Educational Media
Summer Reading Lists
So you're ready for summer reading but aren't sure where to start? Oh boy! Have you come to the right place! We librarians certainly have some suggestions when it comes to books.
Below is a list of authors who have written some fantastic books that you might enjoy reading. Why not try out a few, and find some that are just right for you? And don't forget to browse those library shelves looking for some other great finds. You know what you like, now go find (or ask for) that book! The best thing about summer reading is that you get to read what you want when you want where you want for as long as you want. Summertime is all about relaxing, having fun, and reading.
DeKalb County School District strives to serve a widely diverse population with varied beliefs and educational needs. We understand that not all recommended authors/books will appeal to all students and families and encourage parents to be involved in their children's reading by helping them make appropriate selections they will enjoy. Also, be sure to check with your child's school for specific summer reading assignments.
Recommended Authors for Elementary Schools
Grades K–3
- Adler, David
- Aliki
- Anno, Mitsumasa
- Berenstain, Stan and Jan
- Brett, Jan
- Brown, Marc
- Cameron, Ann
- Carle, Eric
- Cleary, Beverly
- Cosby, Bill
- De Paola, Tomie
- Duffey, Betsy
- Ehlert, Lois
- Fowler, Allan
- Gibbons, Gail
- Giff, Patricia Reilly
- Greenfield, Eloise
- Henkes, Kevin
- Howe, James
- Hutchins, Pat
- Johnson, Angela
- Keats, Ezra Jack
- Kellogg, Steven
- Kline, Suzy
- Krensky, Stephen
- Lester, Helen
- Marshall, James
- Martin Jr., Bill
- McKissack, Patricia
- Medearis, Angela Shelf
- Munsch, Robert
- Numeroff, Laura Joffe
- Osborne, Mary Pope
- Park, Barbara
- Peet, Bill
- Polacco, Patricia
- Ringgold , Faith
- Roy, Ron
- Rylant, Cynthia
- Seuss, Dr.
- Sharmat, Margie
- Silverstein, Shel
- Simon, Seymour
- Steig, William
- Steptoe, John
- Stevens, Janet
- Waber, Bernard
- Wells, Rosemary
- Wood, Audrey
- Zolotow, Charlotte
Grades 4–5
- Avi
- Blume, Judy *
- Bruchac, Joseph
- Byars, Betsy
- Christopher, Matt
- Cleary, Beverly
- Clements, Andrew
- Cole, Joanna
- Coville, Bruce
- Creech, Susan
- Curtis, Christopher Paul
- Dahl, Roald
- Danziger, Paula *
- Emberly, Ed
- Erickson, John
- George, Jean Craighead
- Goble, Paul
- Greenfield, Eloise
- Hamilton, Virginia
- Hurwitz, Johanna
- Kalman, Bobbie
- Konigsburg, E.L.
- Lewis, C.S.
- Lowry, Lois
- McKissack, Patricia
- Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds*
- O'Dell, Scott
- Park, Barbara
- Paulsen, Gary
- Paterson, Katherine
- Peck, Richard
- Ringgold , Faith
- Rylant, Cynthia
- Sachar, Louis
- Scieszka, Jon
- Sobol, Donald
- Spinelli, Jerry
- Stine, R.L.
- Taylor, Mildred
- Voigt, Cynthia
- Warner, Gertrude Chandler
- American Girls Collection
- Zoobook
* Parental involvement in selection recommended.
Recommended Authors for Middle School
- Anderson, Laurie
- Avi
- Barron, TA
- Bruchac, Joseph
- Christopher, Matt
- Colfer, Eoin
- Cooney, Caroline
- Creech, Sharon
- Crutcher, Chris
- Curtis, Christopher
- Danziger, Paula
- Deuker, Carl
- Draper, Sharon
- Duncan, Lois
- DuPrau, Jeanne
- Flake, Sharon
- Funke, Cornelia
- Gantos, Jack
- Giff, Patricia
- Grimes, Nikki
- Haddix, Margaret
- Hamilton, Virginia
- Henkes, Kevin
- Hesse, Karen
- Hiaasen, Carl
- Hobbs, Will
- Horowitz, Anthony
- Jacques, Brian
- Johnson, Angela
- Konisburg, E. L.
- Korman, Gordon
- Langan, Paul
- Lowry, Lois
- Myers, Walter Dean
- Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
- Nixon, Joan Lowery
- Paolini, Christopher
- Paulsen, Gary
- Peck, Richard
- Rinaldi, Ann
- Riordan, Rick
- Rowling, JK
- Sachar, Louis
- Schraff, Anne
- Spinelli, Jerry
- Tate, Eleanora
- Taylor, Mildred
- Taylor, Theodore
- Van Draanen, Wendelin
- Voight, Cynthia
- Woodson, Jaqueline
- Yee, Lisa
- Yep, Laurence
- Yolen, Jane
Recommended Authors for High Schools
- Achebe, Chinua
- Alvarez, Julia
- Anderson, Laura Halse
- Angelou, Maya
- Auel, Jean
- Baldwin, James
- Bauer, Joan
- Bradbury, Ray
- Brashares, Ann
- Cabot, Meg
- Camus, Albert
- Card, Orson Scott
- Christie, Agatha
- Clare, Cassandra
- Clark, Mary Higgins
- Collins, Suzanne
- Cormier, Robert
- Covey, Sean
- Crichton, Michael
- Crutcher, Chris
- Dante
- Doctorow, Cory
- Draper, Sharon
- Duncan, Lois
- Gaiman, Neil
- Gaines, Ernest
- Guy, Rosa
- Herriot, James
- Hillerman, Tony
- Hosseini, Khaled
- Hurston, Zora
- Kafka, Franz
- Kidd, Sue
- Kafka, Franz
- LeGuin, Ursula
- Lipsyte, Robert
- London, Jack
- McBride, James
- McCaffrey, Anne
- Morrison, Toni
- Mortenson, Greg
- Myers, Walter Dean
- O'Connor, Flannery
- Orwell, George
- Paulsen, Gary
- Peck, Richard
- Shusterman, Neal
- Spinelli, Jerry
- Stevenson, Robert Louis
- Stewart, Mary
- Tan, Amy
- Taylor, Mildred
- Tolkien, J. R. R.
- Twain, Mark
- Walker, Alice
- Westerfeld, Scott
- Williams-Garcia, Rita
- Wilson, August
- Wright, Richard A.