Summer Reading List: Ages 8-12

Great reads for all kids

Great reads for all kids

Children's classics

Now that it's summer, longer stories and short novels that can read over several days are a great option for your child. Mysteries, ghost, and horror stories are also good at grabbing kids' attention. This list offers book suggestions for kids ages 8-12, including new books and children's classics.

As children grow older, the books they read may explore more difficult issues. By reading what your kids are reading, you can offer your insight and perspective, and can answer any questions they may have.

This summer, be sure to add these books to your child's reading list:

The Lion and the Mouse and Other Aesop Fables, by Doris Orge
Aesop's fables are as wise and true today as they were more than 2,600 years ago. Children today are sure to enjoy these 12 timeless stories, each of which is accompanied by an interesting fact about Aesop and his time.

Donavan's Double Trouble, by Monalisa DeGross
Donavan thought fourth grade was going to be great, but it's turning out to be anything but. Follow Donovan as he copes with bad grades, a too smart younger sister, and a crippled uncle who leaves him with conflicting feelings of sadness and joy. This is an inspiring story on what it mean to be a hero.

Wind Flyers, by Angela Johnson
Oil paintings illustrate a feeling of big sky and open possibilities in this story about a young boy who experiences the days of the Tuskeegee airmen through his uncle's stories of long-ago adventures.

Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It, by Sundee T. Frazier
Brendan Buckley's love of science, especially rocks and minerals, leads him to a family secret that may allow him to bring two different sides of his family together.

Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis
Elijah is a first born child in a settlement of former slaves in Canada. His uneventful life is disrupted when he tries to find the corrupt preacher that stole money that was meant to buy a family's freedom.

Feathers, by Jacqueline Woodson
A new boy arrives at the school of sixth-grader Frannie, and his appearance triggers questions of racial identity among her and her friends.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, by Kadir Nelson
This moving chapter of American history is on full display in this book about the Negro baseball leagues and the history of baseball.

More on: Summer Reading