2025 Summer Reading Program: Grades 3-5

Updated January 22, 2025
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Robots : explore the world of robotics and AI
Admoni, Henny, Dr
Paper Book
The future is here. Explore the world of robots and artificial intelligence in this kids' STEM book by robotics professor Dr. Henny Admoni. Hang out in a factory with a pizza-making robot, blast into the past to meet the robot statues in ancient Egyptian temples that spoke to...
Dogtown
Applegate, Katherine
Paper Book
Now a New York Times bestseller, an Indie bestseller, and an Amazon Best Children's Book! From beloved authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko and with illustrations by Wallace West, Dogtown is at once an uplifting story and a page-turning adventure, sure to find a...
The cookie crumbles
Badua, Tracy
Paper Book
The Great British Bake Off meets Knives Out in this fun and propulsive middle grade novel following two best friends who must solve the mystery behind a baking competition gone awry. Laila gave Lucy a cupcake on the second day of kindergarten, and they've been...
Mountain of fire : the eruption and survivors of Mount St. Helens
Barone, Rebecca E. F.
Paper Book
For weeks, the ground around Mount St. Helens shuddered like a dynamite keg ready to explode. There were legends of previous eruptions: violent fire, treacherous floods, and heat that had scoured the area. But the shaking and swelling was unlike any volcano ever seen before. Day and night,...
Seven wonders of Sassafras Springs
Birney, Betty G.
Paper Book
When Eben McAllister reads about the Seven Wonders of the World, he longs to escape the small farming community of Sassafras Springs and do some exploring f his own. No one else ever seems to want to leave Sassafras however -- not even his best pal, Jeb -- and so, for now, Eben figures he's stuck on...
The Hill : inside the secret world of the U.S. Capitol
Brower, Kate Andersen
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Andersen Brower shares a special look inside America's Capitol and highlights what the people who work there mean to the future of democracy. Perfect for readers of Brower's first middle grade book, Exploring the White House! ...
100 things to know about history
Cowan, Laura
Paper Book
Did you know that mammoths and pharaohs walked the earth at the same time? Or that over 30 types of gladiators fought in ancient Rome? This fascinating book is filled with 100 historical facts, bright, infographic-style illustrations, a glossary and index. There are also links to specially selected...
Buffalo dreamer
Duncan, Violet
Paper Book
Summer and her family always spend relaxed summers in Alberta, Canada, on the reservation where her mom's family lives. But this year is turning out to be an eye-opening one. First, Summer has begun to have vivid dreams in which she's running away from one of the many real-life residential schools...
The eyes & the impossible
Eggers, Dave
Paper Book
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER * #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An enthralling novel for all ages by award-winning author Dave Eggers, told from the perspective of one uniquely endearing dog--featuring beautiful artwork from Caldecott honoree Shawn Harris. ...
Next stop
Fong, Debbie
Paper Book
Get ready for a graphic novel road trip with more than just a few bumps in the road! Middle schooler Pia is dealing with grief as she finds herself on the biggest adventure of her life--a bus tour stopping at weird and wacky roadside attractions. Inspired by a real life road trip and...
Kids at work : Lewis Hine and the crusade against child labor
Freedman, Russell.
Paper Book
Photobiography of early twentieth-century photographer and schoolteacher Lewis Hine, using his own work as illustrations. Hines's photographs of children at work were so devastating that they convinced the American people that Congress must pass child labor laws.
Cruzita and the mariacheros
Granillo, Ashley Jean
Paper Book
Praise for Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo: Pura Belpré Children's Author Honor Book Cruzita is going to be a pop star. All she has to do is win a singing contest at her favorite theme park and get famous. But she can't go to the theme park this summer. Instead, she has to help out at...
Heroes
Gratz, Alan
Paper Book
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller! From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee, Ground Zero, and Two Degrees comes this heart-pounding, inventive, and powerful new novel about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor... as only Alan...
The circuit : stories from the life of a migrant child
Jiménez, Francisco
Paper Book
"'La frontera'...I heard it for the first time back in the late 1940s when Papa and Mama told me and Roberto, my older brother, that someday we would take a long trip north, cross la frontera, enter California, and leave our poverty behind." So begins this honest and powerful account of a family...
Summer vamp
Karim, Violet Chan
Paper Book
What happens when a very human kid ends up at the wrong summer camp--FOR VAMPIRES?! This quirky and heart warming graphic novel about making friends and getting in trouble is perfect for fans of Witches of Brooklyn. After a lackluster school year, Maya anticipates an even...
Sona and the golden beasts
LaRocca, Rajani
Paper Book
From Newbery Honor and Walter Award-winning author Rajani LaRocca comes a gripping middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent's Secret and The Last Mapmaker. Though music is outlawed in the land of Devia, Sona hears it everywhere. Sona is a Malech, a member of the...
Please bury me in the library
Lewis, J. Patrick.
Paper Book
There's nothing like curling up with a good book, but you have to be careful. Before you know it, a minute turns into an hour, an hour turns into a day, and a day may turn into . . . eternity. Inspired by the likes of Edward Lear, X. J. Kennedy, and Lewis Carroll, the author of Arithme...
Lei and the fire goddess
Maunakea, Malia
Paper Book
"Lei and the Fire Goddess blends preteen angst and beloved Hawaiian moʻolelo in a way that hasn't been done before." -Auliʻi Cravalho, actress and voice of Disney's Princess Moana Curses aren't real. At least, that's what twelve-year-old, part...
Save the people! : halting human extinction
McAnulty, Stacy
Paper Book
"Save the People is engaging, funny, affecting and delightful. You'll never have more fun learning science." --Stuart Gibbs, bestselling author of the Spy School series "Serious science and great gags, with a bit of hope thrown in." --Steven Sheinkin, bestselling...
Magnolia Wu unfolds it all
Miller, Chanel
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor book and instant New York Times, USA Today, and indie bestseller! Award-winning author and artist Chanel Miller tells a fun, funny, and poignant story of friendship and community starring Magnolia Wu, a ten-year-old sock detective bent on...
Bad news for outlaws : the remarkable life of Bass Reeves, deputy U.S. marshal
Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux.
Paper Book
Coretta Scott King Author AwardRead about the fascinating life of Bass Reeves, who escaped slavery to become the first African American Deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi.Sitting tall in the saddle, with a wide-brimmed black hat and twin Colt pistols on his belt, Bass Reeves seemed bigger...
The lumbering giants of Windy Pines
Netz, Mo
Paper Book
In this debut spooky adventure, Jerry and her trusty wheelchair move into a creepy motel at the edge of the woods where nothing is as it seems. When her mom disappears, it's up to Jerry to brave the forest and its demons so she can save what's left of her family. Ever since...
Uprising
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Iceberg, Jennifer A. Nielsen inspires readers with a brand-new thriller based on the remarkable true story of a young Polish girl who bravely fought, participating in the Warsaw city uprising, and took a stand in the name of freedom.<...
Pink and Say
Polacco, Patricia.
Paper Book
When Sheldon Russell Curtis told this story to his daughter, Rosa, she kept every word in her heart and was to retell it many times. I will tell it in Sheldon's own words as nearly as I can. He was wounded in a fierce battle and left for dead in a pasture somewhere...
The camping trip that changed America : Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our national parks
Rosenstock, Barbara.
Paper Book
Caldecott medalist Mordicai Gerstein captures the majestic redwoods of Yosemite in this little-known but important story from our nation's history. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw...
The labors of Hercules Beal
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill an assignment to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules in real life--and makes discoveries about friendship, community...
The Labors of Hercules Beal
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill an assignment to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules in real life--and makes discoveries about friendship, community...
Any way you look
Siddiqui, Maleeha
Paper Book
What do you do with the wrong kind of attention? Dress Coded meets Amina's Voice in this must-read middle grade novel by Maleeha Siddiqui. Ainy is excited for summer! She plans on working at her mom's clothing store, having adventures with her best friend...
I found a dead bird : the kids' guide to the cycle of life & death
Thornhill, Jan.
Paper Book
I found a dead bird. It made me sad...but I also had a lot of questions, like why did it have to die? How did it die? What would happen to it now that it was dead? This is Jan Thornhill's jumping-off point for an intelligent, sensitive, and wide-ranging look at death and the cycle of life for young...
Timid
Todd, Jonathan
Paper Book
A semiautobiographical middle-grade graphic novel about frenemies, fitting in, and finding your voice.Cecil Hall and his family have just moved from Florida to Massachusetts, near Boston. Cecil is anxious about making friends because he doesn't know where he'll fit in. His older sister, Leah,...
The unadoptables
Tooke, Hana
Paper Book
A delicious fairy tale full of mysterious spirits, daring escapes, and a beautiful message about the power of found families. In all the years that Elinora Gassbeek has been matron of the Little Tulip Orphanage, not once have the Rules for Baby Abandonment been broken. Until the...
Lulu Sinagtala and the city of noble warriors
Villanueva, Gail D.
Paper Book
In this fast-paced, thrilling middle grade fantasy rooted in Tagalog mythology, a young Filipino girl discovers realms beyond our own full of monsters and gods, a terrible evil who wants her magic, and even a talking duck! The first book in a duology from Gail D. Villanueva (My Fate According to...
The Ojja-wojja : a horror-mystery, or whatever
Visaggio, Magdalene
Paper Book
The first in a new graphic novel series from indie comic stars Magdalene Visaggio and Jenn St-Onge is a coming-of-age story about the transformative power of friendship. And an immortal demon with the power to take over the world. But mostly the friendship thing. Welcome to...
The collectors
West, Jacqueline
Paper Book
2019 Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book "Original, brave, and addictive."--Adam Gidwitz, bestselling author of the Newbery Honor Book The Inquisitor's Tale Fast-paced, witty, and riveting, this contemporary fantasy adventure has magic woven through every page. The...
Amazing immortals : a guide to gods and goddesses around the world
Williams, Dinah
Paper Book
A culturally diverse, fact-filled, and gorgeously illustrated introduction to over 80 gods and goddesses from around the world--a perfect introduction to mythology for young readers. With heroic deeds, family drama, pulse-pounding battles, and shape-shifting magic, mythology...
Gone fishing : a novel in verse
Wissinger, Tamera Will.
Paper Book
Nine-year-old Sam loves fishing with his dad. So when his pesky little sister, Lucy, horns in on their fishing trip, he's none too pleased: "Where's my stringer? / Something's wrong! / The princess doll does not belong!" All ends well in this winsome book of poems--each labeled with its proper...
Shiny misfits
Zayid, Maysoon
Paper Book
Bay Ann doesn't think she's a star--she knows it! Now how does she prove it to the rest of the world? This is a hilarious graphic novel about friendship, fame, and fighting for control of your own story, perfect for fans of Nat Enough, Click, and Invisible. Bay...

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