Summer Reading Picks for Kids
By Katie Moosbrugger
How are you planning to keep your kids’ minds active for these 10 weeks of summer vacation? Thanks to suggestions from friends, teachers, my kids (and their friends), plus some picks off the NY Times Bestseller list, I’ve compiled a fantastic list of summer reads for fluent readers of all ages.
Since not every child is at the same reading level at every age, these books have been classified by “suggested” age. Of course your child can always read up or down, and lots of these books are popular for more than one age group (as noted below). If you ever question the maturity level of a particular book, consider getting a review from Common Sense Media. It’s a great resource for rating books, movies and other sources of media for kids.
I’ve also included links to other book lists you might want to consider, including next year’s Battle of the Books. As always, please comment below with your child’s favorite books and the “suggested” ages. Enjoy!
Also, keep in mind: if your child struggles to read or you’re having a hard time encouraging him to pick up a book, suggest he read anything – and magazines geared towards topics your child is interested in (such as Auto Weekly or Sports Illustrated) count too! Many magazines also offer kid editions. Another idea is audio books which give a struggling reader the richness of literature at different mental levels (vs. your child’s actual reading level).
Fluent Early Readers (About Ages 6 – 8)
A to Z Mysteries, by Ron Roy
Beverly Cleary books
Big Nate series, by Lincoln Peirce
Cam Jansen series, by David A. Adler
Ever After High, The Unfairest of Them All, by Shannon Hale
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo
Frozen, by RH Disney
Humphrey series, by Betty Birney
Magic Tree House series, by Mary Pope Osborne
Minecraft Handbooks
The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate
The Rainbow Magic Fairies series, by Daisy Meadows
The School for Good and Evil, by Soman Chainani
Additional Book Suggestions for this Age Group
Books for Ages 6-8
Popular For Both Early Readers & Tweens
American Girl books
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, by Jeff Kinney
Dork Diaries, by Rachel Renee Russell
Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
Little House on the Prairie series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Roald Dahl books
Fluent Tween Readers (About Ages 9-12)
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story, by Linda Sue Park
Among the Hidden, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist
Emily Windsnap series, by Liz Kessler
Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan
Gregor the Overlander, By Suzanne Collins
Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick
Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson
Magyk (Septimus Heap) series, by Angie Sage
The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O’Brien
Pegasus series, by Kate O’Hearn
Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan
Rules, by Cynthia Lord
Secret series, by Pseudonymous Bosch
Summer of the Monkeys, by Wilson Rawls
Warriors series, by Erin Hunter
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
Wonder, by R. J. Palacio
Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick
Ungifted, by Gordon Korman
Additional Book Suggestions for this Age Group
10 Novels Every Middle Schooler Should Read
2014 – 2015 Battle of Books List (Elementary Grades)
2014 – 2015 Battle of Books (Middle School Grades)
Books for Ages 9-12
Popular For Both Tweens & Teens
Divergent series, by Veronica Roth
The Hunger Games Series, by Suzanne Collins
Judy Blume books
Fluent Teen Readers (About Ages 13+)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell
The Fault in our Stars, by John Green
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
Gone series, by Michael Grant
If I Stay, by Gayle Forman
James Patterson books
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
Other John Green books
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
Schooled, by Gordon Korman
The Selection series, by Kiera Cass
Shiver Trilogy, by Maggie Stiefvater
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart
Additional Book Suggestions for this Age Group
What Teens Are Reading Now
Don’t forget these helpful links as well:
Wonder: The Book Every Kid Should Read
Top 10 Favorite Children’s Books
What Were Your Favorite Coming of Age Books?
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