The Best Books to add to Your Summer Read Alouds
Are you looking for summer read aloud books for either the end of the year or back to school? Seasonal books are a great way to keep student engagement high when all they might be thinking about is being outside. My top 10 favorite summer read alouds and some activity ideas are below.
1. It Began With Lemonade
It Began With Lemonade is a cute summer read aloud about a little girl who wants to start her own lemonade stand. However, she quickly finds out that many others had this idea too. There is no room for her, so searches for somewhere else to go. The surprise twist is that she actually finds a LARGE group of people who want lemonade.
This is a fun and funny book, and pairs great with an activity about making lemonade. You can even make real lemonade during class to keep students’ attention!
2. Jabari Jumps
Jabari Jumps is a really cute summer read aloud about a boy who thinks he is ready to jump off the high dive.. but then changes his mind a few times before actually doing it. It is a great book to talk about bravery, and is a fun way for students to learn to take a small moment and expand it into a bigger moment during narrative writing.
3. And Then Comes Summer
And Then Comes Summer is a soothing read aloud that prepares students for all the summer events that happen including the last day of school, camping, the Fourth of July and more. It is a great way to talk about cause and effect, but is also a fun way to kick off writing about fun summer things.
I love the pair this activity with writing narratives about summer vacation. I also let students use this book for inspiration about their opinion on what the best part of summer is and why.
4. The Magical Yet
I love this book in the summer because there are so many things students are trying to explore but might not feel confident about … yet. The Magical Yet is perfect for either the end or the beginning of the school year because it allows students to make goals about things they want to learn. The book explores the idea that sometimes we aren’t ready to do something… yet.. but if we persevere, we can accomplish so much more than we think.
5. The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer
The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer is a great summer read aloud that is sure to make students laugh out loud. The book explores a story about a boy who claims to have gone on quite the adventure over summer. You might be questioning whether or not he is telling the truth.. but then the end of the book might also change your mind!
This is a great way to tell students that writing and telling stories is a fun way to tell exciting tales. While there are important instances for telling the truth, writing is also about telling a fun story. As long as we are not deceiving others, it is fun to make up imaginative narratives.
We use this book to write imaginative (or real) narratives about our Summer Vacation.
6. A Lullaby of Summer Things
This peaceful summer read aloud, A Lullaby of Summer Things, is a sweet rhyming memoir about the delicate moments of summer. It is a great way to show students how to pick thoughtful adjectives and descriptive words to show and not tell during narrative writing.
7. The Night Before Summer Vacation
The anticipation of summer can be a lot for students to handle. The Night Before Summer Vacation tells a rhyming story about a family getting ready for their own summer trip. It also goes down memory lane of vacations past and fun activities from those adventures.
I love to read this book before the last day of school and to allow students to either write opinion pieces about their favorite part of summer or a narrative about what the have done or want to do over Summer Vacation.
8. The Sandcastle That Lola Built
When students go to the beach, one of the absolute highlights is building sandcastles! The Sandcastle that Lola Built is a cute summer read aloud that tells the story of Lola building a sandcastle on the beach. She keeps running into minor to major problems, but along the way builds an army of friends who help her continue building.
This book is a great way to teach students to overcome hardships, it values the importance of teamwork and friendship, and is also a great introduction for a procedural or How To writing piece on How to Build a Sandcastle.
9. How I Spent My Summer Vacation
How I Spent My Summer Vacation is a fun summer read aloud about a boy that gets rerouted while journeying to his aunt’s house. Instead of making it there, he goes on a wild adventure with cowboys where he learns some new skills in the wild west.
This rhyming story is a fun way to get students either excited for their upcoming summer break or to write about what happened during their previous summer break.
10. Summer Days and Nights
Summer Days and Nights is a sweet, rhyming book about the simplicity of the joys of summer. The child in the book is noticing the little things about summer that make her happy both during the day and at night.
I really love this book to help guide my students in narrative writing about summer because it truly shows them that while it might seem like other people had or are going to have grand adventures, the little parts of summer are important too.
Final Thoughts:
I love summer read alouds because they are great for both the end of the year and back to school time. If you need activities to accompany back to school or end of the year, we’ve got you covered!
What is your favorite summer read aloud or activity to accompany it? Drop it in the comments so we can all check it out!