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Librarians’ 2020 Summer Reading Picks for Kids

Book covers: Another, We're Not From Here, and New Kid

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, students and their families are facing uncertain times, but one thing remains as true as ever: reading is a great way for kids to stay engaged with learning during the summer.

Every year, youth librarians from the Association for Library Service to Children compile a list of their top summer reading recommendations for kids of all ages. While most libraries are currently closed to the public, you can still find many of these books available as eBooks and audiobooks.

For more information about these books and why they were selected, visit the 2020 Summer Reading List webpage. Check with your local library for additional suggestions.

For Toddlers and Preschoolers

Besos for Baby: A Little Book of Kisses
by Jen Arena, illustrated by Blanca Gómez

Rain!
by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Hair Love
by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Ten Little Toes, Two Small Feet / Diez deditos de los pies, dos piececitos
by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Jane Massey

Littles: And How They Grow
by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by AG Ford

Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!
by Cori Doerrfeld

You and Me
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Susan Reagan

Tomorrow Most Likely
by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Lane Smith

Lucía the Luchadora
by Cynthia Leonor Garza, illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez

Up, Up, Up, Down!
by Kimberly Gee

Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse
by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Blanca Gómez

Little Sunny Sunshine / Sol solecito
by Susie Jaramillo

Before & After
by Jean Jullien

Rainbow: A First Book of Pride
by Michael Genhart, illustrated by Anne Passchier

A Parade of Elephants
by Kevin Henkes

My Heart
by Corinna Luyken

One Lonely Fish
by Andy Mansfield, illustrated by Thomas Flintham

Vroom!
by Barbara McClintock

Be Kind
by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill

Summer Supper
by Rubin Pfeffer, illustrated by Mike Austin

Puppy Truck
by Brian Pinkney

All Kinds of People
by Shelley Rotner, photographs by Sheila M. Kelly

Ciao, Baby! In the Park
by Carole Lexa Schaefer, illustrated by Lauren Tobia

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug
by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck

Hello Humpback!
by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers

Saturday Is Swimming Day
by Hyewon Yum

For Kindergarten Through Grade 2

Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths
by Graham Annable

Camp Tiger
by Susan Choi, illustrated by John Rocco

The Patchwork Bike
by Maxine Beneba Clarke, illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd

Jabari Jumps
by Gaia Cornwall

Our Celebración!
by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Ana Aranda

Meet Yasmin!
by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly

Just in Case You Want to Fly
by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Carl and the Meaning of Life
by Deborah Freeman

Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings
by Francie Latour, illustrated by Ken Daley

Alma and How She Got Her Name
by Juana Martinez-Neal

Where Are You From?
by Yamile Saied Méndez, illustrated by Jaime Kim

Saturday
by Oge Mora

Dreamers
by Yuyi Morales

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S. K. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly

All Are Welcome
by Alexandra Penfold, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman

Hey, Water!
by Antoinette Portis

My Papi Has a Motorcycle
by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña 

Another
by Christian Robinson

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac

All the Animals Where I Live
by Philip C. Stead

Llama Destroys the World
by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Heather Fox

Fox the Tiger
by Corey R. Tabor

Skulls!
by Blair Thornburgh, illustrated by Scott Campbell

Summer
by Cao Wenxuan, illustrated by Yu Rong

Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero!
by Kara West, illustrated by Leeza Hernandez

For Grades 3 Through 5

Twinchantment
by Elise Allen

Granted
by John David Anderson

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
by Jonathan Auxier

Sanity & Tallulah
by Molly Brooks, illustrated by the author

Rocket to the Moon! Big Ideas That Changed the World
by Don Brown, illustrated by the author

Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome
by Monica Brown and Sarai Gonzalez, illustrated by Christine Almeda

Ruby in the Sky
by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo

What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet
by Jess French

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer
by Lamar Giles, illustrations by Dapo Adeola

Sweeping Up the Heart
by Kevin Henkes

The Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson

The Simple Art of Flying
by Cory Leonardo

Indian No More
by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell

The Book of Boy
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Aquicorn Cove
by Katie O’Neill, illustrated by the author

Knights vs. Dinosaurs
by Matt Phelan, illustrated by the author

Stanley Will Probably Be Fine
by Sally J. Pla, illustrated by Steve Wolfhard

We’re Not from Here
by Geoff Rodkey

Mañanaland
by Pam Muñoz Ryan

The Cardboard Kingdom
by Chad Sell, illustrated by the author

To Night Owl from Dogfish
by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

The Lost Girl
by Anne Ursu

Other Words for Home
by Jasmine Warga

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
by Rita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Front Desk
by Kelly Yang

For Grades 5 Through 8

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World
by Ashley Herring Blake

Be Prepared
by Vera Brosgol, illustrated by the author

Each Tiny Spark
by Pablo Cartaya

Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish
by Pablo Cartaya

New Kid
by Jerry Craft, illustrated by the author

Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World
by Eric Dawson

I Can Make This Promise
by Christine Day

Us, in Progress: Short Stories about Young Latinos
by Lulu Delacre, illustrated by the author

Beverly, Right Here
by Kate DiCamillo

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
by Dan Gemeinhart

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
by Carlos Hernandez

The Night Diary
by Veera Hiranandani

Song for a Whale
by Lynne Kelly

Just Jaime
by Terri Libenson, illustrated by the author

Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword
by Henry Lien

The Season of Styx Malone
by Kekla Magoon

Nowhere Boy
by Katherine Marsh

Caterpillar Summer
by Gillian McDunn

Queen of the Sea
by Dylan Meconis, illustrated by the author

Sci-Fu
by Yehudi Mercado, illustrated by the author

The Stars beneath Our Feet
by David Barclay Moore

Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life and Work
by Victoria Ortiz

White Bird: A Wonder Story
by R. J. Palacio, illustrated by the author and Kevin Czap

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Alexander Nabaum

Pay Attention, Carter Jones
by Gary D. Schmidt

The Bridge Home
by Padma Venkatraman

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