2025 TD Summer Reading Books for Older Children

Updated March 5, 2025
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Alterations
Xu, Ray
Paper Book
For fans of Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese and Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward, this funny yet poignant middle-grade coming-of-age story highlights the struggle of feeling invisible while yearning to be seen by all.    ...
Anzu and the realm of darkness
Nguyen, Mai K.
Paper Book
5 Worlds meets Spirited Away in this tale of a girl fighting her way back home after getting trapped in the spirit world. Anzu has just moved to a new town during Obon, a time for families to remember and celebrate their ancestors. Ever since her obaachan died,...
Birds on the brain
Krishnaswami, Uma
Paper Book
The sequel to the award-winning Book Uncle and Me features bird lover Reeni and her quest to save her city's bird count event when the mayor tries to shut it down. Reeni is wild about birds! So when she and her best friend, Yasmin, have to pick a survey topic for a school project, asking...
Bog Myrtle
Sharp, Sid
Paper Book
Best Books of 2024 lists: NYPL, New York Magazine, Quill & Quire * JLG Gold Standard Selection * Moonbeam Children's Book Award Winner * Kids Indie Next Pick * Eisner Award nomination From the Eisner-nominated creator of The Wolf Suit comes another weirdly hilarious, masterfully thought...
Ellen outside the lines
Sass, A. J.
Paper Book
Winner of a Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor! A heartfelt novel about a neurodivergent thirteen-year-old navigating changing friendships, a school trip, and expanding horizons for fans of Rain Reign and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World. ...

Also available in eBook format.

Endangered animals atlas : a journey across the world and into the wild
Jackson, Tom
Paper Book
Endangered Animals Atlas is a richly informative book for animal lovers everywhere, with an important and timely focus on the endangered animals around the world that need our protection.  In this follow-on to Football Atlas,...
A first time for everything : a true story
Santat, Dan
Paper Book
*Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature* A middle grade graphic memoir based on bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life. Dan's always been a...
I can do that! : 1000 ways to become independent
Laboile, Alain
Paper Book
Kids will be able to say, "I can do that!" after reading this value-packed resource dedicated to learning independent life skills. "Really great. I've been waiting for a book like this for a very long time with photos and illustrations that can be understood by a child who can't read...
Kwame crashes the underworld
Farmer, Craig Kofi
Paper Book
Winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.
Lunar boy
Wibowo, Jessica
Paper Book
For fans of The Witch Boy and Squished, Lunar Boy is a must-have heartwarming coming-of-age graphic novel about a young boy from the moon who discovers a home in the most unlikely places, from debut twin creators Jes and Cin Wibowo. Indu, a boy from the moon, feels like he...
The new girl
Calin, Cassandra
Paper Book
This funny, feel-good middle-grade graphic novel about change and acceptance will be a hit with fans of Guts by Raina Telgemeier, Pizza Face by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, and Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang. Goodbye, old life... Lia and her family are...

Also available in eBook format.

Search for a giant squid : pick your path
Forrester, Amy Seto
Paper Book
A new and exciting pick-your-path STEM adventure for emerging readers! This series starter takes emerging readers on an expedition to the ocean's twilight zone in search of a giant squid. But giant squids are hard to find. Readers will need to join the expedition...
Song of the sea : the graphic novel
Sattin, Samuel
Paper Book
A lush graphic novel about family adrift and the magical adventure that brings them together. Based on the award-winning film, this gorgeous adaptation includes a bonus story from the film's creator. Many years after the disappearance of their mother, siblings Ben and Saoirse...
Special delivery : a book's journey around the world
Faber, Polly
Paper Book
This unique story follows the process of making a book from printing to shipping to selling . . . to reading! This beautifully illustrated picture book shows the journey of one book from printer to reader. Bright, contemporary artwork details the people, the vehicles, and the...
Tasty : a history of yummy experiments
Elliott, Victoria Grace
Paper Book
How did cheese happen? Who pickled the first pickle? Explore the history of innovative food in this non-fiction graphic novel filled with facts, legends, and recipes. Have you ever wondered how some of our favorite foods came to be? How was cheese created and who realized it...
Viewfinder
Chung, Christine D. U.
Paper Book
A young space traveler happens upon Earth in the future in this gorgeous wordless adventure for fans of Shaun Tan. A transportive graphic novel for ages 6 to 9, perfect for Earth Day. A young space traveler visits Earth on a whim and finds a planet empty of people. She happens...
Willa and Wade and the way-up-there
Henderson, Judith
Paper Book
Best friends Willa and Wade really want to fly. Sure, Willa's an ostrich and Wade's a penguin. But there must be something they can think of that will get them off the ground! The two thorough thinkers try different ways - from pirouettes to pogo sticks - to catch some air. But while they do a lot...
Swimming into trouble
Ahn, Angela
Paper Book
As a member of the Vipers Swim Team, Julia Nam's always in the pool. Mountainview Community Centre is like her second home, not only because swimming at the aquatic centre is her favourite thing in the world, but also because her parents run the centre's sushi cafe. Julia would much rather...

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