In my opinion, summer is the perfect time to let kids explore the world through their favorite books and stories. After so much learning during the year, it’s a fun time to let kids read primarily for fun, encouraging them to pick books that align with their interests or explore the world through characters they love. 

Whether kids are working on their reading skills or reading the next novel in a beloved series, summer is a great time to curl up with a good book.

In this blog post I am sharing our personal summer reading picks for each child in my family, ages 6-13. These are books my children love to read for fun during our break from school, but will also continue reading throughout the year. We are gathering these books during our weekly library trips so when it’s time to read they always have a choice they love on hand.

In this blog post:

• Summer reading ideas for 6-year-old girls: Cozy beginner reads and animal friends
• Summer reading choices for 7-year-old boys: Animals and easy-to-read adventure stories
• Summer books for 11-year-old girls: Mysteries and historical fiction
• Books for summer for 13-year-old boys: Adventure, history, and survival stories
• Printable reading log for summer reading [Free PDF]

Summer reading ideas for 6-year-old girls: Cozy beginner reads and animal friends

My 6-year-old daughter is in between kindergarten and 1st grade and loves reading stories with heartwarming friends.

1. The Critter Club by Callie Barkley – Four best friends band together to create an animal rescue shelter, going on adventures as they rescue furry friends and do good deeds in their community.
2. The Adventures of Sophie Mouse by Poppy Green – These easy-to-read books for kids follow Sophie Mouse and all of her sweet and charming adventures.
3. Paddington Bear series by Michael Bond – Paddington Bear is a beloved children’s book series that follows the charming and well-behaved bear in London and his good intentions and humorous misunderstandings.
4. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne – Another beloved children’s series follows Winnie-the-Pooh and his adventures in the Hundred Acre Woods and his mishaps with all the characters in the woods. Adults may also enjoy this read with its beautiful text interspersed with clever verses of poetry.
5. The Lighthouse Family series by Cynthia Rylant – This series follows a lonely dog named Pandora and a brave cat named Seabold as they form an unlikely family while tending to a lighthouse. They eventually adopt three orphaned mice, and the stories focus on themes of belonging, kindness, and the true meaning of home.

Summer reading choices for 7-year-old boys: Animals and easy-to-read adventure stories

My 7-year-old son is heading into 3rd grade after summer and loves adventures and learning about animals.

1. Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Station series by Marianne Hering – The Imagination Station series are easy-to-read books that follow cousins Patrick and Beth as they go on journeys through history. These are gripping series filled with historical facts.
2. The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls by M.J. Thomas – Siblings Peter and Mary discover ancient scrolls that take them on journeys throughout Biblical history.
3. Billy and Blaze collection by C.W. Anderson – This classic children’s series follows a boy named Billy and his pony, Blaze, as they go explore together and go on rescue missions.
4. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown – One morning Stanley wakes up to find he is only half an inch thick, which launches him into all sorts of scenarios as he is rolled up, mailed, flown like a kite, and more.
5. Orris and Timble by Kate DiCamillo – In an old barn, a solitary rat is interrupted by an owl who gets trapped in the barn, launching the characters into an unlikely friendship.

Summer books for 11-year-old girls: Mysteries and historical fiction

My 11-year-old daughter wrapped up 5th grade this year and loves the twists and turns of mysteries and suspense, along with other classic historical fiction books.

1. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart – This award-winning series follows four children who pass a test that launches them into adventure as they go undercover and carry out secret missions.
2. American Girl Kit series – In these classic historical fiction books for kids, Kit looks for ways to help her family when her father’s business closes during the Great Depression. 
3. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall – This series follows four Penderwick sisters and their adventures with their Botanist father at a grand countryside estate in Massachusetts.
4. The Vanderbeekers by Karina Yan Glaser – Set in Harlem, this series follows five siblings who seek to stay in their beloved brownstone home after their landlord decides not to renew their lease.
5. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry – A Newbery Medal-award winning historical fiction novel follows a 10-year-old girl who risks her life to save her best friend as Jews in Denmark flee to Sweden in fear of Nazi threats.

Books for summer for 13-year-old boys: Adventure, history, and survival stories

My 13-year-old son is heading into 8th grade this year and has a hunger for learning. He loves true stories about adventure and real events in history.

1. Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Surviving Antarctica by Rebecca EF Barone – This nonfiction story follows two explorer’s journeys to Antarctica written for science-lovers and survivalists.
2. Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien – The epic fantasy tales follow Froto and his journey to Middle Earth to destroy the One Ring, an evil artifact.
3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan – This epic fantasy saga features a 12-year-old boy who discovers he is a demigod and goes on a quest to prevent a catastrophic war and save his mother. (I view this story more as a mythology-based fantasy novel than a book promoting pagan beliefs. This is a fun adventure series that can also lead to other learning about mythology, worldviews, and storytelling.)
4. The Day the President Got Shot by Bill O’Reilly – This is a historical look at the 1981 assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan and how the Secret Service and medical professionals stepped in to save his life. (The tone of this story is more educational than scary. It does involve a real shooting and assassination attempt, so there is suspense and some discussion of injuries and emergency surgery. The violence is historical and factual rather than graphic or sensationalized.)
5. The Way of the Warrior Kid series by Jocko Willink – This series is written to teach children essential life lessons like discipline, hard work, and resilience through the journey of Marc, a young boy who learns to transform his life. 

Printable reading log for summer reading [Free PDF]

Enjoy tracking summer reading with this free printable reading log for kids to record and rate their summer reading.

What are your kids reading this summer? Share your children’s favorite reads in the comments below.