Best Books for Summer Reading for Grades K-3

With summer right around the corner, your children can look forward to a summer filled with learning and trips to magical lands. Continue to nurture their love of books with this list of wonderful, diverse books, for grades K-3, that your children won’t want to put down. Happy summer reading!

Rude Cakes 
By Rowboat Watkins. $16.99. Grades K–2.
This pretty pink cake is a nasty piece of work—pushy and rude—until it’s taught a lesson about manners by a goofy troupe of colorful Cyclopses.

The Princess in Black
By Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. $6.99. Grades K–3.
Princesses in black are bored by teatime, gallop breakneck on jet-black ponies (not pink-maned unicorns), and rescue boys from monsters. Finally, the perfect role-model princess!

Interstellar Cinderella
By Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt. $16.99. Grades K–3.
Antimatter hammers and sonic socket wrenches are the tools a space-age Cinderella uses to win the heart of the prince—and the happy ending involves her agreeing to be his chief mechanic, not his royal bride.

Welcome to the Neighborwood
By Shawn Sheehy. $29.99. Grades K–2.
This intricate pop-up book explores the dwellings of seven animals that share the same forest home.

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah 
By Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls. $17.99. Grades K–3.
Emmanuel was born with only one functioning leg, but that didn’t stop him from achieving great things. As a child, he hopped to school two miles each way; as an adult, he bicycled 400 miles across Ghana for disability awareness.

A Nest Is Noisy 
By Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long. $16.99. Grades K–3.
Whether it’s the foamy home of a frog or the sandy one of a sea turtle, this book reminds readers that all nests bustle with activity.

Ice Cream Summer 
By Peter Sís. $17.99. Grades K–3.
Sís cleverly slips lessons on history, vocabulary, and math into this tale of summer fun as Joe narrates everything he’s learned in a letter to his grandfather.

Wiilliam & the Missing ­Masterpiece 
By Helen Hancocks. $16.99. Grades K–2.
Crisis in Paris: The Mona Cheesa is missing! William, cat detective, agrees to put his vacation on hold and use his observational skills to save the day.

Sea Rex
By Molly Idle. $16.99. Grades K–1.
Cordelia enjoys a day of fun with her little brother, a basket of beach supplies, and a few dinosaurs. Kids will absorb summer safety tips while laughing out loud at Idle’s subtle humor.

An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns 
By Betsy R. Rosenthal, illustrated by Jago. $19.99. Grades K–3.
“Who could resist the shiver of sharks with their scarves and hats? I highly recommend this for any language arts class.” —Suzanne Costner, library media specialist, Fairview Elementary School, Maryville, TN and blogger at The Fairview Review. 

Duncan the Story Dragon
By Amanda Driscoll. $16.99. Grades K–2.
Duncan has a problem: He loves to read, but when he gets excited, his fire-breath burns the story up!

Marilyn’s Monster 
By Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Matt Phelan. $15.99. Grades K–3.
In a world where every kid has his or her own monster, Marilyn hasn’t found hers yet. Rather than wait as told, she sets off to find her monster—and prove that it doesn’t always pay to play by the rules.

999 frogs and a Little Brother 
By Ken Kimura, illustrated by Yasunari Murakami. $17.95. Grades K–2.
When the smallest tadpole in the family meets a baby crayfish, he is thrilled to be mistaken for the crayfish’s big brother. What begins as a funny misunderstanding becomes a sweet friendship.

How to Read a Story
By Kate Messner, illustrated by Mark Siegel. $16.99. Grades K–3.
Messner takes young readers from the library shelf to “the end” with time-tested tips such as “Find a cozy reading spot…just be careful not to get stuck.” What better way to get kids excited about reading?

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music 
By Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael López. $16.99. Grades K–3.
Based on a true story, this vibrant book stars a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who dreamed of playing the drums at a time when female drummers were taboo. The poetic verse has a beat of its own.
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” Kristin Rude is the Owner and Center Director of FasTracKids, Del Mar, established in 2007. She started teaching Kindergarten in 1992. Kristin last taught in the Del Mar Union School District. She obtained her teaching credential from the University of San Diego and has her Masters degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on second language learners. When Kristin is not working, motherhood keeps her plenty busy with her 2 children, Connor, age 5 & Katherine, age 4. It has been a truly rewarding experience watching her own children benefit from the FasTracKids program. Spending time with her family, golfing, traveling, and continuously learning are among her favorite activities.”