Summer Reading for Early Childhood and Lower School Students 2025

Stella, who's seven, is kind, a good storyteller, and ponders big questions like, what do animals think of people? Marigold, at four, tells imaginative stories (her mother calls them "fibs") and likes to wear her favorite Halloween costume year-round. Stella and Marigold do all the regular things--like going to school, playing, getting sick sometimes, and visiting the zoo--but even the most regular things have a secret side.
Sure to delight fans of Ivy and Bean, these adventure tales--animated with full-color illustrations of the sisters' encounters with magical bathrooms, snow monkeys, dream lions, howling wolves, a lost Vice President, and much more--are filled with vibrant characters, creative storytelling, and a whole lot of laughs. Available via SORA.

To some, the low door in Eliza's bedroom might look like an ordinary entrance to a crawl space under the stairs. But to a believer like Eliza of the Elves, it's the door to the Land of UnderStair, a secret hideout all her own. In that crawl space, festooned with twinkling lights, Eliza keeps her favorite book, her collections of precious items, her stuffed animals, and her new diary. And in that crawl space is another door, a teeny-tiny one that can transport Eliza to a world of tangerine sun and lemon-pudding sky, a place where flower fairies perch on every bloom and a new flower springs up whenever you pick one. But in a far corner of that world, Eliza tries to pick a strangely beautiful flower--"Nooooo!" cries her friend Poppy--and things soon go terribly awry. Can a brave, wilting Poppy rescue Eliza from beyond the hedgerow before the Demon Wind steals all the flower fairies' scents, leaving the snapdragons with no snap? In this launch of a new series, Megan McDonald brings her well-honed flair for wordplay to delicious villains like the witches Wolfsbane and Belladonna as she follows a child with a big imagination to a different fairy realm in each book. Lenny Wen's delightful, richly colored artwork brings Eliza's world to life with fanciful details sure to have readers creating their own cozy retreats--and visiting magical lands beyond the door. Available via SORA.

Millie Magnus has huge love for many things--her mom, her friends, her baby chicken, Extra Spicy, and even her hot pink rain boots. She loves school, too, and can't wait for Field Day, when her mom--the mayor of Washington, D.C.--will be her partner in the three-legged race.
Millie Magnus DOESN'T love it when Buckley, a boy from school, makes fun of her curly hair, or her name, or her friends. And she can't believe it when Buckley is assigned to compete against Millie and her mother at Field Day! But then things get even worse. When Millie's plan to talk to Buckley about his bullying is ruined, SHE ends up in the principal's office.
But Millie's can-do spirit is hard to keep down and her big feelings come in handy when she learns something new about Buckley. She may even find a way to call him a friend.

Roscoe is a Search and Rescue Force rookie who doesn't play by the rules. Serge is a veteran of the Force, looking forward to a well-earned retirement. Roscoe can't wait to make his first rescue, while Serge just wants to get through the next three days so he can finally just . . . chillax.

But when the largest fire Colorado has ever seen starts tearing through the forest, it's all paws on deck for the Search and Rescue team. Serge and Roscoe are thrown together as partners, and with lives on the line, there's no time for them to not get along. Will this mismatched team figure out how to work together to save the day?

Pegasus is very excited for his first day at the School for Magical Monsters! At his old school, he was the only creature there, but now, he won't be alone. In fact, everyone there will find their special power--and Pegasus can't wait to discover his!
But the first few days are a little rough--poor Pegasus keeps on stumbling over his hooves! And it seems like all his new friends start to receive their power before her does. With a little help from his new friends and a little magic, can Pegasus learn to soar at his new school?

In this first book of the new chapter book series from the author of Good Dog, meet Ratnip, an adorable rat who goes on adventures in the city that are equal parts sweet and icky!
Ratnip the rat lives in the City, where there's always plenty of food to eat...if you know where to look. Dumpster diving isn't just for finding food, though. It's also for discovering knick-knacks and adventure! And tonight, Ratnip is on a very special mission to return treasure to its rightful owner. But will he make it home before sunrise? Available via SORA.

Orris the rat and Timble the owl are unlikely friends. Each night, Timble visits Orris in the barn and listens to his stories. But Timble is growing up, and one evening when the owl doesn't appear as usual Orris wonders if Timble has forgotten him. Is their friendship over? Or could it be that Timble has a tale of his own to share? Illustrated with wistful tenderness, the second title in a projected trilogy to feature this charmingly offbeat pair masterfully explores the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we tell each other, and the binding magic of friendship.

Meet Green Jolene: a green, clean, climate-conscious heroine. t all began (as the best stories do) with a very stinky backpack!
Jolene wouldn't have guessed that the first day of summer vacation would start with her trying to figure out if the squishy object smelling up her backpack was a half-eaten tuna sandwich or a six-month-old plum! (It was both!) While dumping old food in the trash and bringing out the recycling, Jolene sees the huge boxes of stuff her new neighbors got delivered. She realizes how many of her own belongings she doesn't use anymore.
Horrified by the idea of contributing to overflowing landfills and trash-filled oceans, Jolene hatches a big plan to not only deal with her own stuff, but her whole neighborhood's unwanted items as well. Of course, big plans never work out quite the way we think they will!
Clad in her favorite rain boots, Jolene is ready to save the world. Or, at least, to tackle her own neighborhood's stuff and find some surprising new allies along the way. For fans of Ivy & Bean and Clementine comes Jolene, a can-do new hero who is discovering how to take an Earth-first approach to every problem she encounters.

Introducing Catty!
She's a confident second grader who happens to be half-cat, like her mother and grandmother. In this series debut, Catty hits a few rough patches at her new school. So she turns to her fuzzy diary--AKA her "scratch pad"--where she shares her big feelings and documents her adventures. Before long, Catty is making friends and learning to love her new school.
Catty Corner is the natural next read for fans of character-driven chapter books like Ivy & Bean and Judy Moody.

A hero fights for what is right! A hero's aim is true! Is the hero of this story like that? I don't know. He is the kind of person who might turn you into a donut if he's thinking too hard about donuts. His name is Gumluck the Wizard, and he is on a Quest. Along the way he'll discover singing goblins, unicorn magic, a possible ostrich that breathes definite fire, and three companions who are pretty sure they're heroes already.
With delightful illustrations and a lighthearted mix of fantasy and fairytale elements, this third installment in the chapter book series starring Gumluck the Wizard is a hilarious tale for the reluctant hero in all of us.

The Princess in Black may know how to handle all kinds of monsters, but a kitten set on destruction? Me-OW!
Duchess Wigtower had heard that pets are fun, but all her kitten has gotten her is nine lives' worth of problems. Eeeeek! It's time for someone else to deal with this catastrophe. Princess Magnolia is thrilled when a kitten lands on her doorstep, but just as she's about to play with Plumpkins (or should it be Hugmaster Floof?) the monster alarm goes off. When Princess Magnolia returns to her castle, her furry companion has carved up the wallpaper! In fact, each time Princess Magnolia leaves to help the Goat Avenger fight a very grouchy monster, her feline friend wreaks havoc. Has the Princess in Black finally met her match? Ten years after she first donned her cape, the Princess in Black returns for a purrfectly hilarious entry to the New York Times best-selling series. Available via SORA.

help from Queen Juniper. They learn there is an ancient spell that can restore everyone's homes. But in order to perform that spell, they need to find a cave of ancient gold that is guarded by a mythical creature. Will Bo and the other unicorns be able to save the forest? With full-color artwork throughout and plenty of smiles, your young reader won't be able to put this book down!

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! Mr. Todd has Class 3T looking for the Five Ws in the newspaper, but all Judy can see is how much bad news there is. Climate change! Deadly virus! Sea turtles endangered by straws stuck in their noses! The good news is that Judy is taking all the bad news as a call to action. She gets out her notebook, clicks her six-year pen, transforms into a Kid Reporter, and goes out in search of happier stories. Rare bird sighting in Virginia Beach! Escaped bearded dragon found! Plastic straws banned at Virginia Dare School! There's even a scoop that Judy overhears while ordering a scoop at Screamin' Mimi's--about someone who found real buried treasure. Kids intrigued by the first edition of Judy's Sunny-Side-Up News--offering stories, a word search, a comic, a recipe, and more--may just be inspired to create their own second edition. After all, there's no telling how much good news is out there until you start looking . . . and acting! Available via SORA.

Lila Greer and the Shrieking Shadow is the seventh Questioneers chapter-book adventure in the series from #1 New York Times bestselling team Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Lila Greer has always loved mysteries, even when they scare her. When a spooky storm blows into Blue River Creek and Lila is startled awake by a strange shrieking shadow, she knows something is afoot. Stranger still, Lila and the Questioneers discover that on the night of the storm, someone broke into Iggy's parents' art gallery and stole all the paintings for the new exhibit. Could the mysterious shrieking shadow have something to do with the missing artwork? Ms. Greer and her Questioneers will have to use their detective skills to solve the mystery of the missing paintings before the exhibit's grand opening, or the gallery might have to close forever! Available via SORA.

Bub is so excited to perform in Bella's pet choir with Duchess and Luna. But then Bub hurts his leg and he has to wear a BIG BAD CONE! He's crushed that the cone doesn't match his costume. Can Bub's friends convince him that the show must go on?

With full-color artwork throughout, this funny and charming diary-format early chapter book is perfect for anyone who believes a furry pal is the best kind of friend.

Ember comes face-to-face with evil twin sister raccoons who are looking for trouble! Will Ember and the other pets be able to stop the raccoons from plotting revenge against the entire neighborhood? With laugh-out-loud humor, engaging artwork on every page, and nonstop action that will have readers rushing to turn the pages, Pets Rule! is the just-right series for any emerging reader!

It's bright and early when the magic tree house spins Jack and Annie to Monterey Bay, California. It's their mission to collect sea urchins in the underwater kelp forests! But they know nothing about collecting sea urchins--can a grouchy boat captain help them? Maybe. But Jack and Annie have another problem when Annie finds a badly injured sea otter. They're not supposed to help the otter. . . but it's the right thing to do. Can they convince the grouchy boat captain to help them?

In this latest flaptastic story, Mrs. Featherbottom has a surprise for Eva and her classmates--a new teacher is coming to Treetop Owlementary! Right away, Eva and her friends are worried about handling a big change. What will they do without Mrs. Featherbottom? But luckily, they soon learn that Mrs. Featherbottom isn't going anywhere! The new teacher, Mr. Brushwing, will be helping out with a special art lesson where they must use their imagination! Will Eva and her friends be able to dream up the perfect art project to work on?

Elsie dreams of becoming a brave warrior like her father, who is an archer fighting in England's war against France. But life isn't fair in 1348 Europe. Peasant girls like Elsie can't be archers or knights or anything exciting. Then one day in the forest, Elsie and her best friend Humphrey discover a chest filled with stolen treasures--and a dangerous secret. At last Elsie has a chance to prove that she's as brave as any knight. Little does she know that a deadly illness--the Black Death-- has begun its attack on England. It's already killed millions around the world. And now it's come for Elsie.

It is 1915, and twelve-year-old Penny and her brother Charles are embarking on a trip to England aboard the RMS Lusitania. But war is brewing overseas, and there are rumors that Germany will torpedo any ship that comes into the area--even a ship full of civilian passengers. Shy and nervous Penny is worried, but those worries fade when she makes her first real friend, a bold girl named Mary. With Mary, Penny begins to find her voice for the first time. Then, as they approach Ireland, their worst fear comes true: The Lusitania is struck by a torpedo. In the chaos of a sinking ship, Penny becomes separated from Charles and Mary, and she must gather all her courage to stay alive and face an uncertain future. This fast-paced Girls Survive historical fiction--with nonfiction backmatter, including an author's note, discussion questions, and more--will captivate readers as they learn the devastating story of the sinking of the Lusitania.

Three friends, Eloise, Ash, and Maya, have just discovered that they share an amazing gift. They can transform into powerful Fire Dragons when they travel to the Magic Forest.

Once there, Eloise learns that she is the mighty Flame Dragon. She must lead Ash and Maya on an epic quest to a place in the forest called the Fire Realm, which only appears once every one thousand years. An evil queen is gaining power there. She must be stopped--and Eloise and her friends are just the dragons for the job!