July 22, 2020
Mrs. Laura Bush's 2020 Summer Reading List for Kids
Recommended reading for youngest, elementary, and middle school readers.
Now, more than ever, it is important to keep children engaged in reading. This summer reading list includes picks for the youngest readers through middle schoolers – with topics ranging from race and kindness, to staying true to yourself, to the special bond of sisterhood — ensuring all readers are kept entertained throughout the summer and into the school year.
Download PDF for easy printing
Books for youngest readers
A is for Apple
by Tiger Tales
Illustrated by Georgie Birkett
Little Blue Truck
by Alice Schertle
Illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Sisters First
by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush
Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki
Mae Among the Stars
by Roda Ahmed
Illustrated by Stasia Burrington
Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes
by Eva Chen
Illustrated by Derek Desierto
Hair Love
by Matthew A. Cherry
Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
All Are Welcome
by Alexandra Penfold
Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
Books for elementary school readers
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali
Illustrated by Hatem Aly
Separate Is Never Equal
author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh
A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation
by Barry Wittenstein
Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
The Wild Robot
by Peter Brown
Wrecking Ball (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 14)
by Jeff Kinney
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
by Chris Grabenstein
The Year of Billy Miller
by Kevin Henkes
Stella Diaz Never Gives Up
by Angela Dominguez
Books for Middle School Readers
Best Friends
by Shannon Hale
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
New Kid
by Jerry Craft
Inside Out & Back Again
by Thanhha Lai
Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson