Summer Reads for Kids

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

The mission of the SSYRA Jr. program is to develop student interest in reading for pleasure by exposing them to a wide range of appropriate literature. Sunshine State Jr. books are selected for their wide appeal, literary value, varied genres, curriculum connections, and/or multicultural representation. Students are encouraged to listen to these books read to them, read them in a small group setting, or read independently to develop skills in fluency and comprehension.

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

The Sunshine State Young Readers Award (SSYRA) Program is a statewide reading motivational program for students in grades 3 through 8. The purpose of the SSYRA Program is to encourage students to read independently for pleasure and to read books that are on, above, and below their reading level in order to improve their reading fluency. Sunshine State books are selected for their wide appeal, literary value, varied genres, curriculum connections, and/or multicultural representation. The SSYRA committee is comprised of 20 qualified school librarians located throughout the state of Florida, subdivided into two committees- grades 3-5 and grades 6-8.

Updated June 13, 2025
S
St. Lucie County Library System
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The fastest tortoise in town
Calvert, Howard
Paper Book
The fable of the tortoise and the hare receives a charming new spin in this wonderfully illustrated, cheering tale about a lovable and relatable trouper. Barbara Hendricks, a tortoise, has entered a road race, but what was she thinking? With only a week to go before the big day,...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

Penny Lu porcupine
Gilstrap, Katie
Paper Book
A cautious porcupine summons the courage to stand up to threats both real and imagined, reassuring readers that they, too, can face their fears. Like all porcupines, Penny Lu is nearsighted. So while her incredible sense of smell leads her to all sorts of yummy food, predators...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

The quacken
Colón, Justin
Paper Book
Fans of The Bad Seed and Creepy Carrots will flock to this hilarious, lightly spooky picture book about a boy who unwittingly unleashes a ferociously fuzzy beast on his campground! Lurking in the lake at Cucumonga Campground is a fearsome and frightening creature....

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

Squirrel-ish
Edlund, Bambi, author, illustrator.
Paper Book
An enterprising rat discovers the joy of being true to himself At the park, people give squirrels free peanuts. And nobody screams when a squirrel crosses their path. But for Rat, it's all screams and no nuts ... until he comes up with a plan: be more like a squirrel--squirrel-ish! ...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

We are definitely human
Fang, X., author, illustrator.
Paper Book
WINNER of the Ezra Jack Keats Best New Illustrator Award * An American Library Association Notable Children's Book A hilarious alien invasion story with a feel-good message about what it means to be human. Perfect for earthlings of all ages. When three mysterious...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

How this book got red
Greanias, Margaret Chiu
Paper Book
None of the panda books are ever about red pandas! Red is going to do something about that. When Red discovers a new book about pandas, she can't wait to read it! Except it's about only one kind of panda, and red pandas are completely left out. Red never gets to read stories about...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

Luigi, the spider who wanted to be a kitten
Knudsen, Michelle
Paper Book
From the New York Times best-selling creators of Library Lion comes a warm (and delightfully fuzzy) storybook about learning to be--and be loved for--exactly who you are. On a street of old houses, a big hairy spider is searching for a home with dark corners to hide...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

The spotless giraffe
Millett, Peter
Paper Book

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

Mavis the bravest
Fraser, Lu
Paper Book
This is a laugh out loud story about a bonnet wearing, would-rather-be-knitting chicken who embarks on a high stakes chase to save her friend, Sandra the sheep. Mavis is not like her adventurous friend Marge. Mavis is a chicken who finds EVERYTHING scary (night-time and...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

The man who didn't like animals
Underwood, Deborah
Paper Book
*A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year!* *An Amazon Top 20 Children's Book of the Year!* Who was Old MacDonald before he had a farm? A New York Times bestselling duo brings us this freshly imagined origin story about the storied farmer...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

Orris and Timble: The beginning
DiCamillo, Kate
Paper Book
From beloved storyteller Kate DiCamillo comes the first book in a warm and funny early-reader trilogy about a misanthropic rat and a naive owl--and the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Orris the rat lives alone in an old barn surrounded by his treasures, until the day his...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

Scare School Diaries: Welcome to scare school
Lerner, Jarrett, author, illustrator.
Paper Book
A young ghost tries his best to fit in with the rest of the ghouls in this sweet and spooky chapter book by acclaimed author Jarrett Lerner. Bash, a young ghost who's never been good at "ghost stuff" is heading off to Scare School, the world's leading institution for elementary...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

Rise of the green flame
Mensah, Bernard (Children's author)
Paper Book
Magic, adventure, and friendship come together in Kwame's Magic Quest, an action-packed, fully illustrated early chapter book series perfect for fans of Dragon Masters! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

Wildfire rescue
Rajan, Rekha S.
Paper Book
The Disaster Squad is ready to save the day in this action-packed early chapter book series perfect for fans of the Magic Tree House series, or for kids who aren't quite ready to read I Survived! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line...

Sunshine State Jr. Books for Grades K-2

The adventures of Invisible Boy!!!(!)
Horner, Doogie, author, illustrator.
Paper Book
In this hilarious debut middle grade graphic novel, when an impossible wish comes true, a wild adventure begins! "Can't be missed!" --Max Brallier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth Think your wildest wish can't come...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

Always, Clementine
Sorosiak, Carlie
Paper Book
From the author of I, Cosmo comes a humor-filled, heart-tugging tale of a genius mouse, secretly freed from a lab, who's in search of a real home--and a way to free her old friends. Clementine is different from other mice: she can calculate the speed of light and she...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

The Amazon
Smith, Roland, 1951- author.
Paper Book
Ring and Asia Wilde's life is anything but ordinary. Some of their closest friends are endangered monkeys and rare birds. Instead of attending middle school, they accompany their parents (scientists who work to save endangered species) on adventures around the world. They spend more time climbing...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

Battle for the park
Hunter, H. D.
Paper Book
When an extraordinary flying theme park arrives above Atlanta, one boy must stop a sinister force from stealing the park's tech and taking over the world. An electrifying illustrated series with the Afrofuturism of Black Panther that took the world by storm. Perfect for fans of...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

Benny Ramirez and the nearly departed
Iriarte, José Pablo
Paper Book
Benny Ramírez can see dead people . . . Well, one dead person, anyway. A hilarious and heartwarming story about a boy who can suddenly see the ghost of his famous musician grandfather! After moving cross-country into his late grandfather's Miami mansion, Benny discovers that...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

The callers
Thomas, Kiah
Paper Book
This riveting middle grade novel, which explores the amazing power of summoning objects into being, will capture fantasy and sci-fi lovers alike. Arresting, fast-paced, and thought-provoking, The Callers turns familiar magic upside down and inside out, and is perfect for fans of Kenneth...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

Clementine Fox and the great island adventure
Luna, Leigh
Paper Book
Meet Clementine Fox, Professional Amateur Adventurer! Clementine is supposed to be on her way to school... but why not go out for a day of adventure and exploration instead? She recruits her friends Nubbins Squirrel and Penelope Rabbit and heads to the beach, where Jesse Otter is...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

Dogtown
Applegate, Katherine
Paper Book
The New York Times bestseller, Indie bestseller, and 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 forever home...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

The guardian test
Soontornvat, Christina
Paper Book
From three-time Newbery honor recipient Christina Soontornvat comes a thrilling fantasy series about kids who can transform into amazing animals! Young Plum is shocked to discover that she's been accepted to the Guardian Academy on Lotus Island, an elite school where kids learn how to...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

Lightningborn
Kagawa, Julie
Paper Book
In a world in the clouds where only the rich own dragons, a poor boy named Remy finds a wild baby dragon-believed to be extinct-and becomes the focus of an evil pirate's vengeance. REMY spends his days trying to survive the mean streets of Cutthroat Wedge-one of the many islands...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

The lost library
Stead, Rebecca
Paper Book
Now a New York Times bestseller and a #1 Indie Bestseller, readers won't want to miss this story of a little free library guarded by a cat, and a boy who takes on the mystery it keeps. A TODAY SHOW Kids' Read Pick! * The Amazon #1 Best Book for Kids * "A...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

The mystery of locked rooms
Currie, Lindsay
Paper Book
*Instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller!* Crack the codes. Find the treasure. Escape the house. From the acclaimed author of Scritch Scratch and What Lives in the Woods comes a action-packed adventure novel about three friends who team up to find a hidden treasure in an...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

PERIL AT PRICE MANOR
Parnum, Laura
Paper Book
Fans of Ghost Squad will love this lightly scary creature feature standalone novel about a tween aspiring horror movie actress who pairs up with the twin children of her favorite director to defeat zombifying octopus-like creatures! Halle dreams of becoming a scream queen. She...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5

The wild journey of Juniper Berry
Morris, Chad
Paper Book
Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives in a cabin with her family deep in the wild woods. Living off the grid is usually exciting, like the time she chased off three growling raccoons with a tree branch and some acorns, or when she thought she glimpsed the legendary Bigfoot. But her happy life in the...

Sunshine State Books for Grades 3-5


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