There’s something about sunny summer days that invite readers of all ages to sit outside with a glass of lemonade and an open book. But with so many great books out there, how will you ever decide what to read?
Here are some great options for each age group and some options for family reads:
Picture Books
- My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom
- Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
- The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson
- Remember by Joy Harjo
- The Tree in Me by Corinna Luyken
Chapter Books
- Dragon Masters series by Tracy West
- Jo Jo Makoons series by Dawn Quigley
- She Persisted biography series
- Dragon Storm series
- Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Middle Grade
- I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
- A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
- Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas
- How to Find What You’re Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani
- Emmy in the Key Code by Aimee Lucido
- When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn
- Same Sun Here by Neela Vaswani
- Ancestor Approved, a short story collection edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
- Chirp by Kate Messner
- Answers in the Pages by David Leviathan
Young Adult/Teen
- Boundless, a short story collected edited by Ismée Williams
- You Wouldn’t Dare by Samantha Markum
- Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions by Patricia Park
- Man Made Monsters by Andrea Rogers (horror)
- Foreshadow, short story collection edited by Emily X.R. Pan
- A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
- Well, That was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto
- The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta
- Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
Graphic Novels
- New Kid and Class Act by Jerry Craft
- The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat
- The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill
- Two Tribes by Emily Bowen (releases August 15)
Grownups
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
- Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
- Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry
- Built to Last by Erin Hahn
- I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott (non-fiction)
- Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
- Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
- This Place of Wonder by Barbara O’Neal
- Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh
Family Reads
This of course depends on the ages of your kiddos. Family reads can take place before bedtime, in the afternoon, or even on the go! Audiobooks can make long drives more bearable and shorter drives more entertaining. Some favorites across age ranges that my family has enjoyed as family reads include:
- Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
- Dragon Masters by Tracy West
- Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
- Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
- Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
- Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
- Front Desk by Kelly Yang
