ALSC 2025 Summer Reading List: Grades 3-5Like this list

18 items

• LOL 101

  a Kid's Guide to Writing Jokes

  Roth, David (Comedian),

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  Learn the elements that make jokes funny and then try the included exercises to practice writing your own jokes. Also covered are joke delivery, visual jokes, and real jobs that involve writing or performing jokes. No joke!

• And Then, Boom!

  Fipps, Lisa,

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  This novel in verse features Joe, who suddenly finds himself without a home or family. He doesn’t tell anyone—not even his friends—until he has his own “and then, boom!” moment that reminds him of the value and importance of friends.

• The Boy and the Elephant

  Blackwood, Freya,

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  An imaginative and beautiful wordless picture book in which a boy befriends a tree shaped like an elephant and leads all the tree animals to safety before they get cut down.

• Bea and the New Deal Horse

  Elliott, L. M. (Laura Malone), 1957-

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  When the Great Depression upends her family’s life, Bea is left to provide for herself and her sister. Can taming a rowdy horse and entering jumping competitions change the course of their lives?

• Bog Myrtle

  Sharp, Sid,

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  A delightfully macabre story of diametrically opposed sisters, sustainability, and spiders, this long-form picture book pairs a rich vocabulary with quirky storytelling for a dark and utterly distinctive tale.

• Continental Drifter

  Macleod, Kathy,

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  In this graphic novel, Kathy splits her year between living in Bangkok and a small town in Maine. While she loves her summers spent by the sea, Kathy struggles to fit in and find where she belongs.

• The Curse of Eelgrass Bog

  Averling, Mary,

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  Kess and new girl Lilou are determined to investigate a mysterious curse, but they must explore a strange, monster[1]filled bog to unravel its secrets. Can Kess find the courage to uncover the clues, even when she discovers more than she…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Daughters of the Lamp

  Lewers, Nedda,

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  While visiting her family in Egypt, Sahara Rashad discovers her family’s connection to the legendary treasure of Ali Baba.

• Evidence!: How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera

  Hopkinson, Deborah

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  The true story of how a neighborhood doctor solved the mystery of cholera outbreaks and, in doing so, changed the way we approach public health. This book is a fun and accessible way to keep critical thinking going over the summer.

• Ferris

  DiCamillo, Kate,

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  Soon-to-be-fifth-grader Ferris, along with her eccentric family and best friend, Billy Jackson, seeks to provide closure for the ghost that recently visited her grandmother.

• The First State of Being

  Kelly, Erin Entrada,

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  Michael Rosario lives in Red Knot, Delaware, in 1999. In the midst of worrying about Y2K and pining over his teenage babysitter, he meets Ridge, the world’s first time-traveler. While Ridge enthusiastically explores 1999, Michael focuses…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All

  Miller, Chanel,

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  In this graphic novel, Magnolia and her new friend Iris set out in their New York City neighborhood to find matches for all of the missing socks at her family’s laundromat. Quirky and sweet!

• Max in the House of Spies

  Gidwitz, Adam,

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  Max Bretzfeld is sent by his parents from Berlin to London to help him escape from the increasing danger towards Jewish families, but Max is intent on returning to his home and protecting his parents. With the help (or sometimes hindrance)…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better

  Larsen, Mylisa,

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  When a good cover sells a book and then the plot delivers, too! Quag’s plan for a summer break of sleeping in until at least noon doesn’t work out—and worse, his mom leaves him stranded in the rural U.S.

• The Secret Library

  Magoon, Kekla,

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  The Secret Library is a magical place where every book holds a hidden secret, and Dally has to decide how to use it wisely. When she chooses to visit her ancestors, the librarian helps her pick just the right clothes for each time-travel…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall

  Warga, Jasmine,

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  A fast read once you meet classmates Rami and Veda, plus Agatha the turtle, in a museum where a painting has gone missing. Will they be able to solve the mystery?

• The Wrong Way Home

  O'Shaughnessy, Kate,

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  Fern’s life is turned upside down when her mom takes her away from the Ranch—the only home she’s ever known. Now living in a beachside town, Fern must adapt to the unfamiliar modern world and the challenges of school life. Along the way,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Yes! No? Maybe So...

  Beer, Julie (Children's author),

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  This book answers so many of the questions we all have. Can dogs tell time? Could technology from science fiction come true? Do most mammals get hiccups? This book is full of fun and interesting facts to satisfy readers' curiosity all…Read moreRead more of this annotation