Incorporating Vocabulary.com into your summer reading expectations sets students up for success.
Whether you're assigning specific texts or encouraging self-selected reading, our ready-made resources help you address some of the biggest challenges that teachers face when it comes to summer learning: supporting a range of readers with varying interests and ability levels while holding students accountable.
Ready-made reading resources
Below, you'll find recommended reading for the summer months, along with links to our curated vocabulary lists for each text. These suggestions include a wide array of high-interest titles that will appeal to the range of readers in your classroom. It takes just a few minutes to turn these lists into adaptive, engaging assignments that are designed to boost reading fluency and comprehension.
Authentic examples, relevant context
For each text, the Vocabulary.com curriculum team develops a collection of vocabulary lists, extracting the words that are most essential for understanding. The terms on each list are presented in carefully chosen excerpts from the original source, ensuring that students learn through authentic examples and relevant context.
Accountability and assessment made easy
When school is not in session, it's easy to see the progress your students are making on any practice that you assign on Vocabulary.com. Your teacher dashboard provides instant insight into who's doing the work, and their level of success. For summative data (and an added incentive for students to complete their reading), you can give a self-grading quiz when students return to school.
Recommended reading
Below are recommendations from Vocabulary.com's curriculum team. Explore thousands of other titles and topics in the Vocabulary.com list page.
2024 Award Winners
The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers (Newbery Winner)
Eagle Drums by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson (Newbery Honor)
Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson (Newbery Honor)
Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martín (Newbery Honor and Pura Belpré Winner)
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow (Newbery Honor)
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri (Newbery Honor)
Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi (Coretta Scott King Winner)
There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia King (Steptoe Award)
The Collectors: Stories by A.S. King (Printz Award)
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day (Robert F. Sibert Medal)
Rez Ball by Byron Graves (Morris Award)
Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef (Morris Finalist)
Saints of the Household by Ari Tison (Morris Finalist)
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran (Morris Finalist)
Accountable by Dashka Slater (YALSA Nonfiction Winner)
From Here by Luma Mufleh (YALSA Nonfiction Finalist)
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla (Schneider Family Book Award)
Forever Is Now by Mariama J. Lockington (Schneider Family Book Award)
Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian (Stonewall Winner)
We Still Belong by Christine Day (American Indian Youth Literature Award)
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (American Indian Youth Literature Honor)
Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers (American Indian Youth Literature Honor)
Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li (Asian/Pacific American Winner)
The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman by Mari Lowe (Sydney Taylor Book Award)
The Blood Years by Elana K. Arnold (Sydney Taylor Book Award)
High-interest books
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo
Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Class Act by Jerry Craft
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Slay by Brittney Morris
Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega
Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander
Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe
Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds
Race to the Sun by Rachel Roanhorse
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Recent Award Winners
Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson (Newbery Medal)
The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat (Newbery Honor Book)
Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee (Newbery Honor Book)
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (Printz Award)
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd (Schneider Family Honor Book)
Jason Reynolds (Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement)
Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado (Pura Belpré Award)
High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez (Pura Belpré Award)
The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes (Pura Belpré Award)
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb (Stonewall Book Award)
In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington (Stonewall Honor Book)
Kings of B'More by R. Eric Thomas (Stonewall Honor Book)
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston (Stonewall Honor Book)
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum (Morris Award)
A Face for Picasso by Ariel Henley (YALSA Nonfiction Finalist)
Unequal: A Story of America by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau (YALSA Nonfiction Finalist)
Troublemaker by John Cho (Asian/Pacific American Honor Book)
My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen (Sydney Taylor Silver Honor (YA))
Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds (Sydney Taylor Silver Honor (YA))
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (Michael L. Printz Award and Walter Award, Teen Category)
Ambushed! by Gail Jarrow (YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults)
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca (Walter Award, Young Readers Category; John Newbery Honor Book)
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (National Book Award; Printz Honor Book)
Me (Moth) by Amber McBride (Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award for New Talent)
A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers (Schneider Family Book Award)
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award)
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (John Newbery Medal)
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger (John Newbery Honor Book)
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff (John Newbery Honor Book)
Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo (Coretta Scott King Honor Book)
Revolution in Our Time by The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People (Coretta Scott King Honor Book)
Nikki Grimes (Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement)
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas (Printz Honor Book)
Starfish by Lisa Fipps (Printz Honor Book)
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (William C. Morris Finalist)
Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert (YALSA Nonfiction Finalist)
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry by Paula Yoo (YALSA Nonfiction Finalist)
The Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield (YALSA Nonfiction Finalist)
Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young (American Indian Youth Literature Award)
Apple by Eric Gansworth (American Indian Youth Literature Award)
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (American Indian Youth Literature Honor Book)
The Sea in Winter by Christine Day (American Indian Youth Literature Honor)
Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline (American Indian Youth Literature Honor)
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh (Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Children's Honor Book))
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee (Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Youth Honor Book))
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (Pura Belpré Honor)
Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs (Pura Belpré Honor)
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp (Pura Belpré Honor)
A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers (Schneider Family Book Award)
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll (Schneider Family Book Award)
A Face for Picasso by Ariel Henley (Schneider Family Book Award)
Amina's Song by Hena Khan (APA Award for Literature)
The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros (Sydney Taylor Book Award)
Linked by Gordon Korman (Sydney Taylor Silver Medalist)
A.S. King (Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement)
Jane Yolen (The Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award for Jewish Children's Literature)
Middle Grade Favorites
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
The Field Guide (Spiderwick Chronicles #1) by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizza
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Greetings from Witness Protection by Jake Burt
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin
The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McNulty
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (young readers' edition)
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
Holes by Louis Sachar
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Young Adult Picks
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
Internment by Samira Ahmed
Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
Here to Stay by Sara Farizan
Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Scher
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
Sadie by Courtney Summers
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Parachutes by Kelly Yang
Frankly in Love by Daniel Yoon
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Popular Graphic Novels
This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
The Berrybrook Middle School Series by Svetlana Chmakova
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis
I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
Drama, Guts, Sisters, and Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Stargazing by Jen Wang
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Classics
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1984 by George Orwell
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Compelling Nonfiction
Becoming Kareem by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
March Forward, Girl by Melba Pattillo Beals
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Quiet Power by Susan Cain
Spies by Marc Favreau
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
Women in Space by Karen Bush Gibson
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Spooked by Gail Jarrow
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
March by John Lewis
The Blind Side by Michael Lewis
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (adult edition)
Pelé by Eddy Simon and Vincent Brascaglia
Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
Educated by Tara Westover
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Beloved Series
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Track series by Jason Reynolds: Ghost, Patina, Sunny, Lu
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth