ALSC Summer Reading Lists

About this book list

ALSC Summer Reading Lists are annual recommendations from the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. Members of the ALSC Quicklists Consulting Committee review, compile, and annotate the selections. The lists help children's librarians, parents, and caregivers find books and other reading resources that may hold a child's interest during the summer. Recent editions are arranged for Birth through Preschool, Grades K through 2, Grades 3 through 5, and Grades 6 through 8. These are browsing groups, not assignments or promises that every child in a grade reads at the same level. There is no first-place book. Start with the most relevant grade band and use the short annotations to find a subject, character, or format that sounds appealing. Reading measures, when available, can add context for independent reading, while the book description may help decide whether to read together. Previous years are useful too: a summer book does not stop being a good choice when a new edition appears.