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Great Books to Read in Summer and Beyond for K-2nd Graders

Titles selected from the 2024 Summer Reading Lists created by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).

Click here to print a PDF version of this list.

Cover of Drawing Outdoors
Jairo
Buitrago
Rafael Yockteng

A class goes outdoors and spends the day drawing and imagining dinosaurs in the landscape. A great invitation to get outside, explore, and use your imagination. Also available in Spanish.

Cover of The Apartment House On Pop
Nina
LaCour
Sònia Albert

Throughout three short episodes, a spunky girl welcomes new neighbors to her apartment building and introduces them to the other tenants.

Cover of Butt Or Face? Can You Tell
Kari
Lavelle

Can kids guess if they are looking at the top or bottom of animals? A hilarious guessing game book that will have kids exploring over and over. Filled with colorful photos, clever puns, and fascinating facts.

Cover of Finding Family: The Duckli
Laura Purdie
Salas
Alexandria Neonakis

In this true story, a pair of loons raise an orphaned duckling over the course of a summer in northern Wisconsin.

Cover of Have You Seen My Invisible
Helen
Yoon

It’s tricky to see something invisible, unless you have mud, rain, snow, or leaves to help you find the outline! The visual cues in this book, paired with the happy reunion of girl and invisible dinosaur, make for a fun and sweet read.

Cover of A Letter For Bob
Kim
Rogers
Jonathan Nelson

Katie pens a letter to beloved family car Bob, thanking him for being with the family through life events ranging from the spectacular to the mundane.

Cover of Molly’s Tuxedo
Vicki
Johnson
Gillian Reid

It’s picture day, and Molly wants to look her best. Her mother wants Molly to wear a dress. Molly wants to wear her brother’s tuxedo. It’s up to Molly to decide what feels right for her and to make picture day the best day ever.

Cover of Not A Monster
Claudia Guadalupe
Martínez
Laura González

Using both English and Spanish vocabulary, this book explores the fascinating life cycle of the axolotl and ways we can protect this wondrous amphibian.

Cover of Reina Ramos Works It Out!
Emma
Otheguy
Andrés Landazábal

Reina knows exactly who she will be in her class’s wax museum: Frida Kahlo! But when her best friend Nora chooses Frida first, she is heartbroken. Will she find another artist to portray? Also available in Spanish.

Cover of The North Wind and the Sun
Philip C.
Stead

This retelling of a classic folktale uses beautiful illustrations and simple prose to teach patience and resiliency.