ALSC 2025 Summer Reading List: Kindergarten-Grade 2Like this list

21 items

• As Edward Imagined

  a Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts

  Burgess, Matthew,

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  Discover the eccentric Edward Gorey, an American author and illustrator renowned for his macabre and one-of-a-kind style.

• The Book From Far Away

  Handy, Bruce,

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  A child meets an out-of-this-world family and discovers that our desire for adventure and stories is universal.

• Chooch Helped

  Rogers, Andrea L.,

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  Even though Sissy’s brother, Chooch, isn’t a baby anymore, she feels he still gets away with everything.

• Dog Vs. Strawberry

  Buchet, Nelly,

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  A dog goes all out trying to beat a strawberry in a race—will Dog win? A great book to read aloud in your best “announcer” voice to a kid, and also a good picture book for beginning readers to read on their own!

• Drawn Onward

  Nayeri, Daniel,

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  Presented in a palindrome format, this is the story of how a young boy finds adventure and love in the midst of personal grief.

• The First Week of School

  Beckmeyer, Drew,

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  “This is the first day of the first week of school” begins the story as cars line up outside a cheerful school. Inside, we meet the Inventor, the Artist, the Sport Kings, their Teacher, and Pat, the bearded dragon class pet. On Tuesday, a spaceship…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Go and Get With Rex

  LaRochelle, David,

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  Get creative in a game of Go and Get as Jack, Jill, and Rex all try to find items that begin with a certain letter of the alphabet.

• Heatwave

  Redniss, Lauren,

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  Vivid red pages and spare text convey the city’s scorching summer heat. Relief comes with a cool, blue downpour.

• Junia

  the Book Mule of Troublesome Creek

  Richardson, Kim Michele,

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  Inspired by the real Pack Horse librarians, this story is a day in the life of Junia, a mule that transports books to the people living in the hills of Kentucky.

• A Little Bit of Everything

  Narayan, Meghana,

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  As young Amaya observes the world, she discovers how her family and experiences make her special and unique.

• Make Way

  the Story of Robert McCloskey, Nancy Schön, and Some Very Famous Ducklings

  Kunkel, Angela Burke,

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  This picture-book biography with breathtaking illustrations focuses on the creation of Make Way for Ducklings and the sculptures it inspired in Boston Garden.

• Over and Under the Wetland

  Messner, Kate,

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  The latest addition to the Over and Under nature series by this duo takes place in the Florida Everglades National Park. Readers’ curiosity will be piqued as they explore and learn about the plants and wildlife.

• Plus One

  Hare, John (Children's book illustrator),

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  Looking to make friends, new girl Agnes eventually expands her criteria for her after-school tea party guest list to include the strange but optimistically persistent neighbor boy and his “plus one,” his pet goose, Pierre of the North, Esquire.

• Punky Aloha

  Tuiasoa, Shar,

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  Punky goes on an adventure sharing her aloha—by being helpful, giving, and brave. She finds out it feels good and grows more confident along the way. And, of course, succeeds in her mission to bring butter home for her grandmother’s banana bread.

• A Rainbow in Brown

  Giron, Pavonis,

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  A fresh look at colors through simple and effective storytelling. Jo is given red, yellow, and blue paint and explores her favorite things in each color before combining them to make new colors, including her favorite color, brown, with which she…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Roy Is Not a Dog

  Shapiro, Esmé, 1992-

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  The neighborhood paperboy is curious about one of his neighbors, Roy, and decides to investigate.

• Sew Sister

  the Untold Story of Jean Wright and NASA's Seamstresses

  Matich, Elise,

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  Discover the untold stories of the “Sew Sisters” who handcrafted thermal blankets for NASA’s space shuttles.

• This Land

  Fairbanks, Ashley,

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  Through beautiful picture-book art, kids can visualize the history of a house and the land it is on, as well as places like the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Rushmore, Times Square, and the White House. The text includes simple, accurate, and impactful…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Touch the Sky

  Lucianovic, Stephanie V. W.,

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  Buoyed by Gretchen’s enthusiastic instruction and encouragement, Vern learns to pump his legs on the swings. Joyful illustrations capture the feeling of—finally—flying on the swings. Great for those striving to master a new skill.

• The Truth About the Couch

  Rubin, Adam, 1983-

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  Get ready for a peek into the secret lives of couches! A fancy red fox takes the stage, ready to spill all the juicy details about sofas—until a sharp-dressed opossum bursts in, accusing the fox of stretching the truth. Their bickering takes over…Read moreRead more of this annotation