2026 TD Summer Reading Books for Older Children

Updated March 13, 2026
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Atana and the firebird
Zhou, Vivian
Paper Book
A mermaid, a firebird, and a witch become entangled with the mysterious and powerful Witch Queen, who may hold the key to each of their past in this epic middle grade fantasy by debut author Vivian Zhou. Atana's island may be quiet and peaceful, but mostly, it's lonely. With...

Also available in eBook format.

Safe harbor
Venkatraman, Padma
Paper Book
An uplifting novel in verse about an immigrant girl adjusting to life in the US through her love of nature, music, and poetry, by the award-winning author of The Bridge Home When Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents' divorce, they leave...
Full circle : creation, migration, and coming home
Boxer, Elisa
Paper Book
This lyrical adventure follows the bluefin tuna, puffin, sea turtle, and Atlantic salmon through their life cycle. Each of these special species has a characteristic called natal homing. They're born, leave home to eat and mate, and then return to precisely where they were born to start their own...
Growing home
Ferry, Beth
Ebook
An instant New York Times bestseller! "A meditative, charming delight." --School Library Journal (starred review) An unlikely team of talkative plants, a curious spider, and a grumpy goldfish use their newfound magical abilities to defend their...
How the sea came to be : and all the creatures in it
Berne, Jennifer
Ebook
***THREE STARRED REVIEWS*** A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids  A Chicago Public Library Kids Best of the Best Book Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year List - STEM &...

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