Summer Reading 2022
Welcome to GDS’s suggested summer reading lists! Note the word “suggested.” At GDS we believe students should choose their own free reading whenever it’s possible. We highly recommend browsing in, borrowing from, and participating in programs at your local public libraries during summer months when the school libraries are closed.
If you’d like to read what Kirkus Reviews, a great book review publication, says about the books on this list, simply click the title. Where possible, we’ve also included links to the e-books and audio books on the DC Public Library’s Overdrive shelf.
Some of these titles contain challenging ideas, concepts, and language. See this Hopper Effect blog post to learn more about GDS’s thoughts around this.
Happy Reading!
Did You Know? GDS students, regardless of where they live, can get a card for the DC Public Libraries. GDS also encourages participation in DCPL’s Discover Summer program.
PK–2nd Grade
Suggested Summer Reading List for PK-2nd Grade
by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Dung Ho
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Anitra Rowe Schulte, illustrated by Ziyue Chen
by Remy Lai
by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Dan Santat
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Dan Santat
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
by Sergio Ruzzier
by Erwin Moser
by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Nina Mata
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Mo Willems
by Elana K. Arnold, illustrated by A.N. Kang
by J. Dillard, illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Rachel Wada
by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson, illustrated by Daniel Sousa
by Adaiah Sanford, illustrated by Ken Daley
by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Tonya Engel
by GDS's own Paula Young Shelton and Andrew Young, illustrated by Gordon C. James
(Releases August 2nd!)
by Elizabeth Lilly
by Dawn Quigley, illustrated by Tara Audibert
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Angela Dominguez
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Danson Mutinda and Eric Walters, illustrated by Claudia Dávila
by Bryan Collier
by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Sara Palacios
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Peggy Collins
by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Woodson, Jacqueline, illustrated by Leo Espinosa
by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
by Hope Lim, illustrated by Jaime Kim
by Eva Chen, illustrated by Sophie Diao
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Tyus D. Williams, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
by Leonarda Carranza, illustrated by Rafael Mayani
by Baptiste Paul, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara
by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Suzanne Del Rizzo
Summer Reading Challenge.
Submit a photo of a PK–8th grade student reading a book via bit.ly/GDSSummerReading2022 or by email. We love to see photos of LMS summer readers! We will use all the photos for a joyful collage of reading at the beginning of the school year.
Looking for more?
We have tried to create lists that are inclusive and diverse around a variety of topics, yet also not so overwhelmingly long! If you find your family wanting more or different suggestions, try these resources:
3rd–5th Grade
Suggested Summer Reading List for 3rd–5th Grade
by Remy Lai
by Johnnie Christmas
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Dan Santat
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Jonathan Case
by Sangu Mandanna
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
by Jennifer Blecher
by Dan Santat
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by J. Dillard, illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
by Gillian McDunn
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Amy Kim Kibuishi
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Kate Messner
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Margarita Engle
by Adaiah Sanford, illustrated by Ken Daley
by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Tonya Engel
by GDS's own Paula Young Shelton and Andrew Young, illustrated by Gordon C. James
(Releases August 2nd!)
by S.A. Patrick
by Elizabeth Lilly
by Danson Mutinda and Eric Walters, illustrated by Claudia Dávila
by Craig Robinson and Adam Mansbach, illustrated by Keith Knight.
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
Summer Reading Challenge.
Submit a photo of a PK–8th grade student reading a book via bit.ly/GDSSummerReading2022 or by email. We love to see photos of LMS summer readers! We will use all the photos for a joyful collage of reading at the beginning of the school year.
Looking for more?
We have tried to create lists that are inclusive and diverse around a variety of topics, yet also not so overwhelmingly long! If you find your family wanting more or different suggestions, try these resources:
6th–8th Grade
Suggested Summer Reading List for 6th–8th Grade
by Isabel Ibañez
by John Lewis
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Johnnie Christmas
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Sangu Mandanna
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Mariama J. Lockington
by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
by Carrie Firestone
by Neal Bascomb
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Sayantani Dasgupta
by Amy Kim Kibuishi
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Anna-Marie McLemore
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Lee Wind
by Kate Messner
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Margarita Engle
by Zetta Elliott and Lyn Miller-Lachmann
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by S.A. Patrick
by Loan Le
Vietnamese American high school seniors Bao and Linh, whose feuding families own competing Vietnamese restaurants, conceal their budding romance, as well as Linh's desire to become an artist. Get @ DCPL Overdrive.
Summer Reading Challenge. Submit a photo of a PK–8th grade student reading a book via bit.ly/GDSSummerReading2022 or by email. We love to see photos of LMS summer readers! We will use all the photos for a joyful collage of reading at the beginning of the school year.
Are you a newspaper reader? Consider participating in the New York Times Summer Reading Contest!
Looking for more?
We have tried to create lists that are inclusive and diverse around a variety of topics, yet also not so overwhelmingly long! If you find your family wanting more or different suggestions, try these resources:
High School
Suggested Summer Reading List for High School
by Antonia Fraser
by Isabel Ibañez
by Kip Wilson
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Axie Oh
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Riley Redgate
by Deborah Falaye
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by F.T. Lukens
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Candace Fleming
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Mónica Ojeda, translated by Sarah Booker
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Kirsten R. Lee
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Joy Harjo
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Ryan North
by Gish Jen
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Imani Perry
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Okwiri Oduor
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Francina Simone
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by John Lewis
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Kosoko Jackson
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Blue Delliquanti
by Tahereh Mafi
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Amor Towles
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Anna-Marie McLemore
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by John Armbruster
by Adib Khorram
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Natalia Sylvester
by Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery
by Viola Davis
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Erik J. Brown
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Brendan Borrell
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Kristen O’Neal
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Rebecca Podos
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Brian Broome
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
by Steve Sheinkin
Get on DCPL Overdrive.
Are you a newspaper reader? Consider participating in the New York Times Summer Reading Contest!
Theatre fans: Watch theatre performances through GDS's Digital Theatre Plus subscription over the summer! See the HS Library Resource Board for log-in credentials or contact Rhona.