Children's 2022 Summer Reading Challenge Book Suggestions
The 2022 Summer Reading Challenge is here! Below are a book suggestions for each category as well as links to other articles with book recommendations in case you want ideas for what to read. Remember that you can read any book that meets the criteria for a specific category and each book can only be used for one category. We encourage you to be creative.
Suggestions are broken down by age group under each category.
Click here for the Summer Reading Challenge card and official information. If you are looking for suggestions for the Adult Summer Reading Challenge, click here.
A book by a Latin or Latin-American author
Younger Children
Listening with My Heart by Gabi Garcia
Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina
My Papi has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quinteroof Benny Andrews by Kathleen Benson
Latinas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers by Juliet Menendez
Middle Grade
Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
Sal & Gaby Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya
The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez
Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes
Teen
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer de Leon
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
The Last 8 by Laura Pohl
More Suggestions:
Must-Read Children's & YA Books by Latinx Authors
Six Latinx Children's Book's Authors You Should Know About — The Latinx Collective
30 YA Books By Latinx Authors We Can't Wait To Read In 2020
A book about animals or animal conservation
Younger Children
Galapagos Girl by Marsha Diane Arnold
Clem and crab by Fiona Lumbers
Sadiq and the Clean Water Crew by Siman Nuurali
Wildlife on Paper: Animals at Risk Around the Globe by Kunal Kundu
A Bee’s Difficult Search for Food by Mary Ellen Klukow
Middle Grade
The American Bison: The Buffalo’s Survival Tale by Andy Hirsch
Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem by Jude Isabella
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
This Book Will Help Cool the Climate by Isabel Thomas
A Wild Child’s Guide to Endangered Animals by Millie Marotta
Does it Fart? By Dani Rabaiotti
Teen
Gong Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers & Wetlands by Cathryn Berger Kaye
Biodiversity: A Beginner’s Guide by John Spicer
Save Our Species by Dominic Couzens
Beetle Boy: The Beetle Collector’s Handbook by M.G. Leonard
More Suggestions:
25 Best Middle-Grade Books About Animals (Animal Stories)
8 Middle Grade Books for Tween Animal Lovers
Best Kids' Books About Wildlife Conservation (60 books)
Wildlife and nature books for teenagers | BBC Wildlife Magazine - Discover Wildlife
A book about a STEM topic
Younger Children
Emma Ren Robot Engineer by Jenny Lu
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Cece Loves Science: Push and Pull by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes
What Can I Be? STEM Careers from A to Z by Tiffani Teachey
Middle Grade
Get Coding by Candlewick Press
Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido
Girls Who Code: The Friendship Code by Stacie Deutsch
Violet and the Pie of Life by Debra Green
See you in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
Teen
We Have No Idea (A Guide to the Unknown Universe) by Jorge Cham & Daniel Whiteson
Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger
Audubon: On the Wings of the world by Fabien Grolleau
More Suggestions:
50 STEM Books to Update Your Collection - We Are Teachers
STEM Books for Adult and Young Adult Readers 2017
18 STEM Books That Make Science and Technology Fun for Kids
A book that became a movie or TV show
Younger Children
Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrows
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Middle Grade
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (Young Readers Edition)
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Diary of Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Teen
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
Paper Towns by John Green
More Suggestions:
50 Kids Books That Are Movies: Read The Book Then Watch the Movie!
Huge List of Children's Books Adapted Into Movies
A biography or autobiography of a woman
Younger Children
Our House is on Fire by Jeanette Winter
The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finley Mosca
The Girl who Thought In Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca
Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers and Julie Maren
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Queen of Physic, How Wu Chien Shieng Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson
Middle Grade
I am Malala by Malala Yousafai
Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce
Becoming Emily: The Life of Emily Dickinson by Krystyna Poray Goddu
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (chapter book or graphic novel)
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist by Sylvia Acevedo
Teen
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
Courage to Soar by Simone Biles
Being Jazz: My Life as a Transgender Teen by Jazz Jenkins
Hidden Figure by Margot Lee Shetterly
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland
More Suggestions:
Fearless Females: Badass Women's Biographies for Kids
Women's History Month Biographies (with Printable List)
YA Biographies of Amazing Women Through Time
Engaging Biographies About Courageous Women
A book by a Black author
Younger Children
Chase is Ready for Takeoff by Cousin John
Money Plan by Monica Eaton
This is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson
Ty’s Travels by Kelly Starling Lyons
Middle Grade
The Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon M. Draper
Miles Morales: Spiderman by Jason Reynolds
Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson
The Jumbies Tracey Baptiste
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
Teen
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
More Suggestions:
19 Black Children's Books by Black Authors
200+ Children's Books by Black Authors
Top 100 Recommended African-American Children’s Books – 2022 List
A book where the title starts with your initial (first, middle, or last)
More Suggestions:
Best Books for Kids 2021 | The New York Public Library
11 Librarian-Recommended Children's Books For Your Kid's Shelf
9 of the Best Children's Books About Libraries and Librarians
Best Books for Teens 2021 | The New York Public Library
Young Adults/Teens - Recommended Reading - LibGuides at American Library Association
A book with red on the cover
Younger Children
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
The Story of Ferdinand by Robert Lawson
Numbers by Roger Priddy
Ada Lace Sees Red or Ada Lace and the Impossible Mission by Emily Calandrelli, Tamson Weston, et al.
Middle Grade
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig
The Worst Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade by Max Brallier
Teen
Concrete Rose or The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Library Book by Susan Orlean
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed
Miles Morales Spiderman by Jason Reynolds and Kadir Nelson
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
More Suggestions:
Rainbow Reads: 31 Books With Red Covers – Hey, I'm Reading
50 Books With Red on the Cover
30 Great Children's Books About Colors
A book about activism or an activist
Younger Children
Harlem Grown by Tony Hiller
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America by Emily Easton
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
Our House is on Fire by Jeanette Winter
All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimentel
Middle Grade
Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
Marley Dias Gets It Done by Marley Dias
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles
Teen
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration by Rose Brock
Just Mercy: A True Story of the Fight for Justice (Young Adult adaptation) by Bryan A. Stevenson
We Say #NeverAgain: Reporting by the Parkland Student Journalists by Melissa Falkowski and Eric Garner
More Suggestions:
Children's Books About Activism: 9 Books to Encourage Awareness (bookriot.com)
Making Our Voices Heard: Books About Activism for Kids | Brightly (readbrightly.com)
10 Nonfiction Books About Activism for Teens | Brightly (readbrightly.com)
A book about dealing with a difficult situation
Younger Children
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee
The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore
I Can Handle It (Mindful Mantras) by Laurie Wright
Middle Grade
As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds
More to the Story by Hena Khan
When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Anxious for Nothing (Young Readers Edition) by Max Lucado
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Teen
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
More Suggestions:
23 Children's Books About Emotions For Kids With Big Feelings
7 of the Best Books About Bullying, According to Kids
10 Honest Books About Bullying for Teenagers
Books to Help Teenagers Struggling with Stress and Anxiety
11 Enlightening and Empathetic YA Novels About Mental Illness