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2025 Summer Reading Program: Grades K-2
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Updated January 22, 2025
South Pasadena Public Library
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The book that almost rhymed
Abed, Omar
Paper Book
Every great adventure needs a hero-or two! This playful take on storytelling and equity proves that two tellers can make a rhyming tale twice as nice. What do you do with an interrupting sibling? Especially when she's stepping all over your story with wild ideas that don't...
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Don't swap your sweater for a dog
Applegate, Katherine.
Ebook
The hilarious chapter book series about an accidental rule breaker from Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal-winning and bestselling author of The One and Only Ivan and Crenshaw, returns with a fresh new cover from artist Brian Biggs and bonus material! It seems like everyone has an award of...
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What a map can do
Balkan, Gabrielle
Paper Book
An accessible and humorous introduction to maps for budding navigators. A raccoon narrator embarks on a big adventure in this exciting exploration of maps for the youngest readers. Traditional maps of cities, roads, and parks are joined by some less conventional ones such as...
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The one-of-a-kind drum kit
Bambridge, Andrew
Ba-dah-dum! Ba-dah-dum! Oops! Bo is drumming on his desk at school again, and his teacher is not happy. But Bo loves to drum! And sometimes, he doesn't even know he's doing it. It's tricky to find the time and place for his drumming passion. Just when Bo thinks he's in big trouble for drumming...
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Scorch, hedgehog of doom
Berry, Cate
Paper Book
Scorch the hedgehog is determined to be ferocious. The doomsy-est, most menacing class pet ever known. She's not just Scorch, she's... Scorch, Hedgehog of Doom! There's just one problem--Scorch is kind of adorable. So adorable, in fact, that it's all anyone ever notices. With each swirl of her cloak...
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Sabrina Sue loves the moon
Burris, Priscilla
Paper Book
In this fifth Level 1 Ready-to-Read story about a spunky chicken from the illustrator of the Heidi Heckelbeck series, Sabrina Sue walks on the moon! Sabrina Sue wants to travel to outer space. Her barnyard friends worry it's too far and dangerous, but Sabrina Sue may just prove...
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The robbery
Camp, JoaquÃn
Paper Book
Sometimes the real treasures are the people you meet along the way. Fans of Mac Barnett, Jory John, and Chris Haughton will adore this hilarious story of a bank robbery that doesn't go according to plan. Loosely inspired by the most famous bank heist in Argentina,...
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I miss you most
Cheng, Charlotte
Paper Book
A girl remembers her grandfather fondly in this heartwarming, comforting picture book about coping with loss. The memories of a beloved grandpa bring sadness but also solace to the young girl in this glowing and nourishing book. We see the close and lively relationship they...
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Dalmartian : a Mars Rover's story
Cummins, Lucy Ruth
Paper Book
From the bestselling creator of Stumpkin and Vampenguin comes a whimsical picture book about the unexpected friendship that blooms between a boy and a dog of intergalactic origins. A visitor from outer space comes to Stephen's yard one night. It may look like...
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Flamingos are pretty funky : a (not so) serious guide
Cushman, Abi
Paper Book
Flamingos Are Pretty Funky introduces young readers to flamingos and their fantastic and (truly) fabulous traits. A companion to Wombats Are Pretty Weird, this funny, reader-friendly narrative nonfiction picture book about the natural world features sidebars, comic panels, and...
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Knight Owl
Denise, Christopher
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * CALDECOTT HONOR AWARD WINNER * USA TODAY BESTSELLER A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a hero: wits, humor, and heart. ...
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Loaf the cat goes to the powwow
DeShaw, Nicholas
Paper Book
A Native American boy's cat surprises him at his first powwow-making for a very special dance indeed! Loaf the cat loves to play with her boy, and when she's particularly happy, she'll make the purr sound for him. She also likes to keep tabs on him, so when he disappears one day,...
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Two wheels
Gibb, David (Musician)
Paper Book
When you're the youngest child in a bike-loving family, two wheels are the prize in this jaunty story with special appeal for kids just learning to ride a bike. Tricycles have three wheels and training bikes have four, but what this little boy wants most of all is a bike with two...
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Bottle tops : the art of El Anatsui
Goldberg, Alison
Paper Book
The inspiring biography of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui whose handmade sculptures, created from discarded bottle tops, have received international acclaim and been showcased around the world. "If you touch something, you leave a charge on it and anybody else touching it connects...
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A Best Friend for Bear
Horacek, Petr
Paper Book
A charmingly earnest pair of bears find a friend where they least expect it in this heartwarming comedy of errors featuring the rich artwork of Petr Horácek. Black Bear is feeling lonely, so he decides to look for a friend. Luckily, he meets Brown Bear, who is in the same...
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Bunny hop
Hwang, Sarah
Paper Book
Follow a curious bunny's adventures in the kitchen in this sweet and playful Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read. Bunny hop! Bunny munch! Bunny chomp! Bunny crunch! What will Bunny eat?
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Look! Look!
Krishnaswami, Uma
Paper Book
A girl in India discovers an ancient step well in this companion book to the creators' much-loved Out of the Way! Out of the Way! When a girl discovers a slab of stone on a weedy patch of land, she calls to her friends, "Look! Look!" The children clear away the weeds and garbage and find...
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Mr. Pei's perfect shapes : the story of architect I. M. Pei
Leung, Julie
Paper Book
In this stunning picture book about renowned architect I. M. Pei, award-winning author Julie Leung and captivating illustrator Yifan Wu unite to tell the story of the man who changed architecture forever with his forward-thinking shapes. As a boy in Shanghai, Ioeh Ming Pei...
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There's no such thing as vegetables
Lukoff, Kyle
Paper Book
A hilarious new picture book that exposes vegetables for what they truly are--leaves, roots, flowers, and stalks--by National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor winner Kyle Lukoff, perfect for fans of the Our Universe series. Chester plans to have a salad for lunch, but in...
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Noodles on a bicycle
Maclear, Kyo
Paper Book
A vibrant historical picture book about Tokyo's bicycle food deliverers, or demae, who balanced towering trays of steaming hot noodles on their shoulders while navigating crowded city streets. A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK * A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book * A BOOKPAGE, KIRKUS REVIEWS,<...
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Emergency quarters
Matias, Carlos
Paper Book
Author Carlos Matias and Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning illustrator Gracey Zhang deliver a stunning picture book based on a finalist in the New York Times Metropolitan Diary "Best of the Year," about a young boy in the city who tries his best to avoid spending his precious quarters...
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It's a round, round world!
Peterson, Ellie
Paper Book
We all know the earth is round. But HOW do we know? Join intrepid young scientist-adventurer Joulia Copernicus in this engaging picture book as she takes readers on a STEM historical journey through time and space. What would happen if you tried to walk tothe edge of the earth?...
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Pizza! : a slice of history
Pizzoli, Greg
Paper Book
From Geisel Award-winning author Greg Pizzoli comes a hilarious and mouth-watering history of pizza. Do YOU like PIZZA? Because right now, somewhere in the world, someone is eating it. Did you know that in the United States we eat 350 slices of pizza every second? Or that in...
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The Plant Rescuer
Rivera, Matthew
Paper Book
Manny harnesses love, determination, and a visit to the library to care for his first plant and make his gardener father proud. Manny comes from a long line of gardeners, and to him, the greatest gardener of all is his dad. Dad always knows what plants need. Even with no yard to...
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Fish and Wave
Ruzzier, Sergio
Paper Book
Let's read comics! I Can Read Comics is an early reader line that familiarizes children with the world of graphic novel storytelling and encourages visual literacy in emerging readers. When a tiny wave grows bigger and bigger, what's a fish to do? Fish and Wave by Sergio...
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Hello, puddle!
Sanchez, Anita
Paper Book
A nonfiction picture book exploring a deceptively simple but unexpectedly crucial resource for wildlife: puddles! This lyrical, gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book is perfect for young science learners and nature lovers. Hello, puddle! Who's here...
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111 trees : how one village celebrates the birth of every girl
Singh, Rina
Paper Book
This is the story of Sundar Paliwal, from a small Indian village ruled by ancient customs. As he grows to be a man, Sundar suffers much heartbreak and decides it is time for change to come to his village. Sundar is determined to live in a place where girls are valued as much as boys and where the...
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Fox versus fox
Tabor, Corey R.
Paper Book
A GEISEL HONOR BOOK School Library Journal Best Books of 2024 The clever and hilarious star of the Geisel Award winners Fox at Night, Fox the Tiger, and Fox Has a Problem is back in another I Can Read adventure. There's only one Fox . . . except when there are two! ...
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