2019 Summer Reading Booklist [1]
Submitted by mnmcclain on
1. Bound by Ice: A True North Pole Survival Story [2]
Written by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace
Ages 9+
Several explorers attempted to find a route to the North Pole, but none succeeded. Bound by Ice follows the journey of George Washington De Long and the crew of the USS Jeannette, who departed San Francisco in the summer of 1879 hoping to find a route to the North Pole.
2. Can We Go to the Sea? [3]
Written by Hiroyuki Arai, illustrated by Yukiko Kobayashi
Ages 3-6
Two little mice are ready for an adventure, and this time they want to journey to the sea! The way there is filled with all kinds of wonderful creatures―plus one BIG surprise.
3. The Enemy: Detroit, 1954 [4]
Written by Sara E. Holbrook
Ages 10-14
Set in 1954, this compelling historical novel tells the story of a young girl's struggles and triumphs in the aftermath of World War II. The war is over, but the threat of communism and the Cold War loom over the United States.
4. Flashlight Night [5]
Written by Matt Forrest Esenwine, illustrated by Fred Koehler
Ages 4-8
Three children use a flashlight to light a path around their backyard at night; in the flashlight’s beam another world looms.
5. Fresh Delicious [6]
Written by Irene Latham, illustrated by Mique Moriuchi
Ages 4-8
The unexpected, ingenious imagery and enticing artwork in this collection will inspire the imaginations of young readers, and show how poetry can be as fresh and delicious as the farmers' market produce it celebrates.
6. Garbage Island (The Nearly Always Perilous Adventures of Archibald Shrew) [7]
Written by Fred Koehler
Ages 8-12
For fans of Stuart Little and Poppy, here is a middle-grade adventure in which a mouse and a shrew, lost at sea, try to navigate to their home in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Braving multiple dangers, they discover they have more in common than they could ever have imagined.
7. Goodbye, Mr. Spalding [8]
Written by Jennifer Robin Barr
Ages 9-12
Set in Philadelphia during the Great Depression, this middle-grade historical novel tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy and his best friend as they attempt to stop a wall from being built at Shibe Park, home of the Philadelphia Athletics, that would block the view of the baseball field from their rooftops.
8. I Just Like You [9]
Written by Suzanne Bloom
Ages 3-7
In this endearing picture book about friendship and tolerance, a group of young animals shows readers that even though others might look, talk, or walk differently, we can like each other just as we are.
9. Last-But-Not-Least Lola Going Green [10]
Writtern by Christine Pakkala, illustrated by Paul Hoppe
Ages 7-10
Lola Zuckerman hates being last for everything. If only she were Lola Adams or Lola Appleby or anything but Z for Zuckerman. And she is having a particularly hard time right now.
10. The Secret Life of the Red Fox [11]
Written by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Kate Garchinsky
Ages 6-9
This gorgeous and lyrical picture book from renowned science author Laurence Pringle and debut illustrator Kate Garchinsky follows a year in the life of a red fox named Vixen as she finds food, hunts, escapes threats, finds a mate, and raises her kits—all the way to the day that she and her mate watch their kits head off to lead their own secret lives.
11. Secrets Out! (The Top-Secret Diary of Celie Valentine) [12]
Written by Julie Sternberg, illustrated by Johanna Wright
Ages 8-11
Ten-year-old Celie’s grandmother has moved in with her family, and Granny’s forgetfulness is starting to worry Celie. In the meantime, she can tell her parents are keeping secrets, but she can’t talk to her best friend Lula or her sister Jo, because they’re both keeping secrets, too!
12. Stories in a Seashell [13]
Written by Alex Nogues Otero, illustrated by Silvia Cabestany
Ages 4-9
They say that if you hold a seashell to your ear, you will hear the sea. Is it true? A child who walks on the beach tries it out . . . and discovers a whole world inside.
13. Yogi: The Life, Loves, and Language of Baseball Legend Yogi Berra [14]
Written by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Terry Widener
Ages 7-10
Author Barb Rosenstock's dynamic text and illustrator Terry Widener's powerful artwork reveal the talents, loves, and inspirational words of this celebrated New York Yankee and American icon, who earned a World Series ring for each finger and made baseball love him back.