Suggested Summer Reads

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Welcome to our page of recommended books for the summer of 2014! Below you will find a variety of books, by grade level, that you could share with your children. Before each book is a rating from 1-4: 1 would be the easiest books for this age group and 4 would be the most challenging. Please use these ratings to help guide your selections!

Please keep in mind that this is just a starting place for books we'd suggest. We encourage families to follow your child's lead and give them as much choice as possible. If your child finds a book they really like, find more like that! Series books are great for young readers if they find a series that really engages them!

While choice is important, we also cannot let our children read books that are too hard (we call them Future Books here at Emerson!) If you listen to your child read aloud from a book you are thinking might be a future book, and they make many errors in their reading, this book is probably a future book. If your child is  really interested in this book, it's okay to read the book by reading pictures - if it's a picture book! For chapter books, reading the book to your child is always a great idea!

All that being said, here are our recommendations for great books for summer reading at all grade levels!

Rising Kindergarteners
(1) I Like Me! by Nancy Carlson
(1) I Read Signs by Tana Hoban
(1) Do You Want to Be My Friend? by Eric Carle
(1) Truck by Donal Crews
(2) Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
(2) Rick is Sick by David McPhail
(2) Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle
(2) One Gray Mouse by Katherine Burton
(2) Maria Had a Little Llama/María tenía una llamita by Angela Dominguez
(2) Piggybook by Anthony Brown
(3) Bathtime for Biscuit by Pat Schories
(3) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
(3) I Went Walking by Sue Williams
(3) My Mum is Fantastic by Nick Butterworth
(3) Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales
(4) Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner
(4) Mary Wore Her Red Dress and Henry Wore His Blue Sneakers by Merle Peek
(4) Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
(4) Little Bear by Elsa Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak
(4) The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist by Margarita Engle
(4) Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale by Duncan Tonatiuh

Rising First Graders
(1) A Giraffe Can Laugh by Karri O'Donnel
(1) A Big Surprise by Kristi Butler
(2) Where Do Monsters Live by Rozanne Williams
(2) Ice Cream Soup by Ann Ingalls
(2) Where's Spot by Eric Hill
(3) Biscuit by Alyssa Capucilli
(3) Alligator Shoes by Arthur Dorros
(3) Tito Puente: Mambo King/Rey del Mambo by Rafael Lopez & Monica Brown
(3) Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
(4) A Kiss for Little Bear by Else Mimarik
(4) Hi, Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold
(4) Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin

Rising Second Graders
(1) The Very Hungry Catepillar by Eric Carle
(1) Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems
(2) Arthur Goes to Camp by Marc Brown
(2) This is Not My Hat by John Klassen
(2) Mr. Putter and Tabby Fly the Play by Cynthia Rylant
(2) Pigsty by Mark Teague
(2) How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague
(3) Paddington by Michael Bond (picture book, not chapter book)
(3) Pirates Don't Change Diapers by Melinda Long & David Shannon
(4) Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar
(4) Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
(4) Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
(4) Amelia Bedilia Series by Herman Perish
(4) Tikki Tikki Tembo by Blair Lent & Arlene Mosel
(4) Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco


Rising Third Graders
(1) Elephant and Piggie Books by Mo Willems
(2) Amelia Bedelia books by Peggy Parish
(3) Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne (Try reading the nonfiction companion books as well!)
(3) I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis
(4) Who was....? biographies by various authors
(4) Emily Windsnap series by Liz Kessler


Rising Fourth Graders



Rising Fifth Graders
(1) Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
(2) Matilda by Roald Dahl
(2) Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
(3) Wonder by R.J. Palacio
(3) View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
(4) Yes, We are Latinos by Ima Flor Ada
(4) The Living by matt de la Peña

Rising Sixth Graders
About Average by Andrew Clements
The 100 Year Old Secret by Barrett Mockingbird-Erskine
Because of Mr. Terupt by Buyea Soccerland-Choat
Powerless by Matthew Cody
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen