YR D)
    Amber and her family get tangled up in mischief on their summer vacation.
  • dePaola, Tomie. Strega Nona Takes a Vacation (Juv-E D)
    When Strega Nona leaves town for a vacation, chaos ensues.
  • Gay, Marie-Louise. Stella, Star of the Sea (Juv-E G) 
    Sam is full of questions on his first trip to the seashore, and his older sister Stella has answers for almost all of them.
  • Godwin, Laura. Central Park Serenade (Juv-E G) 
    Celebrate the sights and sounds of New York's Central Park in summer.
  • Greenberg, Melanie. Mermaids on Parade (Juv-F G)
    A young girl participates in Coney Island's Mermaid Parade to celebrate the opening of the ocean during the summer solstice.
  • Hubbell, Patricia. Sea, Sand, Me! (Juv-E H) 
    A young girl enjoys splashing in the water and making a new friend during an afternoon at the beach.
  • Keller, Holly. Miranda's Beach Day (Juv-E K)
    Miranda and Mama spend a day at the beach building sandcastles, watching seagulls, and most importantly being together.
  • Kessler, Liz. Poppy the Pirate Dog (Juv-YR K)
    Looking forward to spending a seaside vacation with her family, Poppy the Dalmatian loses her courage in the face of numerous bobbing boats, splashing waves, and scary sea creatures.
  • Lee, JiHyeon Pool (Juv-E Y)
    Two shy children meet at a noisy pool and dive beneath the crowd into a magical undersea land.
  • Lee, Suzy Wave (Juv-E L)
    This wordless picture book shows a little girl's first experiences at the beach.
  • Lester, Helen. Tacky Goes to Camp (Juv-E L) 
    Tacky and his fellow penguins go to Camp Whoopihaha where they scare each other with ghost stories around the campfire.
  • Lionni, Leo. On My Beach There Are Many Pebbles (Juv-E L) 
    Look at all the different pebbles found on the beach. Fishpebbles, Peoplepebbles, and Letterpebbles, oh my!
  • Lloyd-Jones, Sally. Goldfish on Vacation (Juv-E L)
    Three goldfish live in a small bowl until one summer they go on vacation... to a nearby fountain! Based on a true story that happened in NYC between 1992 to 2005.
  • McCloskey, Robert. Time of Wonder (Juv-E M) 
    Follow the activities of two children spending their summer vacation on an island off the coast of Maine.
  • Manley, Curtis. The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read (Juv-E M)
    When Nick decides to teach his cats to read, the felines have varied reactions.
  • Parish, Peggy. Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping (Juv-YR P) 
    Amelia Bedelia follows exactly the instructions given to her on a camping trip, including pitching a tent and rowing boats.
  • Ross, Kathy. Crafts to Make in the Summer (Juv 745.5 R) 
    Explore easy-to-make craft projects with summertime themes, including a sunglasses case and a seashell candle holder.
  • Schertle, Alice. All You Need for a Beach (Juv-E S) 
    Rhyming text describes everything that children need for a great day at the beach.
  • Sis, Peter. Ice Cream Summer (Juv-E S)
    A little boy writes a letter to his grandfather about how all his summer activities revolve around ice cream.
  • Viva, Frank. Outstanding in the Rain (Juv-E V)
    Rhyming text tells of a boy's birthday at Coney Island, while each turn of the page reveals a new meaning for an oronym.
  • Yee, Wong Herbert. Summer Days and Nights (Juv-E Mini Y)
     A little girl enjoys the activities of a warm summer day and night.
  • Wan, Joyce. The Whale in My Swimming Pool (Juv-E W)
    A young boy discovers a whale in his pool and tries everything he can think of to get it out.
  • Zolotow, Charlotte. The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow (Juv-E Z) 
    A mother's words help a little boy imagine the sights and sounds of the seashore, even though he's never seen the ocean.

Books for Older Readers

  • Acampora, Paul. I Kill the Mockingbird (YA-MS A) 
    When three friends receive their summer reading list, they are excited to see To Kill A Mockingbird included and they hatch a plot to get the entire town talking about the well-known Harper Lee classic.
  • Alexander, Kwame. Rebound (YA A)
    In the summer of 1988, twelve-year-old Chuck Bell is sent to stay with his grandparents, where he discovers jazz and basketball and learns more about his family's past.
  • Behrens, Rebecca. Summer of Lost and Found (YA B)
    Nell is a city girl forced to spend her summer in Roanoke, North Carolina, whose once boring vacation turns into an adventure.
  • Beil, Michael D. Summer at Forsaken Lake (Juv-F B) 
    Nicholas’s reluctant visit to the country turns into a summer of mystery and intrigue.
  • Birdsall, Jeanne. The Penderwicks  and The Penderwicks at Point Mouette (Juv-F B)  (Books 1 & 3 of a quintet series)
    Book 1: While vacationing in the mountains, four sisters share many magical summertime adventures with a new local companion.
    Book 3: When the three younger Penderwick sisters go to Maine with their aunt and are separated from oldest sister for the first time in their lives, the next oldest is left in charge.
  • Couloumbis, Audrey. Lexie (Juv-F C)
    When ten-year-old Lexie goes with her father to the beach for a week, she is surprised to find that he has invited his girlfriend and her two sons to join them for the entire week.
  • Davis, Gibbs. Camp Sink or Swim (Juv-F D) Danny can't even float, but after bragging that he's a champion swimmer, he forms an unexpected friendship with Tonya the bully.
  • Eagar, Lindsay. The Hour of the Bees (YA E)
    Carol is not happy to have her summer taken over by a family task, but as the summer wears on, she finds herself enjoying it more than expected.
  • Frazier, Sundee T. The Other Half of My Heart (Juv-F F)
    Twin sisters learn a lot about each other during a summer spent with their grandmother.
  • Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt (YA-MS G)
    In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, the author spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned with a most unusual chore.
  • Grabenstein, Chris. The Island of Dr. Libris (Juv-F G)
    While on summer vacation, a boy discovers the testing grounds of the mysterious Dr. Libris, who may have invented a way to make the characters in books come alive.
  • Hanlon, Abby. Dory Fantasmagory (Juv-F H) 
    Dory, a girl with a very active imagination, spends the summer playing with her imaginary friend, dogs, and monsters!
  • Harper, Cherise Mericle. Dreamer, Wisher, Liar (Juv-F H)
    Ashley's summer is filled with babysitting, letters to her best friend at camp, and a special wish jar!
  • Henkes, Kevin. Junonia (Juv-F H) 
    Alice and her parents go to Sanibel Island, Florida, just as they do every year, but changes unsettle Alice, who wants things to be exactly the same.
  • Holm, Jennifer L. Penny from Heaven (Juv-F H)
    It's 1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball, but nothing is that easy in Penny's family.
  • Horvath, Polly. My One Hundred Adventures (Juv-F H)
    From a thrilling hot-air balloon ride to meeting her possible father, Jane's summer is filled with adventures and unlikely friendships.
  • Hughes, Shirley. Digby O'Day and The Great Diamond Robbery (Juv-F H)
    When Digby O'Day and Percy vacation at a seaside resort, they get involved in a mystery.
  • Hurwitz, Johanna. School's Out (Juv-F H)
    Lucas thinks his summer vacation is ruined when his mother hires an au pair to watch over him and his younger brothers.
  • Johnson, Varian. The Parker Inheritance (Juv-F J)
    A girl spends the summer in South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, and stumbles upon a mystery she must solve with a new friend and fellow bookworm. 
  • Kelly, Jacqueline. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Juv-F K)
    Callie Vee Tate swelters through the summer of her eleventh year in 1899 Texas.
  • Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Juv-F K)
    In his diary, Greg Heffley records his attempts to spend his summer vacation sensibly indoors playing video games and watching television, despite his mother's other ideas.
  • Klise, Kate. Letters from Camp (Juv-F K)
    The unhappy kids at Camp Happy Harmony team up against the villainous family that is running the camp.
  • Larson, Hope. All Summer Long (YA L)
    Thirteen-year-old Bina faces her first summer without her best friend, Austin, who has left for soccer camp.
  • Levy, Dana Alison. The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island (Juv-F L)
    Summertime delivers The Fletcher Family back to Rock Island where the good times never end.
  • Lord, Cynthia. Half a Chance (Juv-F L)
    Participating in a summer photo contest, Lucy makes new friends and gains insights in the small rural community in New Hampshire to which she has just moved.
  • McKay, Hilary. Lulu and the Dog from the Sea (Juv-F M)
    Seven-year-old Lulu and her cousin think their vacation house is the most perfect place ever until they find a trouble-prone, stray dog living on the beach.
  • Martin, Ann M.  Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far) (Juv-F M)
    Pearl writes an essay about her complicated summer during which many things good and bad happened.
  • O'Connor, Jane Yours till Niagara Falls, Abby (Juv-F O)
    Ten-year-old Abby faces two months of summer camp without her best friend.
  • Otheguy, Emma. Silver Meadow Summers (Juv-F O)
    Carolina moves with her family from Puerto Rico to upstate New York, where she attends Silver Meadows camp. 
  • Peck, Richard. A Long Way from Chicago (Juv-F P)
    Joey recounts his annual summer trips with his sister to visit their larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois.
  • Perkins, Lynne Rae. Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea (Juv-F P)
    At the beach, two sisters make friends, go exploring, and have adventures big and small.
  • Scattergood, Augusta. Glory Be (Juv-F S) 
    In the summer of 1964, Glory's hometown is beset by racial tension when town leaders close her public pool, rather than desegregating it.
  • Scieszka, Jon. Summer Reading is Killing Me (Juv-F S)
    Joe, Sam, and Fred find themselves trapped inside their summer reading list, involved in a battle between good and evil characters from well-known children's books.
  • Vanderpool, Clare. Moon Over Manifest (YA-MS V)
    In the summer of 1936, Abilene Tucker goes to stay with an old family friend in Manifest, Kansas, where she hopes to find out some things about her father's past.
  • Wells, Rosemary. Ivy Takes Care (Juv-F W)
    Unexpectedly separated from her best friend, Ivy spends her summer on a ranch watching over a variety of farm animals and pets. 
  • Weston, Carol. Melanie Martin Goes Dutch (Juv-F W)
    In her diary, ten-year-old Melanie describes how she and her family and a friend travel to the Netherlands, where they have a good time despite various concerns and struggles.
  • Wiles, Deborah. Love, Ruby Lavender (Juv-F W)
    When her grandmother (and best friend) goes to Hawaii for the summer, Ruby does not know how she'll manage on her own.
  • Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer (Juv-F W) 
    In the summer of 1968, three sisters from Brooklyn get to know their estranged mother in Oakland, California.
    Gone Crazy in Alabama (Juv-F W)
    In this third volume chronicling the lives of the Gaither sisters, they are off to Alabama to visit their grandmother, Big Ma, and her mother, Ma Charles.
  • Wojciechowski, Susan. Beany Goes to Camp (Juv-F W)
    Beany is not happy about being sent to Camp Onondaga, but after arriving is pleased to make new friends and accomplishments.