Children's 2022 Summer Reading Challenge Book Suggestions

The 2022 Summer Reading Challenge is here! Below are a book suggestions for each category as well as links to other articles with book recommendations in case you want ideas for what to read. Remember that you can read any book that meets the criteria for a specific category and each book can only be used for one category. We encourage you to be creative.

Suggestions are broken down by age group under each category.

Click here for the Summer Reading Challenge card and official information. If you are looking for suggestions for the Adult Summer Reading Challenge, click here.

  • A book by a Latin or Latin-American author

Younger Children

Listening with My Heart by Gabi Garcia

Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal

Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina

My Papi has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quinteroof Benny Andrews by Kathleen Benson

Latinas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers by Juliet Menendez

Middle Grade

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

Sal & Gaby Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez

Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes

Teen

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer de Leon

Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl

More Suggestions:

Must-Read Children's & YA Books by Latinx Authors

Six Latinx Children's Book's Authors You Should Know About — The Latinx Collective

30 YA Books By Latinx Authors We Can't Wait To Read In 2020

  • A book about animals or animal conservation

Younger Children

Galapagos Girl by Marsha Diane Arnold

Clem and crab by Fiona Lumbers

Sadiq and the Clean Water Crew by Siman Nuurali

Wildlife on Paper: Animals at Risk Around the Globe by Kunal Kundu

A Bee’s Difficult Search for Food by Mary Ellen Klukow

Middle Grade

The American Bison: The Buffalo’s Survival Tale by Andy Hirsch

Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem by Jude Isabella

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

This Book Will Help Cool the Climate by Isabel Thomas

A Wild Child’s Guide to Endangered Animals by Millie Marotta

Does it Fart? By Dani Rabaiotti

Teen

Gong Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers & Wetlands by Cathryn Berger Kaye

Biodiversity: A Beginner’s Guide by John Spicer

Save Our Species by Dominic Couzens

Beetle Boy: The Beetle Collector’s Handbook by M.G. Leonard

More Suggestions:

25 Best Middle-Grade Books About Animals (Animal Stories)

8 Middle Grade Books for Tween Animal Lovers

Best Kids' Books About Wildlife Conservation (60 books)

Wildlife and nature books for teenagers | BBC Wildlife Magazine - Discover Wildlife

  • A book about a STEM topic

Younger Children

Emma Ren Robot Engineer by Jenny Lu

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Cece Loves Science: Push and Pull by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes

What Can I Be? STEM Careers from A to Z by Tiffani Teachey

Middle Grade

Get Coding by Candlewick Press

Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido

Girls Who Code: The Friendship Code by Stacie Deutsch

Violet and the Pie of Life by Debra Green

See you in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

Teen

We Have No Idea (A Guide to the Unknown Universe) by Jorge Cham & Daniel Whiteson

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger

Audubon: On the Wings of the world by Fabien Grolleau

More Suggestions:

50 STEM Books to Update Your Collection - We Are Teachers

STEM Books for Adult and Young Adult Readers 2017

18 STEM Books That Make Science and Technology Fun for Kids

Best STEM Books K–12 2022

Best STEM Books 2021

  • A book that became a movie or TV show

Younger Children

Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrows

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

Middle Grade

The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (Young Readers Edition)

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Diary of Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Teen

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Paper Towns by John Green

More Suggestions:

50 Kids Books That Are Movies: Read The Book Then Watch the Movie!

Huge List of Children's Books Adapted Into Movies

12 TV Shows Based on YA Books

TV Shows Based on Books

  • A biography or autobiography of a woman

    Younger Children

Our House is on Fire by Jeanette Winter

The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finley Mosca

The Girl who Thought In Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca

Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers and Julie Maren

The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

Queen of Physic, How Wu Chien Shieng Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson

Middle Grade

I am Malala by Malala Yousafai

Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce

Becoming Emily:  The Life of Emily Dickinson by Krystyna Poray Goddu

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (chapter book or graphic novel)

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist by Sylvia Acevedo

Teen

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha

Courage to Soar by Simone Biles

Being Jazz: My Life as a Transgender Teen by Jazz Jenkins

Hidden Figure by Margot Lee Shetterly

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland

More Suggestions:

Fearless Females: Badass Women's Biographies for Kids

Women's History Month Biographies (with Printable List)

YA Biographies of Amazing Women Through Time

Engaging Biographies About Courageous Women

  • A book by a Black author

Younger Children

Chase is Ready for Takeoff by Cousin John

Money Plan by Monica Eaton

This is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson

Ty’s Travels by Kelly Starling Lyons

Middle Grade

The Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon M. Draper

Miles Morales: Spiderman by Jason Reynolds

Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson

The Jumbies Tracey Baptiste

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

Teen

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

More Suggestions:

19 Black Children's Books by Black Authors

200+ Children's Books by Black Authors

YA books by Black authors

Top 100 Recommended African-American Children’s Books – 2022 List

  • A book where the title starts with your initial (first, middle, or last)

More Suggestions:

Best Books for Kids 2021 | The New York Public Library

11 Librarian-Recommended Children's Books For Your Kid's Shelf

9 of the Best Children's Books About Libraries and Librarians

Best Books for Teens 2021 | The New York Public Library

Young Adults/Teens - Recommended Reading - LibGuides at American Library Association

  • A book with red on the cover

    Younger Children

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

The Story of Ferdinand by Robert Lawson

Numbers by Roger Priddy

Ada Lace Sees Red or Ada Lace and the Impossible Mission by Emily Calandrelli, Tamson Weston, et al.

Middle Grade

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig

The Worst Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade by Max Brallier

Teen

Concrete Rose or The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Library Book by Susan Orlean

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

Miles Morales Spiderman by Jason Reynolds and Kadir Nelson

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

More Suggestions:

Rainbow Reads: 31 Books With Red Covers – Hey, I'm Reading

50 Books With Red on the Cover

30 Great Children's Books About Colors

  • A book about activism or an activist

Younger Children

Harlem Grown by Tony Hiller

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America by Emily Easton

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders

Our House is on Fire by Jeanette Winter

All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimentel

Middle Grade

Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami

No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

Marley Dias Gets It Done by Marley Dias

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles

Teen

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration by Rose Brock

Just Mercy: A True Story of the Fight for Justice (Young Adult adaptation) by Bryan A. Stevenson

We Say #NeverAgain: Reporting by the Parkland Student Journalists by Melissa Falkowski and Eric Garner

More Suggestions:

Children's Books About Activism: 9 Books to Encourage Awareness (bookriot.com)

Making Our Voices Heard: Books About Activism for Kids | Brightly (readbrightly.com)

10 Nonfiction Books About Activism for Teens | Brightly (readbrightly.com)

  • A book about dealing with a difficult situation

Younger Children

The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee

The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore

I Can Handle It (Mindful Mantras) by Laurie Wright

Middle Grade

As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds

More to the Story by Hena Khan

When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Anxious for Nothing (Young Readers Edition) by Max Lucado

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Teen

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

More Suggestions:

23 Children's Books About Emotions For Kids With Big Feelings

7 of the Best Books About Bullying, According to Kids

10 Honest Books About Bullying for Teenagers

Books to Help Teenagers Struggling with Stress and Anxiety

11 Enlightening and Empathetic YA Novels About Mental Illness

34 Best Middle-Grade Books About Anxiety, OCD, and PTSD

Abbie DuFrayne