Summertime is the bastion of relaxation and ease in a child’s life. No school, fun in the sun and endless free time. It is not uncommon for a child to put away their books until school starts once again. However, this creates a risk for summertime learning loss and even potential academic setbacks when school is back in session.
Encouraging your young one to pick up a book can require a creative approach, especially when reading time competes with social activities and technology. We suggest that you tag team your child’s summer reading list by reading to them or with them. For older children, feel free to read independently and discuss together later. You will find that the opportunities for engaging conversation on intriguing topics are virtually boundless and tech-free bonding is an added bonus! Below you will find summer reading suggestions for children of all ages. All of our selections have television or film adaptations to supplement the reading and are available for hardcopy or audiobook purchase online.
Elementary School
1. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit: A young girl encounters an extraordinary immortal family who teaches her that there is more to life than simply living forever.
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: This comedy novel explores the daily life of a self-proclaimed wimpy kid just trying to fit in.
3. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey: Two overly imaginative pranksters spend hours in a treehouse creating comic books about their hero, Captain Underpants, and are surprised to discover that he has become real.
Middle School
4. Holes by Louis Sachar: An unlucky teenage boy named Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile corrections facility in a desert in Texas, after being falsely accused of theft.
5. Wonder by R.J. Palacio: A boy with Treacher Collins Syndrome, which has left his face disfigured, leaves homeschooling behind to experience a larger world after his parents enroll him into Beecher Middle School for the start of fifth grade.
High School
6. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: Avid gamer Wade Watts searches for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality game, the discovery of which will lead him to inherit the game creator’s fortune.
7. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: Madeline Whittier lives everyday stuck inside her LA home while being treated for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) until a new friend motivates her to come outside.
8. The Circle by Dave Eggers: A young woman begins a new job at top technology firm, The Circle, that has consequences for every aspect of her life.
