20 Fun and Smart Books to Keep Kids Reading All Summer

Judy Blume’s classic Forever—a Time Best YA Book of All Time with over 4 million copies sold—is back with a fresh new look and a Netflix adaptation! This summer, dive into a heartfelt story of first love, first time, and the bittersweet moments that shape us forever. Perfect for anyone ready to feel all the feelings.

This year’s Newbery winner follows twelve-year-old Michael’s unforgettable summer in 1999 when a time traveler appears at his doorstep. Filled with friendship, first crushes, and adventure, this story is perfect for anyone ready for a summer full of magic, mystery, and heart.

For the little dreamer with a love for nature and adventure. A touching tale of a robot learning to live in the wilderness—now even more exciting with its 2024 DreamWorks animated adaptation featuring Lupita Nyong'o and Pedro Pascal.

A thrilling start to a fantasy series that kids will devour. In the first book of this landmark series, two kids race to save the world’s last magical place. Filled with wild creatures and heart-pounding adventure, Rundell delivers a journey that’s “infectiously fun” and celebrates the “vital necessity of wildness,” according to The New Yorker.

If you’re looking for screen-free activities to keep kids entertained all summer long, the Highlights Book has you covered.From one of parents' most trusted names in kids publishing, this collection of 500+ ideas includes everything from backyard adventures to rainy-day fun and everything in between. The next time your kid pleads "boredom," they'll have no excuse not to crack open this book of fun new activities to try.

Keeping countless minds engaged across lunchroom tables, bus rides, and libraries since 1955, The Guinness Book of World Records needs little introduction. The updated edition is a real gem — freshly polished and trimmed to perfection, with not a single longest fingernail out of place.

Kick off summer reading with this box set of Judy Blume's classics that still hold up after 50 years.