Summer Reading List



For many children, summer means swimming pools, sports camps, vacations, and riding bikes around the neighborhood. However, with a two- to three-month break from school, many kids don’t engage in as many intellectually stimulating activities or read as much as they do during the school year. This lack of engagement can significantly impact their academic achievement from the previous year.

When children don’t read over the summer, they can fall behind by two years by the 5th grade. Supporting your child’s learning at home is always important, but it becomes critical over the summer. This season is the perfect time to nurture a love of reading with books from our Summer Reading List. We’ve hand-selected these incredible titles filled with adventure, mystery, and intrigue to keep your child engaged and reading all summer long!

Title Spotlight

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Sweet People Are Everywhere
Alice Walker
Discover the remarkable journey of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to ascend to the Supreme Court, in this captivating picture book biography by Carole Boston Weatherford. From her childhood lessons in perseverance to her historic confirmation, Ketanji's story is a testament to determination and resilience, beautifully illustrated by Ashley Evans.

Additional Summer Reading Titles

Infant / Toddler

Grandma and Me
Carole Boston Weatherford
All Different Now
Angela Johnson and E. B. Lewis 

3-4 Year Olds & Pre-K

Together We Ride
Valerie Bolling
Playtime for Restless Rascals
Nikki Grimes

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Lab Magic
Kelly Starling Lyons
Sweet People Are Everywhere
Alice Walker

2nd & 3rd Grade

The Flamingo
Guojing
Hockey Night in Kenya
Danson Mutinda

4th & 5th Grade

Black Boy Joy
Kwame Mbalia, editor
The Universe in You
Jason Chin

Get books like these in the hands of children.


Children deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams, and learning to read is a critical step in that journey. Help us provide Black and Latinx children the high-quality & culturally sustaining literacy instruction they deserve.

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