8 Summer Reading Books to Helps K-8 Students Explore Their Imaginations

Discover Amazing Literature this Summer

A summer course at Laurel Springs can provide your child with an opportunity to learn something new, get ahead for the upcoming school year, and add valuable course credits to a transcript.

Contact our Admissions team today at 1-800-377-5890 to learn more about how a summer course can work for your family.

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2019 Summer Reading Suggestions for K-8 Students

There’s no better time to go exploring than the summertime. For young children in grades K-8, summer provides the perfect backdrop for making new discoveries both inside and out. Reading is an enriching activity that allows your child to explore their imagination and has shown to increase creative activity and support academic achievement.

To ensure your child enjoys a bright summer ahead, Laurel Springs K-8 Academic Department Chair, Bridget Schleifer, provided a list of recommended books that are certain to activate the imagination while keeping valuable literacy skills sharp for the upcoming school year.

Grades K-2

Giraffe Problems by Jory John
Prized picture-book teammates Jory John and Lane Smith introduce young readers to Edward, a giraffe with a big problem with his neck - it’s too “necky”! With the help of a wise turtle confidant, Edward learns his neck serves a purpose and is actually pretty terrific.

After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again By Dan Santat
Commonly believed to have never gotten his life back together (despite the efforts of the king’s horses and men), Dan Santat’s award-winning tale has a much happier ending. This is the story of how one of nursery rhyme’s most famous characters persevered. This story provides great perspective on how life gets better when you don’t give up!

Grades 3-5

Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera
A book for the dreamer in all of us, poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera’s poem inspires young readers to think about the endless possibilities that await them when they “grow up.” This book is beautifully illustrated by Lauren Castillo and provides a breadth of discussion opportunities.

2030:  A Day in the Life of Tomorrow’s Kids by Amy Zuckerman and Jim Daly
What will life be like a decade from now? 2012’s Grand Canyon Reader Award for non-fiction provides readers with a glimpse of what a typical day in the year 2030 might be like.

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
Henry is staying with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins when he discovers 99 cupboards in all shapes and sizes on the ceiling, each one a portal to different worlds. A fantastic fantasy adventure of epic proportions!

The Penderwicks Series by Jeanne Birdsall
Jeanne Birdsall’s bestselling collection of modern classics introduces readers to the Penderwick family, a family that believes in truth and honor, yet can’t seem to stay out of trouble.

Middle School

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
This Newbery Honor-winning novel tells of a young boy’s survival and transformation after he’s forced to crash land his plane in the Canadian wilderness. It is the first of five in the Hatchet series.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Often cited as one of the best children’s novels of all time, the Newberry Medal-winning novel tells the story of Jesse and Leslie, two lonely children who create a magical forest kingdom in their imaginations.