Summer Reading 2019 | Grades K–5 Book Lists
Shoot for the stars with your reading! The only way to keep your literacy skills expanding like the universe is to keep reading throughout the summer. Plus, attend science programs, tech clubs, and more at the Library. Check out these lists, selected by a panel of librarians, for grade-school kids below.
Summer Reading for Grades K–1
Life on Mars by Jon Agee
A young astronaut is trying to find life on Mars, but he's made a very big oversight.
Bright Sky, Starry City by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Aimée Sicuro
Phoebe helps her dad set up telescopes on the sidewalk outside his store to try and see Saturn and Mars when they appear together in the sky.
Clara and Clem in Outer Space by Ethan Long
When Clara and Clem build a robot out of blocks, they have no idea where the robot (and their imagination) will take them. But soon enough, they are in outer space.
Let's Go to the Moon by Erica Silverman, illustrated by Jess Golden
Unable to interest her parents, her brothers, or her dog on a trip to the moon, Lana heads to her room where she uses creativity and imagination to blast off in her own amazing space adventure.
Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires
Binky's blast-off into outer space (outside) to battle aliens (bugs) is delayed when he realizes he's left something behind.
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman, illustrated by Isabel Greenberg
A look at the numbers that surround us, big and small, on earth and in outer space.
Fly Guy Presents: Space by Tedd Arnold
Learn everything about space in this entry in the Fly Guy series.
LEGO Women of NASA: Space Heroes by Hannah Dolan
Read profiles of four women who have been integral to NASA's space program, helping to develop the Hubble Space Telescope, create computer code to send spacecraft to the moon, and work onboard the space shuttle.
Eight Days Gone by Linda McReynolds, illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke
Depicts, in brief verse and illustrations, the 1969 Apollo 11 mission when man first walked on the moon.
Summer Reading for Grades 2–3
Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay
A girl, Zoey, and her cat, Sassafras, use science experiments to help a dragon with a problem.
Meet Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly
In this compilation of four separately published books, Pakistani American second grader Yasmin learns to cope with the small problems of school and home, while gaining confidence in her own skills and creative abilities.
The Alien Next Door: The New Kid by A.I. Newton, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar
While his scientist parents study Earth, second-grader Zeke tries to fit in but Harris, a classmate, notices his abilities and sets out to prove Zeke is an alien.
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot by Dav Pilkey
Ricky Ricotta, a small mouse, is being bullied at school, but when he rescues a powerful robot from its evil creator, he acquires a friend and protector.
Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome by Saraí González and Monica Brown, illustrated by Christine Almeda
Fourth-grader Saraí Gonzalez can do anything. She can bake, dance, and run her own cupcake business. But when Saraí's grandparents are forced to move, even Saraí's not sure what to do. So she hatches a super-awesome plan with her younger sisters and cousin to buy back thehouse. Will Saraí find a way to save the day?
CatStronauts: Mission Moon by Drew Brockington
Alerted to a global energy crisis, the President consults with the World's Best Scientist, who suggests sending a special group of astronauts to turn the Moon into a solar power plant.
My Weird School Fast Facts: Space, Humans, and Farts by Dan Gutman, illustrated by Jim Paillot
Learn weird-but-true science facts with A.J. and Andrea from Dan Gutman's My Weird School series.
Universe by Giles Sparrow
Explore the stars, galaxies, planets, and other phenomena in the universe, and read about the history of human space exploration.
Zoo in the Sky: A Book of Animal Constellations by Jacqueline Mitton, illustrated by Christina Balit
Identifies the groups of stars known as constellations and discusses their origin, uses, and observation.
The Slime Book: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Slime by DK Publishing
Explore more than 30 gloopy, squishy, and stretchy recipes to make all kinds of slime at home.
Summer Reading for Grades 4–5
Space Case: A Moon Base Alpha Novel by Stuart Gibbs
Dashiell Gibson, who lives on Moon Base Alpha, has to solve a murder of one of the moon's most prominent doctors.
The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez
12-year-old María Luisa O'Neill-Morales reluctantly moves with her Mexican-American mother to Chicago and starts seventh grade with a bang, violating the dress code with her punk rock aesthetic and spurning the middle school's most popular girl in favor of starting a band with a group of like-minded weirdos.
The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
When 12-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand, they know it is up to them to defeat the game's diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
Aspiring to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school's track team, gifted runner Ghost finds his goal challenged by a tragic past with a violent father.
Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks
Sanity and Tallulah live in a space station at the end of the galaxy. When Sanity's illegally created three-headed kitten escapes, the girls have to turn their home upside down to find her in this graphic novel.
Amulet #1: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
In their new house, Emily and Navin discover an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell
Follow the adventures of a group of neighborhood children who create costumes from cardboard and use their imagination in adventures with knights, robots, and monsters.
HiLo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick
When a mysterious boy falls from the sky, friends D.J. and Gina must discover the secrets of his identity and help him save the world.
Where Is Our Solar System? by Stephanie Sabol, illustrated by Ted Hammond
Learn about the beginning of the modern age of astronomy, then follow later discoveries, including NASA's current missions in space.
Animal Zombies! by Chana Stiefel
Discover facts and information about parasites and other creatures of the animal world.