Braen Reading Rocks Summer 2026 Book List

Reading Rocks Summer Reading Kickoff Program

In partnership with Braen Stone, Sussex County Library System will encourage children ages 2 -12 to read any five books from this list.

There are two ways you can register!

1. Join us for our kick-off event will take place Friday, July 31st at Skylands Stadium in Augusta, NJ, featuring live entertainment from Eyes of the Wild, where kids will get to see reptiles and other animals up close. We’ll also have ice cream and a little baseball-themed fun to round out the day! At the event, meet our library staff, and register for the reading program. The summer reading program will run from Saturday, August 1, 2026 - Monday, August 31, 2026. Families can register for one of two showtimes: 10:00 AM or 11:30 AM. Click here to register: 10:00am show or 11:30am show

2. Can't make the kickoff program, stop by any branch to register, Kids will receive a bookmark, booklist and a log sheet to complete the challenge. Children have till August 31, 2026 to read any five books from this list. Those who complete the mission will receive a Reading Rocks prize box with fun surprises!

Paper copy of the book list is also available at any branch or at our Kick-off programs.

Prizes will be available for pick up in September.

Updated April 11, 2026
S
Sussex County Library System (NJ)
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
All about fossils : discovering dinosaurs and other clues to the past
Crane, Cody
Paper Book
What kinds of fossils exist, and where are they found? What are fossils and how do they form? This book answers this question and many more about the fascinating world of fossils. From the discovery of dinosaurs to the information fossils reveal about Earth's prehistoric past, everything readers...
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,...
Danny and the dinosaur /
Hoff, Syd,
Paper Book
Syd Hoff's comical, charming illustrations will delight readers young and old alike in this beloved classic I Can Read about a boy and his best friend, a dinosaur. Danny loves dinosaurs! When he sees one at the museum and says, "It would be nice to play with a dinosaur," a voice answers,...
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
More fabulous huge machines for the kids who love them. Diggers are busy shovelers. The cab is perched high and rotates as the big arm digs, lifts and drops its load. The big teeth at the end of the bucket are menacing as they push soil and manipulate huge rocks and logs. This book...
Dinosaurs before dark
Osborne, Mary Pope.
Paper Book
Where did the magic tree house come from? Before Jack and Anie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them back to the prehistoric past. Now can they do it before dark... or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?
Dinosaurs before dark : the graphic novel
Laird, Jenny
Paper Book
The #1 bestselling chapter book is now a graphic novel! Magic. Mystery. Time-travel. Get whisked back in time in the magic tree house with Jack and Annie! Where did the tree house come from?      Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious...
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
Read and find out about how a tiny acorn grows into an enormous oak tree in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book. This is a clear and appealing environmental science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Plus it includes a find out more...
How do Dinosaurs say good night?
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
Perfect for bedtime reading, children love the laugh-aloud antics of playful dinosaur children who stomp and fuss and jump on the bed in this award-winning New York Times bestseller! How do dinosaurs say good night? Brimming with humor and familiar good-night...
How do dinosaurs say good night?
Yolen, Jane.
Other
Internationally acclaimed author Jane Yolen composes a playful bedtime book about young dinosaurs.Format: Paperback book and CDIn a few simple lines of verse on each spread, fathers and mothers are ready to put their youngsters to bed. But in this book, the youngsters are a wide variety of dinosaurs...
How do Dinosaurs say good night?
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
Perfect for bedtime reading, children love the laugh-aloud antics of playful dinosaur children who stomp and fuss and jump on the bed in this award-winning New York Times bestseller! How do dinosaurs say good night? Brimming with humor and familiar good-night...
How do dinosaurs say I love you?
Yolen, Jane.
Paper Book
With more than 7 million copies sold, everybody's favorite bestselling dinosaurs are back to say: "I love you," in a VERY big way!Parents and children can never have enough ways to say "I love you"--and now, America's favorite dinosaurs are giving families a funny book, perfect for bedtime,...
How to catch a dinosaur
Wallace, Adam
Paper Book
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling team comes a dinomite How to Catch adventure sure to delight any dinosaur fan, the perfect Easter basket stuffer! Do dinosaurs still walk among us? Sure, no one has seen one, but if alligators, whales, and even birds still exist, then...
How to catch a dinosaur
Wallace, Adam
Paper Book
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling team comes a dinomite How to Catch adventure sure to delight any dinosaur fan, the perfect Easter basket stuffer! Do dinosaurs still walk among us? Sure, no one has seen one, but if alligators, whales, and even birds still exist, then...
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 the Dinosaurs Came Back
Most, Bernard
Paper Book
In this delightful book, a small boy imagines a world where dinosaurs perform public services. “Bold lines accentuate imaginative, humorous ideas. A natural for student response: students formulate their own outcomes about what would happen if the dinosaurs returned. An overwhelming favorite in...
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!
Loaders
Askew, Amanda
Paper Book
More fabulous huge machines for the kids who love them. Loaders easily move material around job sites -- no matter how big or difficult it seems. This book reminds children how often they actually see loaders. In the city loaders are used as snowplows or to move building materials...
MIS Zapatos de Dinosaurio / My Dinosaur Shoes
Tassopoulos Wehner, Eleni
Paper Book
Come along with Roscoe & Ivy as Roscoe transitions to a new pair of shoes!  Roscoe really, really loves his puppy shoes. They're so soft! So comfy! So... PERFECT! When his puppy shoes get to be too small, it's time for a new pair of dinosaur shoes. Dinosaur shoes?! Those...
My book of rocks and minerals
Dennie, Devin
Paper Book
A stunning visual reference book for little geologists who love to find fascinating rocks all around them.  Identify colorful gemstones, sparkly crystals, the toughest rocks, and ancient fossils. Packed with fun facts, information, and extensive photos all about the rocks...
My Dinosaur Shoes
Tassopoulos Wehner, Eleni
Paper Book
★"A strong addition from a neurodivergent author and illustrator that will resonate with many children and families" - School Library Journal, starred review "Through simple narrative, gentle modeling, and expressive character design, the...
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 nest with...
Oh say can you say di-no-saur?
Worth, Bonnie.
Paper Book
#1 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER * Laugh and learn with fun facts about dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex, Apatosaurus, Triceratops, and more--all told in Dr. Seuss's beloved rhyming style and starring The Cat in the Hat! "I'm the Cat in the Hat (you have met me before)...
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...
The periodic table of elements : understanding the building blocks of everything
Chad, Jon
Paper Book
Step out of your element with Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements, the latest volume of First Second's nonfiction graphic novel series! A book of fun chemistry experiments has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Mel can use her knowledge of the periodic table to...
Road builders
Hennessy, B. G.
Paper Book
Now being re-issued in hardcover, Road Builders, is the perfect book for any child who can't get enough of trucks or construction.  With Caldecott Medal-winner Simms Taback's bright and engaging illustrations and a fun and straightforward text by B.G. Hennessy, this picture book will satisfy even...
Rock
Croza, Laurel
Paper Book
Award-winning creators Laurel Croza and Matt James have come together once again to tell the story of what happens when a bullying seagull and a rock meet on the beach.  When a seagull mistakes a small rock for food, it angrily spits it out. "What do you think you are?" the seagull...
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 a 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
Kastner, Emmy
Paper Book
Nerdy Babies is a series that will ignite curiosity in even the youngest readers and encourage them to ask questions and explore the world around them. In Nerdy Babies: Rocks, follow our intrepid babies to the center of the earth. Check out the variety of landforms that...
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.
Rocks and minerals
McDonald, Jill
Paper Book
Learning about rocks and minerals is made easy for young readers with the bestselling nonfiction board book series Hello, World! A perfect gift for aspiring little geologists! Young children love exploring the beach to find shiny, colorful rocks. Now Hello, World! can teach them...
Rocks and minerals /
Farndon, John
Paper Book
Rocks and minerals come alive in the next Animated Science book, an outstanding comic series illustrated by Shiho Pate! From gemstones to fossils and beyond, Animated Science: Rocks and Minerals is the definitive guide to rocks and minerals for grade school readers. In this book,...
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
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. ...
A stone sat still
Wenzel, Brendan
Paper Book
"A stone sat still with the water, grass, and dirt and it was as it was where it was in the world." To some creatures it's a pebble, to others a peak, to some a smell. Each animal that encounters the stone knows it to be something unique, but the stone itself is a constant...
Talking Rocks and Minerals: Fact-Packed Guide to Geology
Towler, Paige
Paper Book
For fans of Ricky, the Rock That Couldn't Roll comes a delightful nonfiction picture book told from the perspective of rocks-offering a fun and informative view of geology, straight from the source. Let's talk rocks. No, let's let rocks talk! Pebble the...
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...
Weird but true! dinosaurs : 300 dino-mite facts to sink your teeth into
Paper Book
Weird But True! is going prehistoric! This new addition to the wildly popular, mind-blowing, fact-packed series is taking on the jaws and claws that ruled the Mesozoic world. Calling all dino dynamos! Get ready to devour wacky wonders, facts, stats, and trivia about all things...
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...
What was the age of the dinosaurs?
Stine, Megan
Paper Book
Travel back to the time when the mighty dinosaurs ruled the earth. The Age of Dinosaurs began about 250 million years ago. In the beginning they were quite small but over time they evolved into the varied and fascinating creatures that captivate our imaginations today. What we...
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...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.