Summer 2024 Reading Recommendations

6/8/24

These recommendations are from the most trustworthy source when it comes to learning what literary works excite and engage— our students!

Armin’s Rec, 4th grade: Front Desk Series by Kelly Yang 

The often lauded favorite is about the clever and determined Mia Tang whose family runs a motel in California and the people she helps along the way. Armin especially recommends book 5 in the series Top Story. 

Grace’s Rec, 9th grade: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This beloved classic focuses on the trials and tribulations of the March sisters as they discover their own identities against the backdrop of the American Civil War. For readers who want to dive into on of the classics of American literature.

Avery’s Rec, 3rd grade: Freestyle by Gale Galligan (graphic novel)

A middle school dance crew readies for a major competition, but more than the top prize is at stake. Friendships strain, balancing grades and practice grows harder and harder, the pressure is mounting…and then come the epic yo-yo tricks. A high-energy read with a lot of heart.

Bella’s Rec, 4th grade: No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

This author is all around student favorite and delivers again with this novel about Wallace Wallace a child who won't lie, even if it means landing him in detention for a scathing book report on the assigned novel, one where the dog dies at the end. Wallace won't lie, but he also won't just accept things as they are.

 

Samaira’s Rec, 4th grade: Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Melody cannot walk or talk, but she is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom - the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she's determined to let everyone know it - somehow.

Sophia’s Rec 4th grade: Momo Arashima Series by Misa Sugiura

12-year-old Momo just wants a normal life, but of course, that is not what fate has in store for this young heroin. In addition to middle school Momo must navigate adventures steep in Japanese lore, including a banished Shinto goddess, a talking fox, and a long-forgotten passageway to Yomi - aka the land of the dead. A normal day will be about the only thing not happening for Momo.

Ellie’s Red 7th grade: Idol Gossip by Alexandra Leigh Young

Moving from San Francisco to Seoul was a big shift for Alice. She lives for the karaoke nights where she can sing and vamp mostly for an audience of one— her sister Olivia. But then one day an old woman hands her a business card and the opportunity to become one of the singing idols she imitates in the karaoke booth.

Eric’s Rec 3rd grade: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

The famed character who is part dog, part man, part cop, but all hero. Pilkey is beloved for his Captain Underpants series, Dog Man continues to deliver the laughs and adventure that young readers expect from his work. A great choice for reluctant readers or those struggling to keep reading outside of school time. 

Alyssa’s Rec 6th grade: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Another classic on our list, this tale was written way back in 1877 but continues to capture readers' hearts and hasn’t let go in the many reprints since. Black Beauty tells the story of a champion horse in the time before automobiles and the harrowing and heartening owners that he encounters throughout his life. Suggested for readers who enjoyed books like Call of the Wild. 

Gavin’s Rec 4th grade: The Ranger’s Apprentice Series by John Flanagan

Written as bedtime stories to get his son interested in reading, Flanagan took the collected stories and turned them into this popular book series that follows the adventures of Will, an orphan chosen as an apprentice Ranger, one of the skilled trackers, archers, and warriors in the service of the King of Araluen who strive to keep the Kingdom safe.