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2017 Summer Reading Recommendations

by Roger Sutton
May 10, 2017 | Filed in Articles & Opinion
"Summer readin' / had me a blast…" By now you should know that The Horn Book's philosophy regarding summer reading is just do it, but the it is wide open to interpretation. Summer reading should not be a way to trick kids into doing school. Sure, reading can be learning (and oftentimes it is, even if we don't know it), but — spoiler alert — reading can also be just reading for its own sake. No quiz, no agenda; just a kid and a book.

As the summer goes on, tell us what works with your family — The Horn Book's Family Reading blog is always looking for contributors. Family Reading offers children's book recommendations, vigorous discussion and debate, advice, and humor about sharing books in the home. Being a parent isn't required, and reading can be more than just books.



Roger Sutton
Editor in Chief

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


For a handy take-along list of our Summer Reading titles, download our printable PDF:



From the May 2017 issue of Notes from the Horn Book: Summer Reading.
Roger Sutton
Roger Sutton

Editor Emeritus Roger Sutton was editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc., from 1996-2021. He was previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and a children's and young adult librarian. He received his MA in library science from the University of Chicago in 1982 and a BA from Pitzer College in 1978.

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Andrew

I've been trying to get my son to read more, so this list is quite timely. Great share. Thank you

Posted : Jun 09, 2017 10:47

StacyGramm

Yep, summer is a lot of down time for kids. Great time to stock up on books. We try to do a balance between TV, Games, Outside and Reading in-between each transition. Worked well last year, just hope it works this year! Great post!

Posted : May 11, 2017 01:29

Kathy Wolf

When I was a kid, my mother read to us as we did kitchen cleanup after dinner. I washed the dishes while my sister wiped off the table, counters, and swept the floors. We read TONS of books this way including all of the Prydain Chronicles, and Doctor Doolittle. It was a really great way to get the work done without a fight and share books together. Today, some dish soaps will remind me of certain books.

Posted : May 10, 2017 10:13

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