I feel I should let you know up front that the books for this year’s summer reading list were selected by our editors with zero thought for educational utility, curricular affinity, or Core Standards readiness. They are books to read for the fun of it. But this is not a list of beach-book page-turners. Summer break gives readers the chance to really take their time with a book. No deadlines, no tests, no pressure. Don’t like the book you’ve started? Try another. Love the book you’ve finished and want to read it again? Knock yourself out. We hope that every young reader will find at least a few titles to their liking on this list, but if what you really want to read is instead the entire run of X-Men comics, then that is exactly what you should do. The only rule — it should be the only rule, anyway — for summer reading is that there are no rules.

Picture Books | Early Readers and Primary Grades
Intermediate | Middle School | High School

For a handy take-along list of titles, download our printable PDF, or purchase them from our online bookstore at a 20% discount.


Roger Sutton
Editor in Chief