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76 Children's, Middle Grade, and YA Books to Keep Kids Reading All Summer Long
Adam Fites reads, writes, and makes his home in Seattle. He works in the library of a public school in nearby Kent, where he was the 2023–2024 Paraeducator of the Year. When he’s not at school, you can find him in his kitchen or at his neighborhood café.
For summer break, we asked him to suggest some great books to keep kids and teens reading all season long.
For summer break, we asked him to suggest some great books to keep kids and teens reading all season long.
It’s summer, which means instead of helping our librarian match kids with the right book at the elementary school where I work, I’m sleeping in, wearing linen, and maybe picking up a couple shifts at the neighborhood café. Mostly for the staff discount. I may even have rediscovered that I exist outside of caring for children.
Which, whether it’s June or August, you get. Your kiddos are at home. All the time. Don’t worry, us educators will return to share the work sometime around Labor Day. In the meantime, though, you’re going to want to keep those kids reading, so I’m back with another list of over 70 of the best books for kids that I’ve read, recommended, repaired, and replaced this year.
A few ideas on how to navigate it all:
1. Look for evocative artwork. I don’t (only) mean covers. Whether it’s spare, busy, or multilayered, choose illustrations that seem worth exploring and considering. Your kid’s eyes might alight on something unexpected. There’s your book.
2. Remember the power of serial stories. If you want your child to really dig in, consider manga, an early reader series, or even a beloved novel with a new sequel. You’ll find examples of each below.
3. Prioritize a few books that appeal to both of you. Not only will you read together more often, but you’ll talk about what you’ve read, which is, you should know, one of the best parts of my job.
OK. You’re ready. Happy summer. Happy reading!
Books for early readers (ages 0-4)
This year, we began to welcome our preschool students into the library. It’s the best decision we’ve made in a while, not least because I get to recommend old favorites like Brown Bear… or Nanette’s Baguette, along with gorgeous new work from Aram Kim or Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts.
Books for primary grades (ages 5-8)
Our elementary readers don’t always have the stamina for longer picture books or graphic novels, but what they do have is the capacity for depth. Here, you’ll see a couple texts that will challenge your first or second grader, but mostly you’ll find books worth ruminating over and revisiting. Dig into Big. Get cozy with some Tea Dragons. Ask your child what all those pages of Rules of Summer or Sidewalk Flowers evoke.
Books for middle grades (ages 9-11)
There are a few picture books and easier graphic novels here, but the real summer projects are long-running mangas, epic adventure series, and gripping early novels. If you’re looking for something to read together, try The Vanquishers.
Books for young(er) YA (ages 12-14)
Young adult books are taking off in our fifth-grade classes, and not just because they deal frankly with topics like identity, romance, and horror. All those aesthetic muscles you’ve been encouraging are ready for big books about big things. If you want to keep your tween reading this summer, take a look at these, read a few reviews, and set them loose. Also read Creepy Cat because it’s just that cute.
