LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Summer reading is a great activity and can be a lot of fun for both parents and adults. In addition to exercising the mind, summer reading is also a good way to buy some quiet time at home or to keep a child occupied on a trip or during a wait.

How to use this list

Catholic Online has collected a list of summer reading books from various sources covering a variety of subjects for kids. The books are classified by grade level, but your child's reading level should be taken into account. Even within some of the grades, particularly towards the end of the list, the reading becomes more rigorous and college preparatory in style. 

There's no need to make your child read every book on the list, unless they really enjoy reading. In that case, you may find the list too brief!

Each book on the list has been vetted for appropriateness, however you get the final say. In all cases, read the dust jacket or back of the book, or find the synopsis online and decide for yourself. It also doesn't hurt to read the book and quiz your child on what they read. Even better, make time to share and discuss the reading every day. The books and the events between their pages make great starting material for discussions!

Set a daily schedule for reading. Determine the number of chapters your child should read in advance and approximately how much time that should take. Keep an eye on your child and see that they're awake and making progress. Be alert for any signs of frustration. A child who finds the material frustrating to follow will soon learn to dislike reading. In that case, choose a different book with a lower reading level. 

Each book on this list can be found in your public library and online. Most should be inexpensive and can be rapidly shipped to your home. 

We hope you have a great time getting lost in the pages of these books!

COL summer reading list

1st Grade

Any of the BOB books
Dr. Seuss books
If You Take a Mouse to School, to the Movies books
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura NumeroffIf You Give a Pig a Pancake, Laura Numeroff
Guess How Much I Love You? S. McBratney
Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny,  BrownLittle Red Hen, Cardone
Sammy the Seal, Hoff
Danny & The Dinosaur Books, Hoff
Jump, Frog, Jump, Kalan

2nd Grade

Berenstein Bears stories, Stan and Jan Berenstein
Frog and Toad stories, Arnold Lobel
Arthur stories, Marc Brown
Magic Tree House series, Mary Pope Osborne
Henry and Mudge series, Cynthia Rylant
Boxcar Children series, Gertrude Chandler Warner
Amelia Bedelia stories, Peggy Parish

3rd Grade

Ramoni Quimby, Age 8, Beverly Cleary 
Mr. Popper's Penguins, Richard Atwater 
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, Donald Sobol
Little House series, Laura Ingalls Wilder (this is a series that increases reading level per each book, perfect for 3rd through 6th grade)
The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein 
Good Grief...Third Grade, Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKenna 
Magic Tree House series, Mary Pope Osborne  
Stuart Little, E.B. White  
Charlotte's Web, E.B. White  
Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett 
Black Stallion, Walter Farley  
Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery  

4th Grade

The Secret History of Tom Trueheart, Ian Beck
The Penderwicks series, Jeanne Birdsall

5th Grade

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
The Time Machine, H.G. Wells
Oliver Twist and or A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain
Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
Holes, Louis Sachar
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snickett

6th grade

Island of the Blue Dolphins -- Scott O'Dell
Education of Little Tree, Asa Earl (Forrest) Carter
The Island on Bird Street, Uri Orlev

7th and 8th grades

Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
The Call of the Wild, Jack London 
The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas 
The Eagle of the Ninth (also ...