Nobody wants their kids to go through the summer “slide”, and the best way to avoid that is to get your kids started on a good book or book series that they will truly enjoy.
Check out our reading lists below that will keep your kids entertained while surviving this summer break. Whether you are staying home or taking a family vacation to finally get out of the house, these books will keep your kids busy. Even better, they will inspire the growth of their imaginations.
Finding a book series for younger kids - Kindergarten to second grade - can be a little tricky. A few series to help keep your kids’ attention are An Elephant & Piggie Biggie, Flat Stanley, and of course, let’s not ever forget our wonderful Dr. Seuss who makes reading fun for even us parents with his wacky rhymes.
An Elephant & Piggie Biggie! By Mo Willems – This series of small books is about a friendship between an elephant and a pig. It simply goes through the various activities that the friends do together.
Dr. Seuss books– This author has a variety of books that are very fun to read including, but not limited to: The Cat in the Hat, Oh the Places You’ll Go, One Fish Two Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, and of course, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. His books consist of relatively easy reads that are fun-filled rhymes to engage your early learners and get them on their way to the joy of reading.
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown – This American children’s book series has been a favorite for children across America for more than 45 years! It is a tale about Stanley Lambchop, an ordinary boy who has the misfortune of being squashed by a cork notice board. The flattened version of Stanley Lambchop travels by mail or flies like a kite to enjoy adventures throughout the world.
Books for third to sixth graders are some of our favorite finds. This is the age when children really learn to love reading and start getting lost in books.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner – This classic mystery series that has won awards for Top 100 Chapter Books and Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children tells the story of four orphaned children that create a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar in the forest. This series has over 150 titles to read!
Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson – This amazing series is a Disney thriller about five teens whose images are used as hologram guides for the park. The guides have to save the Park and the world outside while fighting off the Disney villains and witches that come to life and are trying to take over.
The Hatchet Adventure Series by Gary Paulson – This series is about a boy named Brian who survived in the wilderness and found solutions to extreme unforeseen circumstances. Now he is living the typical life and he is having a hard time adjusting to high school.
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling – Who doesn’t know Harry Potter? This series is about an orphaned boy whose parents were powerful wizards. He is summoned to be a student at the Hogwarts English boarding school for wizards where he learns that he, too, is a wizard. He makes some amazing friends and allies that help him learn the truth about his parents’ death while fighting the war against evil.
The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis – In this series, orphaned siblings move in with their uncle and are transported into the mystical world of Narnia through a wardrobe found in one of the rooms in their uncle’s house. In Narnia, they join the magical lion, Aslan, in a fight against the evil white witch, Jadis.
Finding age-appropriate books for middle school teens that they will actually enjoy reading might seem daunting but can be done!
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins – These are science fiction novels that are about teens fighting to the death in a world televised arena. There is a cute love story involved in this story and a slight love triangle too. This story is a four-book series that also includes Catching Fire, Mockingjay, and the recently published Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Dave Ramsey’s Teen Entrepreneur Toolbox -- While this isn’t a traditional chapter book, this would be a great book and guide for your motivated teen that is interested in starting their own business. Plus, this toolbox includes business ideas, activities, and authentic, real-life stories from teenagers and successful entrepreneurs. Your child will learn about leadership, responsibility, and self-confidence. These entrepreneurship principles are taught at Signature Prep Charter School through our leadership program as well as in the financial literacy and entrepreneurship classes that our middle school students take.
We hope this list provides some ideas or inspiration on titles to add to your child’s summer reading list! To learn more about Signature Preparatory Charter School, please visit our website at signatureprep.org.
