Summer Reading

Ackerman, Sara Holly.  How to Hatch: a goslings guide to breaking free.
Discover how a gosling hatches into the world, step by step, in this irresistibly cute and funny nonfiction picture book.

Awan, Jashar. Every Monday Mabel.
Every Monday Mabel takes her breakfast outside and waits for her favorite part of the week: the garbage truck.

Burgess, Matthew. Fireworks.
Highlights the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly await a spectacular fireworks display.

Fang, X. Broken.
When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama’s favorite cup, she’s convinced it’s the end of the world. What if Ama is angry? What if she yells? What if she kicks Mei Mei out of her house? Mei can’t face it. But when Mimi, the innocent cat who witnesses her crime, ends up being blamed, the guilt is too much! Mimi’s accusing eyes follow Mei Mei until she just can’t take it anymore and the truth comes spilling out. 

Fries-Gaither, Jessica.  So Rude!: Animals behaving badly.
Humans have many rules for how to behave, but for animals, breaking those rules can be a matter of survival. Meet rule-breaking animals including kingsnakes, hippos, bowerbirds, and many more!

Hitchman, Jess. Axolotl and Axolittle.
Axolotl and Axolittle are total opposites through and through, but after a squabble, they learn to make up and get along, as siblings often do.

Kawa, Katie.  20 Facts about Independence Day. 32 p. 
Fireworks, picnics, flags, and parades should remind Americans young and old of perhaps the most famous national holiday. Independence Day, also called the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday. While most know that the observance is a celebration of the nation, they might not know what happened on July 4 in 1776 and why this is a now famous date.

Pallotta, Jerry. Ultimate Pterosaur rumble. 32 p. 
This nonfiction reader compares and contrasts sixteen of the fiercest flying pterosaurs. Readers will learn about each pterosaur’s unique features, behavior, and more. Then, compare and contrast the battling pterosaurs before finally discovering the winner.

Pizzoli, Greg.  The Big Mess and Other Stories. 69 p. 
Earl, a messy bird, and Worm, a quiet and tidy bookworm, overcome their differences by helping each other through their problems and adventures.

Timmers, Leo.  Bear’s Lost Glasses.
Bear has lost his glasses and walks to his friend Giraffe’s house, where he thinks he left them.

Grades 2 – 3

Grades 4 -5 

FMS Summer Reading 2026

Download a PDF of the FMS summer reading list

Fiction

Barnes, Derrick. The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze. 272 pgs. REA
Thirteen-year-old Henson Blayze strives to be seen as more than just a football player in his predominantly white small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi. When a horrific incident compels him to speak out, he must choose between playing football and seeking justice.

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. Phoenix, Ride On Book #1, 162pgs. REA
After her parents’ divorce, Harper moves to a new town near a riding barn. She ends up caring for a mistreated horse whom she eventually ends up riding. 

Gratz, Alan. War Games, 368pgs. HIS
Twelve-year-old Evie travels to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics where she witnesses Hitler’s terror on the German people and plans to steal from a Nazi bank with two fellow Olympic athletes.

Kelly, Erin Entrada. The Last Resort, Book #1, 240pgs. HOR
When 12-year-old Lila’s estranged Grandpa Clem dies she has to spend the summer in Ohio while her parents decide what to do with Grandpa Clem’s creepy Victorian Inn. But it’s not a normal bed & breakfast: it’s a portal between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. A hotel for ghosts passing onto the afterlife. Ghosts from the story will emerge from the pages of the book, allowing readers to talk to the spirits from the past and help solve the mysteries. 

Layton, T.Z. The Academy, Book #1, 295pgs. SPO
Leo is a soccer player with big dreams. A professional scout offers him a tryout for the London Dragons youth squad, known as the Academy. Soon Leo is off to a brand new country, facing grueling competition, bullies, and a terrifying camp director. Can Leo overcome his self-doubt and lack of formal training to succeed and make the team?

Messner, Kate. The Trouble With Heroes, 369 pgs. REA
Finn Connelly is nothing like his dad, a firefighter hero who died two years ago. Finn is about to fail seventh grade and has never made headlines, until now. He’s in big trouble for knocking down some dead old lady’s headstone. Turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer: she’ll drop all the charges if he agrees to climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer. 

Montgomery, Ross. I Am Rebel, 231 pgs. ANI
Rebel is a good dog. He loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner, Tom–until one day, when the war comes too close. Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the king’s men, but Rebel knows that war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save his beloved human. How can he bring Tom home before it’s too late?

Neilson, Jennifer. Magnitude, 293pgs. HIS
When Cora leaves her house in San Francisco in the early morning hours of April 18th, 1906 she expects trouble to find her, like it somehow always does. But as she makes her way to the San Francisco docks to look for her father, the earth begins to shake and suddenly, Cora realizes that she’s not just in trouble– she’s in danger. What follows is a harrowing story of the fight for survival during the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and the desperate race to find survivors. 

Schlitz, Laura Amy. The Winter of the Dollhouse, 398pgs. FAN
On a gloomy November night, eleven-year-old Tiphany Stokes saves an old lady from collapsing in the street. An antique doll named Gretel watches them, longing for Tiph to rescue her life in a shop window. Though none of these three characters realize it, their worlds are about to change: Gretel will no longer be a precious prisoner. The old lady–is she a witch?–will discover the secret hidden in her long-neglected dollhouse. And Tiph–whose parents rejoice that she is ‘never any trouble’–will become a thief, a dog walker, an actor, and best of all a friend.

Stead, Rebecca. The Experiment, 270pgs. SCIFI
Eleven-year-old Nathan and his parents have a mission to blend in with humans on Earth, but when Nathan starts growing a tail, he begins to question the true purpose of their alien experiment.

Nonfiction

Andrus, Aubre. America Celebrates: the most incredible and influential people, places & events of the last 250 years. 176pgs. 
In honor of America’s 250th birthday, America Celebrates takes young readers on an exciting journey through a timeline of influential figures, notable landmarks, and special events dating back to 1776 through today. 

Burgan, Michael. National Geographic Kids: Weather & Natural Disasters (Weird But True! Know-It-All). 192pgs. 
From towering twisters and bone-chilling blizzards to pillowy white clouds and warm gentle breezes, this book from National Geographic Kids plunges into Earth’s wild and wondrous weather—and includes loads of weird but true facts!

Day, Nicholas.  A World Without Summer:  A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out. 304 pgs.  
A narrative nonfiction account that explores how Mount Tambora’s eruption in 1815 affected the global climate and inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. As Day shows, the eruption’s wider effects were felt across the globe in Europe and the U.S. in what came to be known as the “Year Without a Summer” in 1816. 

Haidt, Jonathan, The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World.  226pgs. 
Jonathan Haidt’s blockbuster book, The Anxious Generation, has sparked a global conversation about the effects of smartphones and social media on young people’s development. Now, Haidt and Catherine Price, author of the bestselling How to Break Up with Your Phone, have teamed up to create a new book that speaks directly to kids. Their goal? To empower young people to stand up for themselves by choosing a life not dominated by screens and social media.

Messner, Kate. Ancient Egypt (History Smashers Series). 200pgs.  
Myths! Lies! Secret mummy curses? Grab your head lamp, the award-winning History Smashers are headed to Ancient Egypt to dig up the truth about this incredible early civilization-and the many myths that will be buried once and for all.

Nelson, Kadir. Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game. 112 pgs.
The journey from the early days of the slow game of “basket ball” to today’s dazzlingly athletic and fast-paced sport. Engaging profiles of revolutionary players—including Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry—are featured, along with notable quotes from major figures of the game.

Graphic Novels

Tarshis, Lauren, Adapted by Georgia Ball, I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018 (I Survived Graphic Novel #13). 160pgs. 
All across California, deadly wildfires rage. Still reeling from the life-changing challenges that propelled him and his mother across the country, Josh finds solace in the California wilderness and in the newfound friendship with his cousin Holly. But on a trip into the nearby forest, Josh and Holly suddenly find themselves in the middle of a frighteningly powerful firestorm, one which threatens to burn down everything in its path.

Gratz, Alan. Refugee, the graphic novel. 165pgs. 
The New York Times bestseller Refugee is brought to life in a stunning graphic novel adaptation. Although separated by continents and decades, Josef, a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, embark on harrowing journeys in search of refuge, discovering shocking connections that tie their stories together.

Meroz, Morr. A Blood Moon (Snowlands #1). 208pgs. 
Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime in A Blood Moon, the epic first book in the Snowlands series! Feba, an orphaned wolf cub, is believed to be cursed. Her rare white fur is said to be a bad omen. When a mysterious creature starts killing members of Feba’s pack one by one, all eyes fall on her. She has no choice but to run away, forced to roam the perilous Snowlands all on her own.

Gibbs, Stuart. Space Case, the graphic novel (Moon Base Alpha, Book 1). 352pgs. Graphic novel adaptation of: Space Case by Stuart Gibbs. 
When a lunarnaut dies on Moon Base Alpha, twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson sets out to solve the lunar murder mystery before the killer strikes again.

 

GHS Summer Reading 2026

Download a PDF of the GHS summer reading list

Fiction

Adamo, Meredith.  Not Like Other Girls.  430 p. 
When Jo-Lynn Kirby’s former best friend–pretty, nice Maddie Price–comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it’s some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked–and since everyone decided she deserved it. There’s no way Maddie would actually come to her for help. But then Maddie is gone. Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo can’t shake the feeling there’s more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind, and the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling of Jo’s with his own reasons for wanting to find Maddie, Hudson hatches a fake dating scheme to get Jo back into their clique. But being back on the inside means Jo must confront everything she’d rather forget: the boys who betrayed her, the whispers that she had it coming, and the secrets that tore her and Maddie apart. As Jo digs deeper into Maddie’s disappearance, she’s left to wonder who she’s really searching for: Maddie, or the girl she used to be.

Baptiste, Tracey. Boy 2.0. 293 p. 
When Coal discovers he can turn invisible, he searches for answers about his past with the help of his friends and his new foster family.

Cho, Ian X.  Aisle Nine.  260 p. 
Even though the world is filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons pop out of them on the reg, Jasper spends his days and nights working as a check-out clerk at the Here For You discount mart. Sure, there’s even a hell portal in aisle nine, which means he could be maimed, dismembered, or even eaten whole during every shift, but at least at the mart he can be near his crush, Kyle Kuan. That she doesn’t seem to even notice that he exists seems about right to Jasper, because Jasper can’t remember anything that happened to him before his accident five months ago, either.

Cobell, K. A.  Looking for Smoke.  426 p. 
Since moving to the Blackfeet Reservation with her parents, Mara Racette has felt like an outsider, taunted by her tight-knit classmates for growing up far away. So when a local girl includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet giveaway to honor her missing sister, Mara thinks she’ll finally make some friends. Instead, a girl from the giveaway, Samantha White Tail, is found murdered. Because the four members of the giveaway group were the last to see Samantha alive, each becomes a person of interest in the investigation: New girl Mara, who hated Samantha for being particularly cruel. Grief-stricken Loren Arnoux, who was Samantha’s best friend until Loren’s sister’s disappearance drove a wedge between them. Class clown Brody Clark, whose unreciprocated crush on Samantha is an open secret. And tough guy Eli First Kill, who has his own complicated history with Samantha. Despite deep mistrust, the four must now take matters into their own hands and clear their names. Even though one of them may be the murderer.

Collins, Suzanne. Sunrise on the Reaping.  382 p. 
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.

Galarza, Josh.  The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky. 299 p. 
Fueling all his anxieties into his comic book series, Brett must face the painful truths of his real life and his escalating eating disorder when someone posts his journal–and his deepest insecurities–online.

Graves, Byron. Rez Ball.  357 p.
These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team–even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident. When Jaxon’s former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him. But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with. After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon’s dreams, their story isn’t over yet.

Korman, Gordon.  Slugfest.  292p.
Forced to take Physical Education Equivalency, aka “Slugfest,” in summer school so he can maintain his star spot on the JV football team, Yash recruits his fellow PE rejects to train with him and pass this course, an endeavor that turns into a summer he’ll never forget.

Lukoff, Kyle.  A World Worth Saving.  337 p. 
After coming out as trans, A is forced to attend weekly Save Our Sons and Daughters meetings, where he uncovers the terrifying truth that the group is run by a demon feeding on their pain and is part of a larger, darker force preying on the world’s vulnerable.

McBride, Amber.  The Leaving Room.  203 p.  Verse Novel
Gospel is the Keeper of the Leaving Room–a place all young people must phase through when they die. The young are never ready to leave; they need a moment to remember and a Keeper to help their wispy souls along. When a random door opens and a Keeper named Melodee arrives, their souls become entangled. Gospel’s seriousness melts and Melodee’s fear of connection fades, but still–are Keepers allowed to fall in love? Now they must find a way out of the Leaving Room and be unafraid of their love. In a novel that takes place over four minutes, National Book Award finalist Amber McBride explores connection, memory, and hope in ways that are unforgettable and poignant.

Painter, Lynn. Fake Skating.  437 p. 
Excited to return to Minnesota and reconnect with her childhood sweetheart Alec, Dani discovers her nerdy best friend is now a hunky hockey star, and only a fake-dating situation may truly reunite them.

Pena-Govea, Rene. Estella, undrowning.  354 p. 
Seventeen-year-old Estela grapples with racial tensions after placing second to a non-Latino student in a Latine poetry contest, all while battling anxiety over her family’s looming eviction.

Quindlen, Kelly. Her Name in the Sky.  400 p. 
Seventeen-year-old Hannah wants to spend her senior year of high school going to football games and Mardi Gras parties. She wants to drive along the oak-lined streets of Louisiana’s Garden District and lie on the hot sand of Florida’s beaches. She wants to spend every night making memories with her tight-knit group of friends. The last thing she wants is to fall in love with a girl-especially when that girl is her best friend, Baker.

Reynolds, Jason.  Twenty-four Seconds from now . . .: a love story.  239 p. 
In a series of moments spanning two years, seventeen-year-old Neon navigates the progression of his relationship with Aria, culminating in a case of the jitters as the two intend to take the next big step in their relationship.

Schu, John. Louder Than Hunger.  516 p. Verse Novel
Jake volunteers at a nursing home because he likes helping people. He likes skating and singing, playing Bingo and Name That Tune, and reading mysteries and comics aloud to his teachers. He also likes avoiding people his own age . . . and the cruelty of mirrors . . . and food. Jake has read about kids like him in books–the weird one, the outsider–and would do anything not to be that kid, including shrink himself down to nothing. But the less he eats, the bigger he feels. How long can Jake punish himself before he truly disappears? A fictionalized account of the author’s experiences and emotions living in residential treatment facilities as a young teen with an eating disorder.

Smith, Sasha Peyton. The Rose Bargain.  385 p. 
Ivy Benton must enter into a marriage contest with a fae prince in order to free her sister from a bargain previously made with the vicious fae queen of England.

Watson, Renee.  All the Blues in the Sky.  182 p. Verse Novel
When Sage’s best friend dies, Sage struggles with grief and feels that she is at fault, but when she joins a grief group, she slowly learns to heal.

Fiction Authors We Recommend Always:

Alexander, Kwame
Anderson, Laurie Halse
Barnes, Jennifer
Bruchac, Joseph
Crutcher, Chris
Dessen, Sarah
Green, John
King, A. S. 
Levithan, David
Reynolds, Jason
Sepetys, Ruta
Stone, Nic
Strasser, Todd
Thomas, Angie
Trueman, Terry
Wein, Elizabeth
Zusak, Markus

Non – Fiction

Graphic Fiction