Summer is here and school is out, which means students get to relax, sleep in, and make fun memories with families and friends. Many students want to be able to read fiction books over the summer, so independent reading time is the perfect opportunity to do so. In this post, I’ll highlight some excellent books to entertain, peak interest, and engage students all summer long.

Early Childhood (Ages 4-11):

Dinosaur Club: The T-Rex Attack by Rex Stone

Dinosaur Club: The T-Rex Attack is the perfect summer book for children. It follows two characters, Jamie and Tess, as they travel back in time to meet some not-so-friendly dinosaurs, such as T-Rex. This book will excite young kids with drawings, dinosaur facts, and quizzes.

J.D. and the Hair Show Showdown by J. Dillard

J.D. the Kid Barber won a barber battle at the young age of eight years old. As a result, he’s the youngest barber to be invited to the Beauty Brothers Hair Expo in Atlanta. From a free flight, limo ride, and sponsorship gifts, he is treated like a celebrity. He gets to enjoy the show and all the perks that come along with it, but he’s most excited about meeting eleven-year-old rapper, Li’l Eazy Breezy, which is hard to do. 

Melody Lifts Her Voice (American Girl) by Bria Alston

Melody Ellison loves to sing and garden, and inspired by her family and friends of the Civil Rights movement, decides to make changes in her community. Her story of leadership will engage readers, as they learn what it means to be a girl in 1964. This book features engaging characters, dolls, and more than 30 stickers.

The Best of Iggy by Annie Barrows

The Best of Iggy is a hilarious series that follows 9-year-old Iggy Frangi, a bad kid who loves to pull pranks. He doesn’t think it’s a problem, because no one has ever gotten hurt … until now.

Up in the Air by Zoe Armstrong

Summer is the perfect time to explore and enjoy nature. In Zoe Armstrong’s book, she provides gorgeous illustrations showcasing cross-curriculum science topics, plant and animal species, and a guide to bird watching, cloud discovery, and identifying different constellations of stars. For children who love natural science, this book is the perfect addition to their summer reading list.

Young Adult (Ages 12-18):

A House Between Earth and the Moon by Rebecca Scherm

For twenty years, Alex has been obsessed with his gene-edited super-algae that he thinks will slow and even reverse the effects of climate change. This has resulted in the failure of his marriage, relationship with his children, and the downfall of his career. The Son Sisters, the founders of the colossal tech company Sensus, offered him a chance to complete his research, but the caveat was that his lab would be in outer space on Parallaxis, the first-ever luxury residential space station built for millionaires. This story is an interchange between the foundations of technology and the human bonds that hold us together.

Beauty and the Besharam by Lillie Vale

Inspired by the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, Vale showcases an Indian American heroine and a Korean American hero who challenge the perception that “Belle” must be sweet and selfless. This story is heartwarming and highlights that characters don’t have to be perfect by any means or conform to societal demands to be understood. 

Flirting with Fate by J.C. Cervantes

Ava Granados is distraught over missing her beloved grandma’s funeral due to a fender bender she got into with a mysterious boy. As a result, she missed her grandmother’s mystical blessing — one that has been passed upon death for generations between the women of her family. She tries to retrieve the missed blessing with the help from her family and Nana’s ghost, all while befriending the random boy that she is protecting her heart from.

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

In this story, Taylor describes a magical hotel that transports itself everywhere every night at midnight. It seems too good to be true for two young sisters, Jani and Zosa, who desire to work for the legendary hotel, which appears once every 10 years in the city they live in. This fantasy world will captivate young readers as they follow both sisters who try to solve the mysteries of the hotel.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

John Green’s 2012 novel was called the greatest love story of the decade and hit its 10th anniversary this year. The story follows Hazel and Gus, two patients in a cancer ward, as they navigate life and love on a tight timeline. It’s a story of hope, perseverance, and finding love in unexpected ways.

I hope you enjoy these fantastic reads, as they’ll be sure to take you out of the academic realm and allow you to expand your imagination, explore new topics, and relate to new characters. If you have any other books that you have on your summer reading list, please feel free to share them below.