Summer Reading Picks

As the school year winds to a close and summer gets underway, plenty of activities to occupy kids abound. From camps to swimming to bike rides along the bay, summer is for playing and relaxing. However, summer is also a great time for reading.

Whether a beach vacation or a lazy afternoon in the backyard offers the perfect opportunity to crack open a book, we've got you covered. Here are some summer reading recommendations from the librarians at the  (all book descriptions from the library reading lists).

Kindergarten/First Grade:

Picture Books:

Animal Cracker Fly the Coop by Kevin O’Malley

"In this humorous take-off of The Bremen Town Musicians, four animals that aspire to make it big as comedians leave their owners and seek their fortunes."

 Call Me Gorgeous! by Giles & Alexandra Milton

"A strange animal with the ears of a pig, the beak of a toucan, and the wings of a bat invites readers to guess its appearance and name."

 Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming

"A poor boy named Jack struggles to deliver a birthday present worthy of the princess."

 Friends (Mostly) by Barbara Joosse

"Henry and Ruby are best friends forever, even though they do not always get along."

 Mr. Duck Means Business by Tammi Sauer

"Mr. Duck enjoys a quiet morning routine on his private pond every day until other animals mistakenly think he has invited them to join him."

Click here for the full list of recommendations.

 Second/Third Grade:

 Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo

"Two roller-skating best friends--one tiny, one tall--share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion."

 The Boy Who Saved Cleveland by James Giblin

"During a malaria epidemic in late eighteenth-century Cleveland, Ohio, ten-year-old Seth Doan surprises his family, his neighbors, and himself by having the strength to carry and grind enough corn to feed everyone."

 Cam Jansen and the Wedding Cake Mystery by David Adler

"When Cam and her father go to a talent show at the local senior center, Cam's help is needed to find out who stole a wedding cake from the delivery truck."

 Slenda Ella and Her Fairy Hogfather by Vivian Sathre

"Slender Ella, a pig forced into servitude by her stepmother and two horrid stepsisters, goes to the hoedown with the help of her Fairy Hogfather."

 Princess Posey and the Perfect Present by Stephanie Greene

"For first-grader Posey, every school day is great until her teacher's birthday, when her best friend's gift of an enormous bouquet puts Posey's few, home-grown roses to shame."

Click here for the full list of recommendations.

Fourth/Fifth Grade:

 Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko  

"A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister."

 The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A. Spratt

"When Mr. Green, a stingy widower with three children he cannot be bothered with, decides to find a nanny for his children, he winds up hiring a glamorous ex-circus pig who knows nothing about children but a lot about chocolate."

 Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs

"Twelve-year-old Teddy investigates when a popular Texas zoo's star attraction--Henry the hippopotamus--is murdered."

 Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han

"Korean American fourth-grader Clara Lee longs to be Little Miss Apple Pie, and when her luck seems suddenly to change for the better, she overcomes her fear of public speaking and enters the competition."

 Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn

"When thirteen-year-old Logan and his family move into a run-down old house in rural Virginia, he discovers that a woman was murdered there and becomes involved with his neighbor Arthur in a dangerous investigation to try to uncover the killer."

Click here for the full list of recommendations.

 Middle School:

 Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko

"Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when he discovers that noted gangster Al Capone, a prisoner there, wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose."

 Ashes by Kathryn Lasky

"In 1932 Berlin, thirteen-year-old Gaby Schramm witnesses the beginning of Hitler's rise to power, as soldiers become ubiquitous, her beloved literature teacher starts wearing a jeweled swastika pin, and the family's dear friend, Albert Einstein, leaves the country while Gaby's parents secretly bury his books and papers in their small yard."

 Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix

"Thirteen-year-old Bethany's parents have always been overprotective, but when they suddenly drop out of sight with no explanation, leaving her with an aunt she never knew existed, Bethany uncovers shocking secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her family."

 Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

"Garth Hale is as good as dead...The only problem is he's still alive. When Garth Hale is accidentally zapped into the ghost world by Frank Gallows, a washed-up ghost wrangler, he discovers that he has special powers."

 It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder

"Twelve-year-old Isabel dreams of seeing the world but has never left Oregon, and so when her best friend, Sophie, tells her of a baking contest whose winners travel to New York City, she eagerly enters despite concerns about her mother, who is opening a cupcake bakery."

Click here for the full list of recommendations.

 High School:

 Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan

"High school juniors and best friends Finn and Chloe hatch a daring plot to fake Chloe's disappearance from their rural New Jersey town in order to have something compelling to put on their college applications, but unforeseen events complicate matters."

 Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

"After the death of her father, Amy, a high school student, and Roger, a college freshman, set out on a carefully planned road trip from California to Connecticut, but wind up taking many detours, forcing Amy to face her worst fears and come to terms with her grief and guilt."

 Matched by Ally Condie

"All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17, who to marry. When she is Matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn't be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky's face show up on her match disk as well?"

 No Safe Place by Deborah Ellis

"Fifteen-year-old Abdul, having lost everyone he loves, journeys from Baghdad to a migrant community in Calais where he sneaks aboard a boat bound for England, not knowing it carries a cargo of heroin, and when the vessel is involved in a skirmish and the pilot killed, it is up to Abdul and three other young stowaways to complete the journey."

 Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

"Finland, 1910: Fifteen-year-old Sig is shocked to see a hole in the frozen lake outside his family's cabin and to find his father's corpse nearby. Why did Einar steer his dog sled across the lake instead of taking the safer land route? Sig's sister and stepmother go for help, leaving Sig alone with Einar's body in the cabin. Soon after, an armed stranger barges in, demanding a share of Einar's stolen gold."

Click here for the full list of recommendations.

Adults:

We have the kids covered, but what about the adults? I decided to chime in and give you some recommendations based on some good books I've read recently. Hopefully, you'll enjoy them, too!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book chronicles a group of black maids in the 1960s in Mississippi who dare to team up with a young, white woman to create change. I read this at the recommendation of my older sister and loved every minute of it, even though it made me cry. 

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Ok, I know technically these three books are in the young adults/teen category or something. But I don't care. I couldn't put them down, mainly because they made me so stressed that I had to finish them so I could find out what happened and calm down. Warning: Embarrassing as it is, these books actually gave me nightmares.

An Object of Beauty: A Novel by Steve Martin

I'm especially partial to this book because it deals with the art world in New York City. Along with journalism, I studied art history in college, so any book incorporating art is good by me.

The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula Mclain

Again, I'm a little biased when it comes to this novel. In case you couldn't tell, I love books. I also love Ernest Hemingway. The Paris Wife tells the story of Hemingway's relationship with his first wife and his rise to fame, told from her point of view.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

No, this book isn't about a hedgehog. It's about a concierge in France who purposely hides her intelligence. I read it at the recommendation of my boyfriend's mother, who gives the best book suggestions. She definitely did not disappoint.