Braen Reading Rocks Summer 2025 Book List

In partnership with Braen Stone, Sussex County Library System will encourage children ages 2 -12 to read any five books from this list.

Starting August 1, 2025, stop by any branch to register. Kids will receive a bookmark and log sheet to complete the challenge. Children have till August 31, 2025 to read any five books from this list. Those who complete the mission will receive Reading Rocks prize box, which includes:

  • A Braen Stone T-shirt
  • 2 tickets to a 2026 Sussex Miners Baseball Game
  • Notepad & Pen
  • Reusable Cup & Straw
  • Quarry Kids Book, Mighty Machines Diggers Book, & an issue of Boulder Kids Magazine
  • Other Goodies from Braen Stone!

Paper copy of the book list is available at any branch or you can also print out a copy of any of the booklists located on our summer reading 2025 webpage.

Prizes will be available for pick up in September.

Updated July 3, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Be a friend to trees
Lauber, Patricia.
Paper Book
Why should you be a friend to trees Trees are a valuable natural resource. People depend on trees for food, and animals depend on trees for food and shelter. But most important, we depend on trees because they add oxygen, a gas we all need, to the air. While trees give us many wonderful products,...
Construction site /
McDonald, Jill
Paper Book
Learn from home and explore the world with these fun and easy board books! Fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site will love this vehicle-filled adventure in the hit Hello, World! board book series. Toddlers can learn all about the busy world of a construction site,...
Digger /
Littleboy, Molly,
Paper Book
This interactive book features layered die cut pages throughout to introduce toddlers to diggers and how they work. Diggers are so exciting! Children can learn all about how they work with this interactive board book that features layered die cut pages throughout. Simple callouts...
Diggers
Askew, Amanda.
Paper Book
Get the lowdown on some of the most exciting machines on the planet with this fantastic bumper guide. Aimed at young readers, the easy-to-read text and strong, clear images will encourage even the most reluctant reader to get involved.
Exploring nature activity book for kids :
Andrews, Kim
Paper Book
Explore the great outdoors with this hands-on activity book for ages 6 to 12! Track, explore, discover, and create! This incredible choice in nature books for kids is full of activities you can bring on your adventures through your backyard, the park, the woods, and beyond. No matter the...
From seed to plant
Gibbons, Gail.
Paper Book
Flowers, trees, fruits--plants are all around us, but where do they come from?   With simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination.  Important...
Hair
Turner, Brook Sitgraves
Paper Book
Beautiful photos of real-life families showcase all the wonderful forms of hair, while poetic text builds both vocabulary and empathy. HAIR helps families and educators discuss race, celebrate difference, and stand against racism at home and in the classroom. Created with 0-5-year-olds in mind.Part...
How a seed grows
Jordan, Helene J.
Paper Book
Revised illustrations and format make this book, originally published in 1960, a valuable choice. With charming illustrations and clear text, this simple introduction leads young readers through a series of steps that result in bean plants as well as a basic understanding of how seeds work. Children...
I'm trying to love rocks /
Barton, Bethany,
Paper Book
The fourth totally awesome, funny, and incredibly informative book in the "I'm Trying to Love..." book series! Think rocks are boring? Hard to like? Kinda just sit there, doing nothing? Why even write a whole book about them?? Bethany Barton will tell you why . . ....
If you find a rock
Christian, Peggy (Children's author)
Paper Book
Think of all the rocks there are: skipping rocks, splashing rocks, climbing rocks, and wishing rocks. Children can't help collecting them. With joyful, poetic text and luminous photographs, If You Find a Rock celebrates rocks everywhere--as well as the mysterious and wonderful places they are...
Listen to the language of the trees :
Kelley, Tera,
Paper Book
This captivating book explores the real connection and communication that runs underground between trees in the forest. The well-researched details about trees' own social network will help readers see that the natural world's survival depends on staying connected and helping others-just like us!
Loaders
Askew, Amanda.
Paper Book
Get the lowdown on some of the most exciting machines on the planet with this fantastic bumper guide. Aimed at young readers, the easy-to-read text and strong, clear images will encourage even the most reluctant reader to get involved.
Mining /
Drake, Jane,
Paper Book
This book from the America at Work series introduces young children to the people, machines and environmental concerns involved in the resource-based industry of mining. In Mining, kids explore an underground mine, a surface coal mine and an oil drilling site. Combining fact and fiction with...
Nesting /
Cole, Henry,
Paper Book
Award-winning author-illustrator Henry Cole soars to new heights in this stunning picture book about robins: their homes, their lives, and their families. In this black-and-white picture book highlighted with robin's egg blue, the reader will follow two robins as they build a...
Old Rock (is not boring) /
Pilutti, Deb.
Paper Book
Quirky charm infuses this tale of Old Rock's life story, which is much more exciting than you'd expect. Old Rock has been sitting in the same spot in the pine forest for as long as anyone can remember. Spotted Beetle, Tall Pine, and Hummingbird think just sitting there must be...
On the construction site /
Brown, Carron
Paper Book
Young builders will delight in exploring all the hidden secrets of a construction site. They simply hold the book's pages to the light to "see-through" everything that's being built - inside and out.
On the way to the beach /
Cole, Henry,
Paper Book
Find a place to sit and watch and listen ... on the beach or in the woods or in a salt marsh. What can you see and hear?
The outdoor scientist :
Grandin, Temple
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned scientist and autism spokesperson Temple Grandin comes a book about exploring the world around us, asking questions, and making sense of what we see--with 40 fun outdoor activities that promote independent thinking, which kids...
The outdoor scientist : the wonder of observing the natural world
Grandin, Temple
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned scientist and autism spokesperson Temple Grandin comes a book about exploring the world around us, asking questions, and making sense of what we see--with 40 fun outdoor activities that promote independent thinking, which kids...
The periodic table of elements : understanding the building blocks of everything
Chad, Jon
Paper Book
Step out of your element with Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements, the latest volume of First Second's nonfiction graphic novel series! A book of fun chemistry experiments has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Mel can use her knowledge of the periodic table to...
Ricky, the rock that couldn't roll /
Miletsky, Jason I.,
Paper Book
Unlike the other rocks that he plays with, Ricky can't roll because he isn't round. His friends help him to overcome his challenge and find a way for him to play like everyone else.
Road builders /
Hennessy, B. G.; author
Paper Book
Ever wonder how a road is built? Come along with Caldecott Medalist Simms Taback and find out First you'll meet the crew. Then you'll see all the trucks up close--cement mixers, bulldozers, dump trucks, graders, pavers--and learn what each one does. And finally, you'll watch a bustling...
A rock can be ... /
Salas, Laura Purdie
Paper Book
A rock is a rock, part of cliff, road or sea. But now can you guess what else it can be? A rock can be a...dinosaur bone, stepping-stone, hopscotch marker, fire sparker. Find out about the many roles a rock can play in this poetic exploration of rocks around the world. Laura Purdie...
Rock collecting for kids :
Lynch, Dan R,
Paper Book
Rock collecting is simple and fun with this children's book that includes an introduction to geology, an identification guide to rocks and minerals, and a "how to" section. Nature's treasures are just beneath our feet, waiting to be discovered. With this book, you'll experience the...
Rock hunt /
Yale, Kathleen
Paper Book
This rock-themed addition to the best-selling Backpack Explorer series gets budding geologists outside to learn about rocks, minerals, land. Learn basic geology, with facts about landforms and igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Create a rock...
A rock is lively
Aston, Dianna Hutts.
Paper Book
From the creators of the award-winning An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Butterfly Is Patient, and A Nest Is Noisy comes this gorgeous and informative introduction to the fascinating world of rocks. From dazzling blue Lapis Lazuli to volcanic Snowflake Obsidian, an...
Rocks : hard, soft, smooth, and rough
Rosinsky, Natalie M.
Paper Book
The rocks you see everyday can be grouped into different types, like igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic. Some rocks are actually minerals, and you can even find fossils in some types of rocks.
Rock and mineral
Farndon, John.
Paper Book
Part of DK and GoogleÝs exciting family reference partnership, e.guides look at core topics from many angles, using facts, 3-D models, data boxes, charts, and more, bringing together the best of the Web with DKÝs outstanding reference books.
Rocks and minerals /
McDonald, Jill
Paper Book
Learning about rocks and minerals is made easy for young readers with the bestselling nonfiction board book series Hello, World! A perfect gift for aspiring little geologists! Young children love exploring the beach to find shiny, colorful rocks. Now Hello, World! can teach them...
Explore rocks & minerals : 25 great projects, activities, experiments
Brown, Cynthia L.
Paper Book
Explore Rocks and Minerals! offers kids ages 6-9 a fascinating introduction to geology. It investigates the geological forces that create and transform rocks, outlining the life cycle of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, and what they can tell us about the earth. It also...
Roxaboxen
McLerran, Alice
Paper Book
Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill -- nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo -- but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged...
Scribble stones /
Alber, Diane
Paper Book
Someone builds the dream
Wheeler, Lisa
Paper Book
Buildings, bridges, and books don't exist without the workers who are often invisible in the final product, as this joyous and profound picture book reveals from acclaimed author of The Christmas Boot Lisa Wheeler andNew York Times bestselling illustrator of LoveLoren Long<...
Stick and Stone
Ferry, Beth.
Paper Book
New York Times best-selling duo Stick and Stone are STICKing together in this hilarious and heartwarming picture book that proves once and for all why best friends ROCK! From beloved picture book creators Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld, perfect for fans of Kelly...
Tell me, tree :
Gibbons, Gail
Paper Book
Learn all about trees, leaves, and their inner workings in this colorful, favorite picture book by award-winning nonfiction author and illustrator Gail Gibbons. Trees shelter and surround us. Their leaves offer shade from the hot summer sun. In autumn, they dazzle...
I took a walk
Cole, Henry
Paper Book
A visit to woods, pasture, and pond brings encounters with various birds, insects, and other creatures of nature. Flaps fold out to reveal the animals on each two-page spread.
What can you do with a rock? /
Miller, Pat Zietlow.
Paper Book
From award-winning author Pat Zietlow Miller, a timeless story about creativity, exploration, and friendship What can you do with a rock? You can skip them. You can sort them. Best of all, you can share them. Rocks are simple, but the things you can do...
Where do diggers sleep at night? /
Sayres, Brianna Caplan.
Paper Book
Truck-obsessed toddlers will want to make the diggers, tractors, fire engines, and more featured in this fun-filled construction tale part of their nightly bedtime routines! Discover what bedtime looks like for the snowplows, dump trucks, giant cranes, and more that dot the pages...

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