Rising First Grade Summer Reading List
Because learning to read is a process not all children work through at the same pace,
we realize that a single reading list will not meet the needs of all our children. Please
use the books on this list as a starting point for choosing books to read this summer!
One of the things we will work on in first grade is choosing “just right books” so that our
children will have the tools they will need for independently selecting books on their own
reading levels.
Books Beginning Readers Typically Enjoy Reading:
-
Brand New Readers Series by Candlewick Press (available at bookstores)
Books with repetitive or predictable texts such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear
or Five Little Ducks or The Chick and the Duckling
Paperback books by Creative Teaching Press such as All Through the Week
with Cat and Dog or Bears, Bears Everywhere or How’s the Weather?
Beginning Chapter Books:
-
Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant
Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel
Amanda Pig series by Jean Van Leeuween
Little Bear series by Esla Minarik
Fox and His Friends series by Edward Marshall
More Challenging Books First Graders Typically Enjoy:
-
Cam Jansen series by David Adler
Nate the Great series by Marjorie Sharmat
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
Please remember that children benefit from listening to stories read aloud. This is a
great time to share books based on your child’s interests. You can help your child by
modeling fluent reading and reading for understanding. Thanks in advance for
spending time this summer enjoying books with your child!
Rising 2nd Grade Summer Reading List - Polo Ridge Elementary
The following books are suggestions for summer reading. Please feel free to read other books
that are not on this list. The most important thing is to read this summer! It will help keep
your skills sharp. Remember to read silently, read aloud to someone else, or have someone
read to you. All three types of reading are important to help you grow as a reader! Happy
Reading 
Picture Books
Alexander – How the Cat Swallowed Thunder
Brown - Arthur Series
Brett Comet’s – Nine Lives
Falconer – Olivia Series
Long – How I Became a Pirate
Moss – Amelia Series
Pfister – Rainbow Fish Series
San Souci – The Talking Egg
Silverstein – The Giving Tree
Steig – Doctor DeSoto
Beginning Chapter Books
Brenner – Wagon Wheels
Brown – Arthur Chapter Book Series
Hoff - Danny the Dinosaur
Howe – Pinky and Rex Series
Kessler – Stan the Hot Dog Man
Lobel – Frog and Toad Series
Mills – Gus and Grandpa Series
Sharmat – Nate the Great Series
Van Leeuwen – Oliver and Amanda Pig
Longer Chapter Books
Brown – Stanley and the Magic Lamp
Invisible Stanley
Byars – Tornado
Christopher – The Lucky Baseball Bat
Cleary – Ramona Series
Conford – A Case for Jenny Archer
Danziger – Amber Brown is NOT a Crayon
DiCamillo – Mercy Watson to the Rescue
Duffey – Hey, New Kid
King-Smith – Ace, the Very Important Pig
Mahy – Rattle bang Picnic
McMullan – Fluffy Series
Osborne – Magic Tree House Series
Park – Junie B. Jones Series
Sobol – Encyclopedia Brown Series
Warner – The Boxcar Children Series
3rd Grade Summer Reading Recommendations
Matt Christoper:
Baseball Pals
Challenge at Second Base
The Dog thet Called the Pitch
Beverly Cleary:
Muggie Maggie
Otis Spofford
Henry Huggins
Ramona Quimby
Johanna Hurwitz:
Aldo Applesauce
Class President
Fourth Grade Fuss
David Adler:
Cam Jansen
Young Cam Jansen
Andy Russel
Judy Blume:
The Fudge Books:
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Otherwise Known as Shiela the Great
Superfudge
Andrew Clements:
Jake Drake
Bully Buster
Class Clown
Teacher's Pet
Mary Pope Osborne:
Magic Tree House
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/magictreehouse/
My America
Dear America
Louis Sachar:
Stories from Wayside School
Marvin Redpost
Visit the Public Library for their list of summer reading activities and books! 
Summer Reading List for Rising 4th graders
The Missing Manatee by Cynthia DeFelice
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Heaven by Angela Johnson
Pictures of Hollis Woods Patricia R Giff
Chase by Jessie Haas
The White Giraffe Lauren St. John
Out of the Dust Karen Hesse
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Hatchet Gary Paulsen
Number the Stars Lois Lowry
Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade Barthe DeClements
Hoot Carl Hiasson
Sign of the Beaver Elizabeth George Speare
Old Yeller Fred Gipson
Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket
Stargirl Jerry Spinelli
A Long Way from Chicago Richard Peck
Shiloh Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Tale of Despereaux Kate DiCamillo
The Lightening Thief Rick Riordan
ELEMENTARY SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST
This is a suggested list of books to check out at your local library this summer to enhance your
child's reading skills while out of school. You can visit www.plcmc.org to find a list of the branch
closest to you. We hope to see you this summer!
FIFTH GRADE
TITLE
A Wrinkle in Time
A Young Patriot: The American Revolution
as Experienced by One Boy
Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds
Black Cowboy Wild Horses
By the Great Horn Spoon!
Earth’s Fiery Fury
Going Back Home: An Artist Returns to
the South
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie
Robinson
Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream!
Mr. Revere and I
Nikola Tesla: a Spark of Genius
Nory Ryan’s Song
Phoebe the spy
Pueblo Story teller
Tales of the Shimmering Sky
The Planets
The True Adventures of Grizzly Adams
Thomas Edison: Inventor of the Age of
Electricity
Walk Across the Sea
AUTHOR
Madeleine L’Engle
Jim Murphy
Cynthia Rylant
Julius Lester & Jerry Pinkney
Sid Fleischmann
Sandra Downs
Michelle Wood
Bette Boa Lord
Jacqueline D”Adamo
Robert Lawson
Carol Dommermuth-Costa
Patricia Reilly Giff
Judith Berry Griffin
Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Susan Milford
Gail Gibbons
Robert McClung
Linda Tagliaferro
Susan Fletcher