Youth Summer Reading 2024 August Picks
SLNC Accessible Books and Library Services is happy to announce the first series of our Summer 2024 reading list!
This list is curated for the month of June and explores Historical Fiction with rich plots and colorful characters that help tell stories that will enhance your sunny summer days.
Below is the list of books for each grade level. Dive into the titles, authors and annotations of this year’s summer reading list!
- Please check annotations for any warnings or sensitivities mentioned in the books to ensure satisfaction with the books!
Books Grades K-3
Books Grades 4-7
Books Junior High and Senior High
Grades K-3
The Big Balloon Race
Author: Eleanor Coerr
DB031500
Annotation: In the late 1800s, balloon races were very popular in the United States. Ariel almost causes her mother, Carlotta the Great, to lose a race, then helps her to win it. For grades K-3.
Shaker Boy
Author: Mary Lyn Ray
DB042408
Annotation: Caleb is unsure about living in a Shaker village after his father's death in the Civil War. He grows up working hard and learning various trades. For grades K-3.
Three Names
Author: Patricia MacLachlan
DB036329
Annotation: Great-grandfather reminisces about his school days and his dog, Three Names, who went everywhere with him. For grades K-3.
The Bicycle Man
Author: Allen Say
DB037297
Annotation: The author recalls a "sportsday" held at his school in post-WWII Japan, where two American soldiers performed amazing tricks on a bicycle. For grades K-3.
Penny in the Road
Author: Katharine Precek
DB034845
Annotation: In 1913, a boy finds an old penny and imagines the life of its previous owner. The story is shared across generations. For grades K-3 and older readers.
Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me
Author: Ann Grifalconi
DBC02428
Annotation: A grandfather tells his granddaughter about his experience on the Underground Railroad and his escape from slavery. For grades K-3.
The Bravest Man in the World
Author: Patricia Polacco
DB097221
Annotation: A grandfather, once an orphaned stowaway on the Titanic, shares his story of bravery and friendship with a musician who played during the sinking. For grades K-3. 2019.
Arbor Day Square
Author: Kathryn Galbraith
DB071660
Annotation: Katie and her papa encourage tree planting in their new prairie town, starting a yearly Arbor Day celebration. For grades K-3. 2010.
No Star Nights
Author: Anna Smucker
DB032817
Annotation: The author recalls growing up in a small steel mill town in the 1950s where the furnaces' glow obscured the stars. For grades K-3.
When the Whippoorwill Calls
Author: Candice Ransom
DB043930
Annotation: Polly's family lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains during the 1920s and 1930s. They face the challenge of moving when the government plans to turn their mountain into a park. For grades K-3.
Grades 4-7
The Puppeteer's Apprentice
Author: Anne D. Love
DB057697
Annotation: A scullery maid named Mouse follows her dreams to become a puppeteer's apprentice in medieval England. For grades 4-7. 2003.
Echo Mountain
Author: Lauren Wolk
DB099827
Annotation: In 1934, after losing their livelihood, twelve-year-old Ellie and her family move to a mountain cabin where Ellie learns to be an outdoorswoman and healer. For grades 4-7. 2020.
Out of Left Field
Author: Ellen Klages
DB090952
Annotation: In the late 1950s, ten-year-old Katy Gordon fights to be allowed to play Little League baseball, inspired by civil rights and female ball players. For grades 4-7. 2018.
The Gate in the Wall
Author: Ellen Howard
DB050050
Annotation: In Victorian England, ten-year-old orphan Emma Deane finds a new life working on a canal boat. For grades 4-7. 1999.
Shakespeare's Secret
Author: Elise Broach
DBC17051
Annotation: Sixth-grader Hero, named after a Shakespeare character, investigates a valuable diamond hidden in her house and becomes friends with an intriguing neighbor. For grades 4-7. 2005.
Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth
Author: Sheila O'Connor
DB094039
Annotation: Eleven-year-old Reenie strikes up an unlikely friendship with Mr. Marsworth, an elderly recluse, to help keep her brother from being drafted in the Vietnam War. For grades 4-7. 2018.
Someplace to Call Home
Author: Sandra Dallas
DB109993
Annotation: In 1933, twelve-year-old Hallie Turner and her brothers seek work in small-town Kansas and find kindness along the way. For grades 4-7.
Turtle in Paradise
Author: Jennifer Holm
DB072844
Annotation: In 1935, during the Great Depression, ten-year-old Turtle moves to Key West, Florida, and has adventures with her cousins involving a treasure map and a hurricane. For grades 4-7. Newbery Honor. 2010.
We Dream of Space
Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
DB099888
Annotation: In 1986, three siblings struggle with personal anxieties as they anticipate the launch of the space shuttle Challenger. The event changes their lives in unexpected ways. For grades 4-7. 2020.
Talking Leaves
Author: Joseph Bruchac
DB0853655
Annotation: Thirteen-year-old Uwohali reconnects with his father, Sequoyah, who is developing the Cherokee syllabary. For grades 4-7. 2016.
Junior and Senior High
Incantation
Author: Alice Hoffman
DB063850
Annotation: In Spain, 1500, sixteen-year-old Estrella learns of her family's secret Jewish identity and faces betrayal and persecution. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
The Samurai's Tale
Author: Erik Christian Haugaard
DB024357
Annotation: Taro, a boy in sixteenth-century Japan, rises to become a samurai amidst great lords fighting for control of the land. For junior and senior high and older readers.
Spitting Image
Author: Shutta Crum
DBC15973
Annotation: Twelve-year-old Jessie Kay Bovey comes of age in 1960s Kentucky, dealing with poverty, glasses, and puberty. For junior and senior high readers.
Pictures, 1918
Author: Jeanette Ingold
DB051871
Annotation: High school junior Asia grows feelings for her neighbor Nick and becomes enamored with photography during WWI while worrying about her grandmother's forgetfulness. For junior and senior high readers. 1998.
Out of Step with the Dancers
Author: Elizabeth Howard
DB013580
Annotation: Sixteen-year-old Damaris struggles to adjust to life in a Shaker settlement and leaving her love interest, Matthew. For junior and senior high and adult readers.
Born for Adventure
Author: Kathleen Karr
DB065793
Annotation: In 1887, sixteen-year-old Tom Ormsby joins an expedition to rescue Emin Pasha in the Congo and encounters various dangers and life-changing experiences. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
Ashes of Roses
Author: Mary Jane Auch
DB055437
Annotation: Sixteen-year-old Margaret Rose Nolan works at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in NYC and survives the 1911 fire. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. 2002.
The Dangerous Game
Author: Milton Dank
DB012888
Annotation: A sixteen-year-old French student joins the Resistance against the Nazis and becomes a hero. For junior and senior high readers.
The Secret of Sarah Revere
Author: Ann Rinaldi
DB040983
Annotation: Thirteen-year-old Sarah Revere deals with her father's revolutionary secrets, her jealousy over Dr. Warren's attention to her stepmother, and her own feelings. For junior and senior high readers.
Strings Attached
Author: Judy Blundell
DB074701
Annotation: In 1950, Kit Corrigan flees to NYC to perform on Broadway but is entangled by her ex-boyfriend's gangster father. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2011.