Summer Reading List 2022
Summer will be over before we know it. With one month left of camps, family trips and activities before school starts, there is still time to get in plenty of reading. The Books Are Wings team has selected 12 titles for preschool through eighth grade readers, with books that share a range of experiences, adventures and spotlight both new and established author voices.
Pre-K to Second Grade
Ten Blocks to the Big Wok: A Chinatown Counting Book, by Ying Hwu Hu.
This charming bilingual English/Mandarin counting book uses a stroll through Chinatown to introduce readers to the numbers one through ten in Chinese, and will leave you hungry for all of the dishes the book spotlights.
If I Were A Tree by Andrea Zimmerman
Two siblings imagine life as a tree, and envision what they would hear, feel, and see. The book's kaleidoscopic art and poetry show how connections with the natural world can inspire us to live fully in the present and look hopefully to the future.
Magic Like That by Samara Cole Doyon
In this celebration of Black Girl Magic, a young girl finds confidence and excitement in the versatility of her natural hair and the way her different hairstyles reflect the natural world.
Alicia and the Hurricane by Leslea Newman
A tender look at the resilience of people and native creatures whose lives have been disrupted by a natural disaster. This is a timely story of a Puerto Rican child facing a hurricane and her concern for the beloved coquíes of her home island.
Third Grade to Fifth Grade
Where Wonder Grows by Xelena González
A children’s picture book about a grandmother bonding with her granddaughters as she teaches them how much they can learn from nature just by being curious.
"If you touch something, you leave a charge on it and anybody else touching it connects with you, in a way." - El Anatsui
Bottle Tops: The Art of El Anatsui by Alison Goldberg
The inspiring biography of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui whose handmade sculptures, created from discarded bottle tops, have received international acclaim and been showcased around the world.
The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney
The powerful story of one girl's triumphant journey, inspired by true tales of life in Sudan. After losing nearly everything, Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey on foot to safety at a refugee camp. The gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind and all kinds of possibilities.
Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban
A moving tale about a girl whose family is relocated to a Japanese internment camp during World War II and the dog she has to leave behind. This beautiful piece of historical fiction is about love, longing, and a girl who finally finds her voice.
Sixth Grade to Eigth Grade
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
Twelve-year-old Amal's dream of becoming a teacher one day is dashed in an instant when she accidentally insults a member of her Pakistani village's ruling family. As punishment for her behavior, she is forced to leave her heartbroken family behind and go work at their estate.
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe García McCall
Lupita, a budding actor and poet in a close-knit Mexican American immigrant family, comes of age as she struggles with adult responsibilities during her mother's battle with cancer in this novel in verse.
The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
Caleb Franklin and his big brother Bobby Gene are excited to have adventures in the woods behind their house. But Caleb dreams of venturing beyond their ordinary small town. The two brothers embark on a madcap, heartwarming, one-thing-leads-to-another adventure in which friendships are forged, loyalties are tested and miracles just might happen.
The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Combining elements of magical realism with biography, poetry, literary fiction, and transporting illustrations, this book takes readers on a rare journey of the heart and imagination as they explore the inspiring early life of the poet who became Pablo Neruda.
You can also download the PDF here.
