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
S
Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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,...
From Seed to Plant
Gibbons, Gail
Ebook
"Gail Gibbons is known for her ability to bring the nonfiction world into focus for young students. Through pictures, captions, and text, this book provides a window into the world of growing things...Erin Mallon complements Gibbons's text with a clear, clipped, and purposeful narration."...
How a Seed Grows
Jordan, Helene J.
Ebook
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.
Paper Book
Think of all the rocks there are: the skipping rocks, the splashing rocks, and the chalk rocks. Whether the found treasures are climbing rocks or wishing rocks, children can't help collecting them. With joyful text and luminous photographs, If You Find a Rock celebrates rocks everywhere-...
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!
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...
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...
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...
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 a goegeous and informative introduction to the fascianting world of rocks. From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all thier...
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 and minerals!
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...
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
Have you ever sat quietly near a stream, or in a meadow or a wood, and just looked and listened? Well, now is your chance-come walk with Henry Cole in this delightful follow-up to Jack's Garden. Vibrant, die-cut flaps fold out, inviting young viewers to observe the many forms of wildlife and plants...
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...

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