If You Want to Read Something with Memorable Characters...
It’s the brilliantly realized characters and relationships that make these books sing.
The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
The One and Only Ivan’s best friend, Chihuahua mutt Bob, tells his own story in this sequel to the Newbery classic. Middle grades
The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss
12-year-old orphan Bicycle is supposed to go to sleep-away camp at the Friendship Factory; instead, she decides that she’s going to ride her bike to California so she can meet her hero, Polish cycling racer Zbig. Middle grades
Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson
Ryan Hart has a lot on her mind: all the things she wants to invent, her family’s new (old) house, financial problems, an infuriating brother, and recipes that don’t always go right. But she’s determined to see the best in everything that happens. Middle grades
The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
Bea keeps a list to remind her of the constants in her life since her parents’ divorce: No matter what, her mom and dad will love her and each other. Still, she’s excited and nervous about the big change when her dad tells her he’s going to marry his boyfriend Jesse, who has a daughter of his own. Middle grades
We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly
This family story about the destructive and healing potential of words follows three siblings in the weeks leading up the Challenger’s 1986 launch. Middle grades
Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
Illustrator/memoirist extraordinaire Knisley charms in her first middle grades graphic novel about a girl who unwillingly moves to the country with her mom after her parents get divorced. Middle grades
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
The author of American Born Chinese delights readers again with this story of a comic book-loving boy who discovers an unexpected interest in the superhero-esque arc of his high school’s basketball team. High school
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
This twisty whodunnit is a standout for its diverse cast and lovable protagonist: a Black trans artist who must learn what it really means to love who he is when an anonymous fellow student harasses him with transphobic messages. High school
Camp by L.C. Rosen
Camp Outland is Randy’s happy place: a camp for LGBTQ+ kids and the place where he met his Super Crush Hudson Aaronson-Lim. But Hudson doesn’t like boys who don’t act straight, so Randy reinvents himself as Del, a manly man who doesn’t wear nail polish or put unicorn sheets on his bed. Of course, you can only pretend to be someone you aren’t for so long before you start wondering whether it’s worth it to give up your identity for love. High school
August Folly by Angela Thirkell
Think of this 1936 novel as classic Brit lit charmer, in which a bunch of rural English folk put on fetes and amateur theatricals, pour tea, fall in love, and otherwise wander through their bucolic lives where nothing really terrible ever happens. High school
This list was originally published in our summer 2020 reading guide.
If you can’t get enough of Greek mythology, add these myth-inspired books to your summer reading list.
Nobody’s perfect, but we all have the power to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. These tales of forgiveness and redemption remind us that we are better together.
Miss Rumphius wants to make the world a more beautiful place, a legacy that comes with a deep connection to nature. These books take up that project, showing that family, home, and nature can change us for the better.
Milo’s adventure in the Lands Beyond is full of witty wordplay and curious characters. Get a similar taste of brainy unpredictability from these delightfully eccentric books like The Phantom Tollbooth.
Harriet the Spy was our first rebel heroine, a smart girl who spies for the sheer pleasure of it. These other renegade girls are worthy follow-ups to her literary legacy.
An Edwardian family faces a changing world in this British drama of manners that’s a little bit Austen, a little bit soap opera, and entirely satisfying. Get your Downton fix with historical fiction featuring rich details and nuanced character development.
Fairy tales get complicated in these twists on tradition. You’ll never read “happily ever after” the same way again.
If you loved The Bad Beginning, Lemony Snicket's hilariously tragic chronicle of the sad adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, add these titles to your library list this summer.
There’s a kind of magic in imagining worlds shaped from non-European culture and myth — and these books paint possibilities powerful and profound.
If you love solving mysteries with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, we’ve got a reading list of detective stories from picture books to adult novels you’ll love.
Summer means adventure in these old-fashioned stories about independent children making their own fun.
Who can resist the perfect combination of words and pictures? Add a spunky hero with a few problems, and you’ve got worthy Wimpy Kid follow-ups.
Home in these books takes many forms, but it’s always the place where you just belong.
Small towns with spooky secrets, friends who face down evil, and a little retro charm give these books the same vibe as the sleeper series hit.
Get your rebellion on with these books set in dystopian worlds that are just asking to be burned down.
Technology meets humanity with unpredictable results in these works of speculative fiction.
If you love the fantasy, fun, and humor of Roald Dahl, you’ll enjoy these books that capture some of that same playful spirit.
Serious reading time should be at the top of your summertime to-do list.
If you’re looking for a twisty turner teen thriller, these recent YA books about teens in dangerous situations may be just what you’re looking for.
If you have a kid who dreams of starting a business, these readalouds will help inspire them.
Here’s an action-packed, steampunk-inspired YA series for teens that is great for kids who love historical fiction or books about World War II. Suzanne explains why Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series is summer binge reading material.
If Suzanne had to pick one book series for a desert island, the Fairyland series is the one she’d choose. Here’s why.
These powerful stories pack an emotional punch.
It’s the brilliantly realized characters and relationships that make these books sing.
Looking for something exciting to read this summer? These action-packed books will keep you turning pages.
Sometimes, you just want to read a book that makes you feel empowered to make the change you want to see in the world.
If you’re craving a reading list full of magic and fantastic creatures, these books deliver.
Love and life get complicated in these young adult novels. Bring your own tissues.
Not sure what to recommend next for your teen? These in-the-adult-section novels are great follow-ups to classic kid favorites and great YA books to read this summer.
Amy Sharony is the founder and editor-in-chief of home | school | life magazine. She's a pretty nice person until someone starts pluralizing things with apostrophes, but then all bets are off.
A Note About Affiliate Links on HSL: HSL earns most of our income through subscriptions. (Thanks, subscribers!) We are also Amazon affiliates, which means that if you click through a link on a book or movie recommendation and end up purchasing something, we may get a small percentage of the sale. (This doesn’t affect the price you pay.) We use this money to pay for photos and web hosting. We use these links only if they match up to something we’re recommending anyway — they don’t influence our coverage. You can learn more about how we use affiliate links here.