Summer Reading Recommendations for K-12 students

Courtesy of the School Library Media Section of the New York Library Association

Grades K-2

• Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (non-fiction, animals)
• I am Invited to a Party (and other Elephant and Piggie Books) by Mo Willems (humor)
• Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor (family life/individuality)
• Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller (nonfiction, science)
• How Chipmunk Got His Stripes: A Tale of Bragging and Teasing by Joseph & James Bruchac (Native American folk tale)

Grades 3-4

• Mallory on the Move by Laurie Friedman (realistic fiction, friendship)
• The SOS File by Betsy Byars (realistic fiction, school)
• The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse by Bruce Hale (mystery)
• The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney (fiction, animal story)

Grades 5-8

• Savvy by Ingrid Law (fantasy)
• The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt (historical fiction)
• The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman (realistic)
• Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar (realistic/humor)
• No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman (realistic/humor)Hoot by Carl Hiassen (humor)
• Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Charles R. Smith Jr. (biography, poetry)

Three sets of series for grades 5-8: 

• Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix (science fiction)
• Children of the Lamp series by P. B. Kerr (fantasy)
• Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz (adventure, spies)

Grades 9-10

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (survival/sci-fi/dystopia)
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (realistic fiction)
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (realistic fiction)
• Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (realistic fiction)
• Beastly by Alex Flinn (fantasy/romance)
• Maximum Ride by James Patterson (science fiction/fantasy)

Grades 11-12

• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (dystopia/adventure/technology)
• Paper Towns by John Green (realistic fiction)
• Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks (realistic fiction)
• How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (survival)
• Feed by M.T. Anderson (realistic fiction)

New York Teacher thanks Ellen Rubin, library media specialist, Wallkill Senior High School, a Wallkill Teachers Association member, for coordinating submissions from school librarians for "Check it out."