There are so many good books to choose from for story time with your family this summer!
Scholastic’s On Our Minds (OOM) blog about books and the joy of reading, recently released new lists of books:
30 Books That Amplify Black Voices – Today and always Scholastic wants to amplify the voices of Black creators by sharing their incredible stories. Featuring books by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Walter Dean Myers, Varian Johnson, and more, there’s a book for every reader!
Read with Pride: Celebrate Pride Month 2020 with These 12 Must-Read Books – Representation matters, especially in children’s books. Check out these 12 essential stories that we’ll be reading which feature LGBTQIA+ characters and experiences.
Books by Asian & Pacific Islander Americans – Check out these 11 stories by Asian and Pacific Islander Americans that you can read all year long!
Take a look at Scholastic’s 100 Greatest Books for Kids list below and see which ones your child has read. Can they finish the list before school starts? Find the age group that matches your child’s age and see which books you can add to your reading list! Don’t miss out on the reading tips below!
Ages 0-3
- Goodnight Moon
- Where the Wild Things Are
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Pat the Bunny
- Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
- Corduroy
- The Little Engine That Could
- Black on White
- The Runaway Bunny
- Freight Train
- Moo, Baa, La La La!
- Good Night, Gorilla
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
- Sylvia Long’s Mother Goose
- Smile!
- Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes…
- My Truck is Stuck!
- Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book
- Are You My Mother
- Peek-a Who?
- Llama Llama Red Pajama
- No No Yes Yes
- Grumpy Bird
- What Shall We Do With the Boo Hoo Baby?
- Gossie
- First Words
Ages 4-7
- I Took the Moon for a Walk
- An Egg is Quiet
- Interrupting Chicken
- Yoko
- Hi! Fly Guy
- Owl Moon
- Blackout
- Birds
- The Lion and the Mouse
- Dear Juno
- The House at Pooh Corner
- Martin’s Big Words
- Not a Box
- What Do People Do All Day?
- Zen Shorts
- The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
- Swimmy
- The Mitten
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
- The Dot
- Madeline
- The Giving Tree
- Green Eggs and Ham
- The Snowy Day
Ages 8-10
- Animalia
- The Adventures of Captain Underpants
- We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States
- Puss in Boots
- Ivy + Bean
- Tea With Milk
- The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks
- Diary of a Worm
- Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez
- Living Sunlight
- Sarah, Plain and Tall
- The Composition
- Matilda
- The Secret Garden
- My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother
- Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
- The Phantom Tollbooth
- Where the Sidewalk Ends
- When Marian Sang
- The Wind in the Willows
- Frog and Toad Are Friends
- Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
- Charlotte’s Web
Ages 11+
- Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
- A Single Shard
- Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
- Rules
- A Wrinkle in Time
- The Diary of a Young Girl
- Anne of Green Gables
- Tuck Everlasting
- Bud, Not Buddy
- The Giver
- Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
- The Hunger Games
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Hatchet
- The Lightning Thief
- Through My Eyes
- The Bad Beginning
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
- Esperanza Rising
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Holes
- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
- Lincoln: A Photobiography
Reading Tips
With these tips, you and your child will be enjoying reading together regularly in no time!
Set a Reading Routine
Setting a routine with your child will help them expect the experience and look forward to reading with you. Be animated! Use sound effects! This will captivate your child and spark their imagination. Young children cherish the time you spend together.
When you read with your child, they learn that reading time is special because it is shared with you. Read your child’s favorite book over and over again! Children love repetition and learn from it. Eliminate distractions such as television, music, and phones.
Make Reading A Conversation
Before you begin reading the book, look at the cover and title and ask your child what they think the story is about. Pause periodically and ask your child questions about the pictures and what is happening in the story:
- Did the character do the right thing?
- What would you have done different?
- Tell me what is happening in this picture. Where is the character going? What is the character doing?
- Make up an alternative ending to the story. What do you think would have happened if…?
Writing Develops Readers
Writing is fun and helps children learn names and sound out new words – important steps for reading skills. Make it easy for your child to write throughout the day. Set up a space where your child can go on his or her own and use writing materials. Provide pencils, crayons, or markers of different sizes – use unlined paper. When your child is ready to write letters, begin with uppercase letters.
Create A Special Reading Space
Have a comfortable space for your child to look at books. Include a chair or pillows and a small shelf or basket for favorite books. Make sure the books are easy to reach. Include stuffed animals so your child can read a book to a favorite stuffed pal.
Help Kids And Families Build Their Home Libraries
You and your family can help other families in our community build up their home libraries by building book-in-a-bags and dropping them off at Valley of the Sun United Way for delivery.
