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K-4 Summer Reading Suggestions

 

 

The following suggestions are taken from lists of award winning and highly recommended books for Grades K-4. Check out BCEMS Library or the Aldrich Public Library for these books. Suggestions include books that students can read themselves and books that parents can read aloud. 

 

RL = Reading Level

 

  1. Before John Was A Jazz Giant.  Weatherford, Carole.  A biography of John Coltrane that focuses on his childhood and adolescent years and discusses his inspirations, influences, family, the development of his musical talent, and more.  RL 3.8
  2. Beware Of The Frog.  Bee, William.  Sweet old Mrs. Collywobbles lives on the edge of a big, dark, scary wood, but has a pet frog to protect her from greedy goblins, smelly trolls, and hungry ogres.  RL2.2
  3. Boycott Blues How Rosa Parks.  Pinkney, Andrea Davis.  Uses the form of a blues song to share the story of the year-long bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked by seamstress Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger in 1955, which resulted in a repeal of the Jim Crow segregation laws.  RL 2.5
  4. City Of The Rats.  Rodda, Emily.  Sixteen-year-old Lief embarks on a treacherous journey to find the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora in order to overthrow the evil Shadow Lord, who has terrorized the kingdom since before Lief's birth.  RL 5.7
  5. Cool Daddy Rat.  Crow, Kristyn.  A young rat hides in his father's bass case and tags along as he plays and scats around the big city.  RL 1.1
  6. Crocs!  Greenberg, David.  Having moved from the city to a tropical island to escape such horrifying creatures as bugs and cats, a homeowner encounters a horde of friendly crocodiles, who drink Tabasco sauce, get tangled in dental floss, and turn the house into a swamp.  RL 2.8
  7. Dazzling Dragonflies: A Life Cycle Story.  Glaser, Linda.  Simple text and illustrations describe the life cycle of a dragonfly.  RL 2.4
  8. Degas And The Little Dancer.  Anholt, Laurence.  Because Marie helps her poor parents by modeling for an ill-tempered artist, she becomes a famous ballerina but not in the way she had dreamed.  RL 4.8
  9. Ducks Don’t Wear Socks.  Nedwidek, John.  Emily, a serious girl, meets a duck who helps her see the more humorous side of life.  RL 1.9
  10. Friday My Radio Flyer Flew.  Pullen, Zachary.  A father and son find an old Radio Flyer wagon when cleaning out the attic and, through the course of a week, turn it back into a wonderful toy.  RL 2.0
  11. Gentle Giant Octopus.  Wallace, Karen. Describes the physical characteristics and behavior of a Giant Octopus and how she searches for a home at the bottom of the ocean, lays her eggs and protects them from predators until they can hatch.  RL 2.5 
  12. Gorgonzola, A Very Stinkysaurus.  Palatini, Margie.  When Gorgonzola the dinosaur learns that everyone runs from him to avoid his smell, rather than out of fear, he is grateful to the little bird who shows him how to brush his teeth and wash.  RL 2.9
  13. How I Learned Geography.  Shulevitz, Uri.  As he spends hours studying his father's world map, a young boy escapes the hunger and misery of refugee life. Based on the author's childhood in Kazakhstan, where he lived as a Polish refugee during World War II.  RL 2.7
  14. How To Heal A Broken Wing.  Graham, Bob.  When Will finds a bird with a broken wing, he takes it home and cares for it, hoping in time it will be able to return to the sky.  RL 2.1
  15. Puff the Magic Dragon.  Yarrow, Peter.  The adventures of a boy and his dragon friend are recounted in this classic song from the 1960s. RL 3.9
  16. Judy Moody Goes To College.  McDonald, Megan.  When her substitute teacher realizes she is struggling in math, Judy is sent to a math tutor at the local college and soon is completely into the spirit of college life.  RL 4.0
  17. Jupiter.  Taylor-Butler, Christine.  Provides information about Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, and includes a word hunt, definitions, and a comparison of Jupiter and Earth.  RL 2.4
  18. Keep Your Ear On The Ball.  Petrillo, Genevieve.  Davey, a blind student, refuses all help from his new classmates, even while playing kickball at recess, until they find a way to help without doing everything for him.  RL 2.9
  19. Life Of A Car.  Steggall, Susan.  Colorful illustrations and simple text follow the life of a car as it is built, sold, and delivered.  RL 0.7
  20. Looking Closely Along The Shore.  Serafini, Frank.  Up-close photographs and simple text describe the plants, animals, and objects found on a shore.  RL 3.7
  21. Looking Closely Inside the Garden.  Serafini, Frank.  Up-close photographs and simple text describe the plants, animals, and insects that inhabit a garden.  RL 3.5
  22. Mail Harry To The Moon.  Harris, Robie H.  Harry's older brother, unhappy that the new baby is making lots of noise and getting all the attention, thinks up creative ways to get rid of him.  RL 2.0
  23. Maple Syrup Season.  Purmell, Ann.  Grandpa leads the way as his family works together to tap maple trees, collect sap, and make syrup.  RL 2.7
  24. Mary Had A Little Lamp.  Lechner, Jack.  Mary takes her "bendy," gooseneck lamp wherever she goes, much to the dismay of her parents and classmates, but after leaving it at home during summer camp, Mary finds that she has outgrown her need for her odd companion.  RL 2.0
  25. Monkey And Me.  Gravett, Emily.  A little girl imitates a variety of animals, from bats to penguins to kangaroos, with her stuffed toy monkey.  RL 1.2
  26. Mysterious Case Of The Allbright Academy.  Stanley, Diane.  Eighth-grader Franny and her friends investigate why most of the students at their exclusive boarding school are brilliant, beautiful, and perfectly behaved.  RL 4.2
  27. Ottoline And The Yellow Cat.  Riddell, Chris.  Ottoline and Mr. Munroe investigate a string of burglaries and the disappearance of several lapdogs.  RL 5.4
  28. Picasso And The Girl With A Ponytail.  Anholt, Laurence.  Sylvette gradually begins to gain self-confidence during the summer she models for the renowned artist Pablo Picasso in the French village of Vallauris.  RL 3.7
  29. Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry.  Prelutsky, Jack.  Explains to kids how to write poems about everyday subjects from their lives, such as experiences with their family, friends, and pets, providing tips, example poems, and exercises.  RL 4.9
  30. Platypus!  Clarke, Ginjer L.  Simply describes what a platypus looks like, where it lives, and how it swims, builds a nest, cares for its eggs, and raises its babies.  RL 1.9
  31. Pluto: Dwarf Planet.  Taylor-Butler, Christine.  Provides information about Pluto, a dwarf planet, and includes a word hunt, definitions, and a look at other dwarf planets.  RL 2.2
  32. Postcard.  Abbott, Tony.  Thirteen-year-old Jason finds an old postcard at his recently-deceased grandmother's house that leads him on an adventure blending figures from an old, unfinished detective story with his family's past.  RL 4.0
  33. Purplicious.  Kann, Victoria.  Feeling like an outcast from her classmates who all love black, Pinkalicious decides to stay true to her favorite color.  RL 1.8 
  34. Rain Forests.  Levinson, Nancy Smiler.  Colorful illustrations and simple text introduce young readers to the plants and animals that live in rain forests around the world.  RL 1.8
  35. Rufus And Friends: Rhyme Time.  Trapani, Iza.  A collection of tongue-twisting nursery rhymes in which the reader is challenged to find hidden objects in the illustrations.  RL 2.4
  36. Sheep Blast Off.  Shaw, Nancy.  A flock of bumbling sheep decide to investigate a spaceship that has landed in their meadow, and soon find themselves on the ride of their lives.  RL 1.2
  37. Sipping Spiders Through A Straw.  DiPucchio, Kelly S.  A collection of creepy critters sing their favorite campfire sing-alongs, slightly altered for little monsters.  RL 3.2
  38. Snoring Beauty.  Hale, Bruce.  An adaptation of the traditional tale, featuring a sleeping, snoring princess who is rescued by a prince after being cursed by a bad fairy.  RL 2.9
  39. Tadpole Rex.  Cyrus, Kurt.  A tiny primordial tadpole grows into a frog, feeling just as strong and powerful as the huge tyrannosaurus rex that stomps through the mud.  RL 2.7
  40. Trout Are Made Of Trees.    Sayre, April Pulley.  Looks at trout as part of a vast food chain that begins when leaves fall into streams and rivers.  RL 3.3
  41. When The Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature’s Balance in Yellowstone.  Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Discusses how the wolf, once returned to Yellowstone National Park, helped restore balance to the ecosystem. RL 5.1
  42. Yo! Yes?  Raschka, Christopher.  Two lonely characters, one black and one white, meet on the street and become friends.  RL 1.2
  43. How I Learned To Fly.  Stine, R. L.  Jack has learned how to fly, but things on earth are getting scary.  RL 3.8
  44. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal.  Kinney, Jeff.  Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.  RL 5.0
  45. Blue Lipstick.  Grandits, John.  Concrete poems about a girl named Jessie who mocks the school which she attends.  RL 5.7
  46. The Hobbit: and Illustrated Edition of the Fantasy Classic.  Dixon, Chuck.  Bilbo Baggins, a quiet and contented hobbit, embarks on a grand and dangerous adventure when he joins the wizard Gandalf and a group of dwarves on their quest to reclaim a stolen treasure. Presented in graphic novel form.  RL 3.3
  47. Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf.  Holm, Jennifer L.  Ginny makes a to do list for her seventh grade year, which includes landing a role in the school play, trying to make friends, ignoring her horoscope, and going to see her grandpa Joe in Florida; but she always seems to come up short in accomplishing any of it.  RL 4.6
  48. Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope.  Grimes, Nikki.  Full-color illustrations and easy-to-follow text presents a narrative description of the life of President Barack Obama, beginning with his childhood in Hawaii, his family, his education, and professional achievements.  RL 4.8
  49. Coraline.  Gaiman, Neil.  Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.  RL 6.9
  50. Ahoy, Ghost Ship Ahead.  James, Brian.  The students of Pirate School spy a ghost ship following them, when they bravely board it they receive a warning that may save their lives.  RL 2.5
  51. Mysterious Cheese Thief.  Stilton, Geronimo.  When Stilton cheese begins disappearing during Geronimo Stilton's trip to England, he investigates to find the cheese thief.  RL 3.3
  52. Secret Of Cravenhill Castle.  Hunt, Angela Elwell.  Nicki and her friends travel to Ireland to Cravenhill Castle, finding themselves searching for a legendary treasure.  RL 5.2
  53. Eels.  Zobel, Derek.  Lets readers read about Eels, their animals parts, how they function, and where they live.  RL 1.8
  54. Sea Dragons.  Schach, David.  Introduce young readers to the characteristics and habatats of the sea dragon.  RL 2.2
  55. Kitten.  Sexton, Colleen.  Takes a look at kittens, what they eat, how they grow and develop, and where they live.  RL 1.3
  56. Puppies.  Sexton, Colleen A.  Takes a look at puppies, how they survive and grow, what they eat, and where they live.  RL 1.3
  57. Bats: Nature’s Night Flyers.  Stout, Frankie.  Readers will learn about the mysterious creature of the night, the bat.  RL 3.4
  58. Pet Tricks.  Greve, Meg.  Young readers will discover tricks their pets do from nature or tricks taught to them.  RL 1.6
  59. Science Zone: Jokes, Riddles And Tongue Twisters.  Chmielewski, Gary.  Lets readers explore 100 science-themed jokes, tongue twisters and "Daffynitions"  RL 4.7
  60. Dogerella.  Boelts, Maribeth.  With the help of her fairy dogmother, Dogerella attends Princess Bea's ball where she competes with other dogs to become the princess's royal pet.  RL 2.1
  61. Kiteboarding.  Mattern, Joanne.  Discusses the sport of kiteboarding, including gear needed, tricks, and famous kiteboarders.  RL 3.4
  62. Monster Truck Racing.  Spalding, Lee-Anne.  Readers learn about various racing competitions, involving all types of vehicles in Monster truck racing.  RL 5.0
  63. Slap Shot Hockey.  Crossingham, John.  Examines ice hockey from the amateur pick-up game to the major leagues.  RL 5.2
  64. Meet Steve Nash: Basketball’s Ultimate Team Player.  Edwards, Ethan.  Steven Nash has become one of the NBA's best players, he is also known as a team player on the court and as a humanitarian.  RL 5.4
  65. Meet Tom Brady: Football’s Famous Quarterback.  Edwards, Ethan.  Young readers will find out how Brady's hard work and leadership skills helped him become the football superstar he is today.  RL 5.1
  66. Robot Dreams.  Varon, Sara.  The enduring friendship between a dog and a robot is portrayed in this wordless graphic novel.  RL 4.0
  67. Artsy Smartsy Club.  Pinkwater, Daniel Manus.  Three Hoboken children and their giant chicken Henrietta set off to explore the world of art after being inspired by the sidewalk drawings of a local chalk artist.  RL 4.0
  68. A Crooked Kind Of Perfect.  Urban, Linda.  Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ, instead, finds that her musicianship has a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life.  RL 6.3
  69. Matilda.  Dahl, Roald.  Matilda is a genius with idiot parents and a mean school headmistress.  RL 3.9
  70. Chasing Vermeer.  Balliett, Blue.  When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.  RL 5.4
  71. If You Were a Penguin.  Minor, Wendell.  Includes bibliographical references. Illustrations and simple rhyming text tells a story of the fun and excitement of being a penguin.  RL 2.2
  72. If you Give a Cat a Cupcake.  Numeroff, Laura Joffe.  Describes a series of increasingly far-fetched events that might occur if someone were to give a cupcake to a cat.  RL 2.6
  73. Jokelopedia.  Weitzman, Ilana.  Contains more than 1,500 jokes, riddles, puns, and humorous anecdotes, including knock-knocks, elephant jokes, tongue twisters, and others; and includes tips for aspiring comedians on how to tell a joke.  RL 4.8
  74. Young Man And The Sea.  Philbrick, W. R.  After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a huge bluefin tuna.  RL 5.6
  75. Peter And The Star Catchers.  Barry, Dave.  Peter, an orphan boy, and his friend Molly fight off thieves and pirates in order to keep the secret safe away from the diabolical Black Stache and his evil associate Mister Grin.  RL 6.5
  76. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Fight for the Throne.  Bright, J. E.  Four children help Prince Caspian and his army of talking beasts to free Narnia from evil.  RL 4.3
  77. Max Goes To The Moon : A Science Adventure With Max The Dog.  Bennett, Jeffrey O.  Max the dog goes to the moon while teaching students about basic scientific theories.  RL 3.8
  78. Melrose And Croc : An Adventure To Remember.  Chichester Clark, Emma.  A friendly crocodile receives the best birthday present ever when he rescues his dear companion, Melrose the dog, during a storm at sea.  RL 1.8
  79. Louise : The Adventures Of A Chicken.  DiCamillo, Kate.  Longing for adventure, intrepid Louise leaves her comfortable nest and goes to sea.  RL 3.6
  80. Mercy Watson: Princess In Disguise.  DiCamillo, Kate.  Mercy the pig is in for a Halloween adventure when Mr. and Mrs. Watson decide to dress her up as a princess and take her trick-or-treating.  RL 2.7
  81. Where’s The Dragon?  Hook, Jason.  Grandfather, little George, and Meg the dog go into the mountains in search of an enormous dragon.  RL 2.8
  82. All Aboard The Dinotrain.  Lund, Deb.  When dinosaurs seek adventure by taking a train ride, they find the trip has some unexpected surprises along the way.  RL 2.5
  83. KBUG Radio, Up Close And Personal: An Interview With Harry The Tarantula.  Tyson, Leigh Ann.  Katy Did of KBUG Radio interviews Harry about a recent adventure and, in the process, finds out a lot about tarantulas.  RL 3.7
  84. No More Magic.  Avi.  While searching for his bicycle that disappeared on Halloween, a young boy and his two friends become involved in a magic adventure.  RL 4.4
  85. Beyond The Valley Of Thorns.  Carman, Patrick.  When thirteen-year-old Alexa embarks on a mysterious quest, she finds her old friends Yipes the little man, Murphy the squirrel, Odessa the wolf, and Squire the hawk have been designated to help her.  RL 5.9
  86. Gregor And The Prophecy Of Bane.  Collins, Suzanne.  In his second adventure, eleven-year-old Gregor returns to the world beneath New York City to rescue his kidnapped sister, Boots, and fulfill a prophecy that will restore peace to the people, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders who populate the underworld.  RL 5.5
  87. The Skull Of Truth.  Coville, Bruce.  Charlie, a sixth-grader with a compulsion to tell lies, acquires a mysterious skull that forces its owner to tell only the truth, causing some awkward moments before he understands its power.  RL 6.6
  88. How To Speak Dragonese.  Cowell, Cressida.  Recounts the further escapades of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third as he continues his Viking training during which he escapes from a boatload of Roman soldiers and searches for his kidnapped dragon.  RL 6.6
  89. Akiko And The Intergalactic Zoo.  Crilley, Mark.  Akiko, the Earthling hero who helped rescue Prince Froptoppit of the Planet Smoo, finds herself involved in more not-so-normal adventures when the grateful King of Smoo sends Akiko and her friends on a trip to the planet Quilk.  RL 5.2
  90. Killer Sharks.  Cullimore, Stan.  David Brown works for the Navy on a top-secret project dealing with trained sharks, and although he plans to forget work while on vacation with his children, the evil Mr. Gall has other plans.  RL 1.7
  91. The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane.  DiCamillo, Kate.  Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.  RL 4.9
  92. The 7 Professors Of The Far North.  Fardell, John.  Eleven-year-old Sam finds himself involved in a dangerous adventure when he and his new friends, brother and sister Ben and Zara, set off for the Arctic to try and rescue the siblings' great-uncle and five other professors from the mad scientist holding them prisoner.  RL 6.5
  93. The Swamp Thing: A Graphic Novel Adventure.  Farber, Erica.  The Critter Kids visit Snake Hill Swamp Sanctuary where LC saves Roger after he falls in the water with the Swamp Thing. Includes fact boxes.  RL 3.3
  94. Horns & Wrinkles.  Helgerson, Joseph.  Along a magic-saturated stretch of the Mississippi River near Blue Wing, Minnesota, twelve-year-old Claire and her bullying cousin Duke are drawn into an adventure involving Bodacious Deepthink the Great Rock Troll, a helpful fairy, and a group of trolls searching for their fathers.  RL 5.5
  95. Danger On Midnight River.  Paulsen, Gary.  When his camp van crashes into a raging river, Daniel has to decide whether to help the bullies who call him dork breath and retard or to save himself.  RL 3.2
  96. The Key To Rondo.  Rodda, Emily.  Through an heirloom music box, Leo, a serious, responsible boy, and his badly-behaved cousin Mimi enter the magical world of Rondo to rescue Mimi's dog from a sorceress, who wishes to exchange him for the key that allows free travel between worlds.  RL 5.4
  97. Fancy Nancy’ Fancy Words: from Accessories to Zany.  O'Connor, Jane.  Fancy Nancy helps children learn the alphabet by sharing her favorite fancy words.  RL 2.7
  98. Dark Day In The Deep Sea.  Osborne, Mary Pope.  Eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, learn about the ocean, solve the mystery of its fabled sea monster, and gain compassion for their fellow creatures after joining a group of nineteenth-century explorers aboard the H.M.S. "Challenger."  RL 3.8
  99. Eve Of The Emperor Penguin.  Osborne, Mary Pope.  Jack and Annie continue to try helping Merlin the magician by searching for the secrets of happiness.  Their magic tree house takes them to Antarctica, a wasteland where the penguins may know what to do.  RL 4.1

100Moonlight On The Magic Flute.  Osborne, Mary Pope.  Jack and Annie travel to Vienna, Austria, in 1762, where they meet the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and help save the budding genius' life.  RL 3.9

  1. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy.  Willems, Mo.  The pigeon really, really wants a puppy, but when a puppy arrives the pigeon changes its mind.  RL 1.2
  2. Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition.  Cole, Joanna.  Ms. Frizzle takes the gang on a tour through the history of science so they can get ideas for their science expedition.  RL 3.3
  3. Wag a Tail.  Ehlert, Lois.  Assorted graduates of the Bow Wow School meet at a farmers market and a dog park, where most of them remember their obedience training.  RL 1.1
  4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Last Straw.  Kinney, Jeff.  Middle-schooler Greg Heffley nimbly sidesteps his father's attempts to change Greg's wimpy ways until his father threatens to send him to military school.  RL 6.1