We reviewed summer reading lists from libraries, schools, and nonprofits and are excited to share our selections for your mature reader’s must-reads this summer! All of our book selections emphasize generosity, social responsible, community, and positive social values.
Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce
Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 4 – 6
Ellie is an engineer. With a tool belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can’t wear a dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop. Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and crafty girls, even though the two groups don’t get along. Will Ellie be able to pull off her biggest project yet, all while keeping a secret from Kit?
You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly
Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 3 – 7
This story is an exploration of family, bullying, word games, art, and the ever-complicated world of middle school friendships. It is an engaging and character-driven story about growing up and finding your place in the world.
Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King
Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 3 – 7
Written from the author’s personal experience, this coming-of-age novel features a fully developed and authentic character intermingled with environmental messages and the topics of betrayal and bullying, gender expectations, consent, and true friendship.
This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy
Age Range: 10 – 12 years
Grade Level: 4 – 6
In 1956, one year before federal troops escorted the Little Rock 9 into Central High School, fourteen-year-old Jo Ann Allen was one of twelve African-American students who broke the color barrier and integrated Clinton High School in Tennessee. This is the heartbreaking and relatable story of her four months thrust into the national spotlight and as a trailblazer in history based on original research and interviews.
Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World by Eric Dawson
Age Range: 10 and up
Grade Level: 5 – 6
Young people are hungry to change the world, but often aren’t given the chance. This book empowers them to make change happen. When he was just eighteen, Eric David Dawson co-founded the non-profit Peace First based on the idea that young people can change the world for the better–not someday, but right now. Twenty-five years later, Peace First has reached millions worldwide, teaching young people how to become peacemakers and create real change.
Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow
Age Range: 10 – 12 years
Grade Level: 5 – 7
This story is about a young girl who defies her family’s expectations in order to save her brother and become an eagle hunter. Along the way, she discovers that family are people who choose each other, home is a place you build, and hope is a thing with feathers.
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