Summer Reading List 2025

I Love Me from A to Z by Emily Lauren Dick

Celebrate different talents, bodies and abilities with each letter of the alphabet!

Number Train by Jonathan Emmett

All aboard the Number Train in this extra-special lift-the-flap rhyming counting book with six spinning wheels!

Your Island by Jon Klassen

With familiar objects and gentle text, an island and all its items—a tent, a fire, a boat, a bird—are assembled, ending with bedtime as the sun goes down.

One Little Tadpole by Molly Littleboy; illustrated by Jacob Souva

Learn how tadpoles become frogs, the best way to pond dip and the wildlife one might find during a pond exploration.

Can You Do This? An Imagination Play Book By Megan Roy

Get moving with this fun interactive book that combines reading, counting, and playful movement.

A Home Like This by Laura Purdie Salas; illustrated by Miriam Nerlove

Explores various types of homes in nature, spotlighting their differences but concluding with the elements common to all: love and family.

Aisha’s Colors by Nabila Adani

Tíos and Primos by Jacqueline Alcántara

It’s a little girl’s first trip to her papa’s homeland and she’s wowed by the experience, including her enormous family, but she only knows a little Spanish and luckily relatives help her see there are other ways to connect.

Greatness by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt

Fireworks by Matthew BurgESS; illustrated by Catia Chien

A hot day turns to evening and everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward as two siblings await a fireworks display in this poetic, spectacular picture book.

Catch by Trish Cooke; illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max

Playing catch with a parent, Kiona explores the world in this gentle, sensory rich story.

Look by Gabi Snyder

Encourages children to look at and explore the world around them with beautiful diorama illustrations and fun interactive text.

Cranky, Crabby, Crow by Corey Tabor

All the animals think Crow is just cranky, but there’s more to his actions than meets the eye.

Snap! Crunch! Munch? by Diana Castillo

A child’s imagination runs wild during family dinner in this easy reader graphic novel.

The Beach Day: Three-and-a-half Stories by Ann Dyckman

Hijinks ensue when roommates Bat, Cat, and Rat take a trip to the beach.

Stop that Mop! by Jonathan Fenske

Meet a mop. The mop does not want to mop slop. See the mop run away. Can anyone stop this mop?

A Fairy Finds her Song by Bea Jackson

Every fairy has a talent, except Lily, but Lily’s human friend Willow knows how special she is and helps Lily to find her gift.

Monti and Leo: A Pocketville Mystery by Sylvie Kantorovitz

A mania for collecting—and a mysterious thief—have Pocketville abuzz!

Elena Camps by Juana Medina

Elena is eager to put up her tent, but is there something she’s missing?

Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas

Sent to Camp Reset, a summer camp where electronics are forbidden and he’s forced to socialize, eat healthy and go outdoors, gamer Max, a qualifier for the Gamerville championship, must level up his escape plan to realize his dreams of digital domination.

Ghost Town by Eric Colossal

Lily and her friends discover that their sleepy seaside town is haunted by thousands of ghosts, and they’ve stumbled upon the tools to hunt and trap them!

Is it Real? The Loch Ness Monster by Candace Fleming

Put on your detective hat and prepare all your investigative tools, because you’ve been assigned a new case to solve: the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster!

The Green Kingdom by Cornelia Funke

Caspia hates big cities, so she isn’t thrilled by the news that her parents are taking her to stay in Brooklyn for the summer, but everything changes when Caspia discovers a bundle of old letters containing botanical riddles.

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin

Stone spirit Ji is stuck in the People’s world, but with the help of his new friends Lulu and Worm, he hopes to find a way back home through the Old City Gate before it disappears forever.

The Snips: A Bad Buzz Day by Raúl the Third

It’s up to Casco, Patty, Letty, Nubes and Flealix the Dog, Scissor City’s crew of crime-fighting, mystery-solving barbers, to keep Scissor City safe from the hijinks of the Bad Buzz Boyz!

The Summer of the Bone Horses by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve; illustrated by Steph Littlebird

Eddie worries he will be homesick, but ends up spending an unforgettable summer with his grandparents on the Rosebud Reservation.

A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya

Reality proves more epic than fantasy in this family road trip story starring a reluctant young hero and his curmudgeonly grandfather.

When Sally O’Malley Discovered the Sea by Karen Cushman

In 1894 orphan Sally O’Malley exudes gumption as she makes her way across Oregon to the coast in this adventure-filled chapter book filled with historical tidbits.

Dreamslinger by Graci Kim

Aria Loveridge lives at the Resthaven Home for Dreamslingers, a safe haven for children born with a genetic mutation that transports them to a powerfully magical realm while they sleep, but this magic can be unpredictable–even deadly.

The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner

Finn Connelly’s dad was a firefighter who saved lives on 9/11, and when Finn is caught kicking down a headstone, he agrees to climb 46 Adirondack High Peaks to avoid charges, giving him time to think about his dad and himself.

A Song for You and I by Kay O’Neill

While their pegasus recovers from injury, Rowan, a novice ranger, travels by foot on a journey of self-discovery alongside Leone, a shepherd and musician, in this gentle fantasy romance.

Wish upon a K-Star by Kat Cho

After K-drama star Shin Hyeri and K-pop idol Moon Minseok are filmed having an argument, they must participate in a fake dating show to keep their careers on track. Will real romance ensue?

Kirby’s Lessons for Falling in Love by Laura Gao

After Kirby Tan breaks her arm at the rock-climbing invitationals she joins the newspaper club, where she meets and falls for astrology-obsessed Bex and then struggles to balance her queer identity with her obligations to family and community.

Get Real Chloe Torres by Crystal Maldonado

Chloe Torres plans the perfect summer to reunite her estranged BFFs—a cross-country road trip to see their favorite boy band.

The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

Brielle Petitfour loves to cook and wins over the rich families who employ her when they taste her unique flavors and textures, in a modern horror story about a Haitian American girl using her zombie abilities to exact revenge.

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

Three teens seek to unravel the truth behind conflicting agendas surrounding a deadly virus that could change humanity forever.

Brownstone by Samuel Teer

Almudena is sent to live with her estranged Spanish-speaking father for the summer, and together they renovate a brownstone and build a relationship while Almudena navigates the Latin American side of her heritage.

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

In this exhilarating tale, a disabled Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful Sci-Fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrative—a surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human. This is a story unlike anything you’ve read before.

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game-like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. This is the first book in the series.

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

In the struggling town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai is saved from despair by Grazina, an elderly widow with dementia, forging an unexpected bond that reshapes their lives and reveals dynamics of love, memory, and resilience on the margins of society.

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner

A deeply moving novel set against the glitz and chaos of early 2000s pop stardom. Equal parts heartfelt family saga and behind-the-scenes look at fame, this is a story about sisters, secrets, and the power of second chances.

The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi

From acclaimed Japanese author Sanaka Hiigari comes a heartwarming, life-affirming novel about a magical photo studio, where people go after they die to view key moments from their life—and relive one precious memory before they pass into the afterlife.

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

Former private investigator and middle-aged widow Muriel Blossom’s vacation on a Parisian river cruise turns into a deadly international mystery … that only she can solve.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

My Name Is Emilia Del Valle by Isabel Allende

In 1800s San Francisco, young writer Emilia, daughter of an Irish nun and a Chilean aristocrat, journeys to South America with talented reporter Eric to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.

The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Corby Ledbetter, grappling with addiction, prison life, and the tragedy that shattered his family, finds unexpected kindness and connection behind bars, as he seeks redemption and hopes for forgiveness from those he’s hurt the most.

Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers

In 1964 Croydon, art therapist Helen Hansford, involved in a secret affair with a married doctor, becomes intrigued by William Tapping, a mute artist discovered living in isolation with his deceased aunts; as she uncovers his past, her own life starts to unravel.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Lucy searches for her missing sister Jess in a modern-day coastal Australian town shrouded in eerie legends, uncovering connections to Jess’s adolescent past and twin sisters from 1800 whose haunting ties to the sea ripple across generations.

Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi

This sweeping novel follows young Anglo-Indian nurse Sona as she embarks on a journey from her home in Bombay, through Prague, Florence, Paris and London, to uncover a mystery and prove her innocence after famous painter Mira Novak dies in her care.

The Tenant by Freida McFadden

Blake Porter, desperate to keep his life afloat after losing his job, rents a room to the seemingly perfect Whitney, but as strange occurrences escalate and secrets unravel, he realizes too late that she’s woven a deadly trap within his own home.

Cloud Warriors: Deadly Storms, Climate Chaos-and the Pioneers Creating a Revolution in Weather Forecasting by Thomas E. Weber

The unprecedented inside story of the people pushing boundaries of science and technology to build better weather forecasts—providing life-saving warnings and crucial intelligence about nature’s deadliest threats.

Joy Goddess: A’lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance by A’lelia Bundles

Based on extensive research and Walker’s personal correspondence, her great-granddaughter creates a meticulous, nuanced portrait of a charismatic woman struggling to define herself as a wife, mother, and businesswoman outside her famous mother’s sphere. In Joy Goddess, A’Lelia’s radiant personality and impresario instincts—at the center of a vast, artistic social world where she flourished as a fashion trendsetter and international traveler—are brought to vivid and unforgettable life.

Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

Drawing on Twain’s bountiful archives, including thousands of letters and hundreds of unpublished manuscripts, Chernow masterfully captures the man whose career reflected the country’s westward expansion, industrialization, and foreign wars, and who was the most important white author of his generation to grapple so fully with the legacy of slavery. Today, more than one hundred years after his death, Twain’s writing continues to be read, debated, and quoted. In this brilliant work of scholarship, a moving tribute to the writer’s talent and humanity, Chernow reveals the magnificent and often maddening life of one of the most original characters in American history.

The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains by Pria Anand

Explores the storytelling nature of the brain through case studies, personal narrative, and cultural critique, examining how neurological symptoms are shaped, interpreted, and often misunderstood within medicine, revealing overlooked truths about illness, identity, and the porous boundaries between health and suffering.

Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives by Gretchen Rubin

The right idea, invoked at the right time, can change our lives. Drawing from her long studies of happiness, and also from the challenges she’s faced herself, writer Gretchen Rubin has discovered the “Secrets of Adulthood” that can help us manage the complexities of life. To convey her conclusions, she turned to the aphorism—the ancient literary discipline that demands that a writer convey a large truth in a few words.