Braen Reading Rocks Summer 2026 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 with fun surprises!

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 2026 webpage.

Prizes will be available for pick up in September.

Updated February 27, 2026
S
Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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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
Encourage kids to explore the great outdoors with this hands-on activity book for ages 6 to 12! The perfect holiday gift for any outdoorsy kid. Track, explore, discover, and create! This nature book for kids is full of activities they can bring on their adventures through the backyard, 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...
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 . . ....
I, rock : a geology tale
Slivensky, Katie
Paper Book
"Rockhounds will delight in finding out how rocks are born" (School Library Journal, starred review) in this charmingly funny and thoroughly informative nonfiction picture book told from the perspective of a proud four-billion-year-old rock. Rock tells his sensational,...
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...
Escucha el lenguaje de los r̀boles : un cuento sobre la comunicacin̤ subterrǹea de los bosques
Kelley, Tera
Paper Book
The forest is abuzz. There is a tiny new seedling that sprouted at the base of the giant old tree. Storms, drought, and pests can be dangerous for a tiny tree just starting out. How will this fragile new life survive? Discover how the little seedling becomes a big part of its new neighborhood.
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.
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...
Ricky, the rock that couldn't roll /
Miletsky, Jason I.,
Paper Book
From zippy little pebbles to big strong boulders, the rock friends get together to play and roll around their favorite hill, only to find that one of their friends, Ricky, can't roll with them. Unlike all of the other rocks, who are all round, Ricky can't roll because he's flat on one side....
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...
A Rock Is Born: An Epic Journey Through Time
Ho, Richard
Paper Book
Follow the epic life cycle of one rock from its prehistoric creation to modern day, in this transportive nonfiction picture book perfect for fans of GRAND CANYON and the Over and Under series. Over one hundred million years ago, on the side of a volcano....a rock is born. ...
A rock is lively
Aston, Dianna Hutts.
Paper Book
From the award-winning creators of An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, and A Butterfly Is Patient comes this gorgeous and informative introduction to the fascinating world of rocks. From dazzling blue Lapis Lazuli to volcanic Snowflake Obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are...
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.
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
From two-time Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Barbara Cooney and celebrated children's book author Alice McLerran comes Roxaboxen, a treasured story about the magic of a child's imagination.  Marian called it Roxaboxen. There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill--nothing...
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 bestselling 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 DiPucchio and Jory John.  ...
A stone is a story
Barnard Booth, Leslie
Paper Book
A National Science Teaching Association Outstanding Science Trade Book Follow a stone's journey through time as it faces ice, water, wind, and scorching heat in this beautiful nonfiction picture book that is Seeds Move! meets A Stone Sat Still. ...
Summer of Rocks
Greene, Jenna
Paper Book
Three sisters spend an adventure-filled summer in the Canadian wilderness, exploring rock quarries, escaping bear attacks, and fighting over space in the backseat of the family pickup truck. It's the summer of 1990, and Amy (age 11), Beth (age 9), and Marion (age 6) are in for the family...
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.
When you find the right rock
Ray, Mary Lyn
Paper Book
A marvelous exploration of the special relationship children find with the natural world and the fascination and friendship they find in special rocks, from poet Mary Lyn Ray and artist Felicita Sala. Somewhere, a rock is waiting for you. One just the right color for your windowsill, or just...
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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