Most parents do not have a problem keeping their child physically active during the summer break, but it is often a challenge to keep your child engaged in reading or other academic exercises, making the transition back to school routine difficult. As personal electronics and game systems become more accessible to younger audiences, the child’s desire for and time to read diminish. Nurturing a student’s love of learning is critical in a child’s development. Finding a good book for your child to read is an easy step towards developing life long learners.
Here is a recommended summer reading list of books, that are age appropriate and will engage a student’s imagination and critical thinking:
Kindergarten
Fredderick – Leo Lionni
Farfallina and Marcel – Holly Keller
A Color of His Own – Leo Lionni
1st Grade
Courduroy series – Don Freeman
Mr. Putter and Tabby series – Cynthia Rylant
Little Bear series – Else Holmelund Minarik
2nd Grade
Birthday for Frances – Lillian Hoban
George and Martha series – James Marshall
Owl Moon – Jane Yolen
3rd Grade
James and the Giant Peach – Roald Dahl
Stuart Little – E.B. White
The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis
4th Grade
Crispin – Avi
Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis
Ella Enchanted – Gail Carson Levine
5th Grade
Tuck Everlasting – Natalie Babbitt
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
Around the World in 80 Days – Jules Vern
6th Grade
The Adventure of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain
The Call of the Wild – Jack London
The Hiding Place – Corrie ten Boom
7th Grade
The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Edward Irving Wortis
8th Grade
1984 – George Orwell
The Odyssey – Homer
Romeo and Juilet – William Shakespeare