Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, students and their families are facing uncertain times, but one thing remains as true as ever: reading is a great way for kids to stay engaged with learning during the summer.
Every year, youth librarians from the Association for Library Service to Children compile a list of their top summer reading recommendations for kids of all ages. While most libraries are currently closed to the public, you can still find many of these books available as eBooks and audiobooks.
For more information about these books and why they were selected, visit the 2020 Summer Reading List webpage. Check with your local library for additional suggestions.
For Toddlers and Preschoolers
Besos for Baby: A Little Book of Kisses
by Jen Arena, illustrated by Blanca Gómez
Rain!
by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Christian Robinson
Hair Love
by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Ten Little Toes, Two Small Feet / Diez deditos de los pies, dos piececitos
by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Jane Massey
Littles: And How They Grow
by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by AG Ford
Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!
by Cori Doerrfeld
You and Me
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Susan Reagan
Tomorrow Most Likely
by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Lane Smith
Lucía the Luchadora
by Cynthia Leonor Garza, illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez
Up, Up, Up, Down!
by Kimberly Gee
Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse
by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Blanca Gómez
Little Sunny Sunshine / Sol solecito
by Susie Jaramillo
Before & After
by Jean Jullien
Rainbow: A First Book of Pride
by Michael Genhart, illustrated by Anne Passchier
A Parade of Elephants
by Kevin Henkes
My Heart
by Corinna Luyken
One Lonely Fish
by Andy Mansfield, illustrated by Thomas Flintham
Vroom!
by Barbara McClintock
Be Kind
by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill
Summer Supper
by Rubin Pfeffer, illustrated by Mike Austin
Puppy Truck
by Brian Pinkney
All Kinds of People
by Shelley Rotner, photographs by Sheila M. Kelly
Ciao, Baby! In the Park
by Carole Lexa Schaefer, illustrated by Lauren Tobia
Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug
by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck
Hello Humpback!
by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
Saturday Is Swimming Day
by Hyewon Yum
For Kindergarten Through Grade 2
Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths
by Graham Annable
Camp Tiger
by Susan Choi, illustrated by John Rocco
The Patchwork Bike
by Maxine Beneba Clarke, illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd
Jabari Jumps
by Gaia Cornwall
Our Celebración!
by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Ana Aranda
Meet Yasmin!
by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly
Just in Case You Want to Fly
by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Christian Robinson
Carl and the Meaning of Life
by Deborah Freeman
Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings
by Francie Latour, illustrated by Ken Daley
Alma and How She Got Her Name
by Juana Martinez-Neal
Where Are You From?
by Yamile Saied Méndez, illustrated by Jaime Kim
Saturday
by Oge Mora
Dreamers
by Yuyi Morales
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S. K. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly
All Are Welcome
by Alexandra Penfold, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
Hey, Water!
by Antoinette Portis
My Papi Has a Motorcycle
by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña
Another
by Christian Robinson
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac
All the Animals Where I Live
by Philip C. Stead
Llama Destroys the World
by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Heather Fox
Fox the Tiger
by Corey R. Tabor
Skulls!
by Blair Thornburgh, illustrated by Scott Campbell
Summer
by Cao Wenxuan, illustrated by Yu Rong
Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero!
by Kara West, illustrated by Leeza Hernandez
For Grades 3 Through 5
Twinchantment
by Elise Allen
Granted
by John David Anderson
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
by Jonathan Auxier
Sanity & Tallulah
by Molly Brooks, illustrated by the author
Rocket to the Moon! Big Ideas That Changed the World
by Don Brown, illustrated by the author
Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome
by Monica Brown and Sarai Gonzalez, illustrated by Christine Almeda
Ruby in the Sky
by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet
by Jess French
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer
by Lamar Giles, illustrations by Dapo Adeola
Sweeping Up the Heart
by Kevin Henkes
The Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson
The Simple Art of Flying
by Cory Leonardo
Indian No More
by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell
The Book of Boy
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Aquicorn Cove
by Katie O’Neill, illustrated by the author
Knights vs. Dinosaurs
by Matt Phelan, illustrated by the author
Stanley Will Probably Be Fine
by Sally J. Pla, illustrated by Steve Wolfhard
We’re Not from Here
by Geoff Rodkey
Mañanaland
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
The Cardboard Kingdom
by Chad Sell, illustrated by the author
To Night Owl from Dogfish
by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer
The Lost Girl
by Anne Ursu
Other Words for Home
by Jasmine Warga
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
by Rita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Front Desk
by Kelly Yang
For Grades 5 Through 8
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World
by Ashley Herring Blake
Be Prepared
by Vera Brosgol, illustrated by the author
Each Tiny Spark
by Pablo Cartaya
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish
by Pablo Cartaya
New Kid
by Jerry Craft, illustrated by the author
Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World
by Eric Dawson
I Can Make This Promise
by Christine Day
Us, in Progress: Short Stories about Young Latinos
by Lulu Delacre, illustrated by the author
Beverly, Right Here
by Kate DiCamillo
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
by Dan Gemeinhart
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
by Carlos Hernandez
The Night Diary
by Veera Hiranandani
Song for a Whale
by Lynne Kelly
Just Jaime
by Terri Libenson, illustrated by the author
Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword
by Henry Lien
The Season of Styx Malone
by Kekla Magoon
Nowhere Boy
by Katherine Marsh
Caterpillar Summer
by Gillian McDunn
Queen of the Sea
by Dylan Meconis, illustrated by the author
Sci-Fu
by Yehudi Mercado, illustrated by the author
The Stars beneath Our Feet
by David Barclay Moore
Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life and Work
by Victoria Ortiz
White Bird: A Wonder Story
by R. J. Palacio, illustrated by the author and Kevin Czap
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Alexander Nabaum
Pay Attention, Carter Jones
by Gary D. Schmidt
The Bridge Home
by Padma Venkatraman
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