Books for Summer Reading

It’s that time of year. School is almost out, and parents everywhere are scrambling to make sure their children have enough inside and outside activities to stay engaged—and sometimes—out of trouble but most importantly, to stave off the dreaded summer slide. Reading is just one activity that will keep brains and imaginations captivated. The good thing about books is you can take them everywhere—to camp, daycare, grandma’s house, on road trips, or simply outside under a shady tree. Our book list include selections for all school-aged children, for reading aloud (many older children still enjoy being read to), or for enjoying alone.

Most of the selections are fiction; however if you don’t like our choices, go to our category page, Genres, Themes, and…, to find many more fiction and nonfiction books such as poetry, STEM, biographies, history, and even board books for the little, little ones. For highly reviewed books, go to our Award-Winning Books page. BCBA’s mission is to serve as a resource to introduce and reintroduce the world to Black writers of fiction and nonfiction books for children and young adults. If you enjoy a particular author, visit our Author Directory to discover their other books. The summer slide greatly affects low-income families, and hopefully, you can borrow many of the books from your local library. But, a few of the books are from self-published authors; so if you can, buy their books. Whether you’re buying or borrowing, the most important thing is to support Black authors. Our stories matter. Happy Reading!