California compiles a summer reading list for kids and teens

Girl reading a bookLooking for summer book suggestions for children and teens?

You might want to check out the state’s Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve list, which has recently expanded with 285 additional titles.

“The books our students read help broaden their perspectives, enhance their knowledge, and fire their imaginations,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said. “The addition of these award-winning titles represents the state’s continued commitment to the interests and engagement of California’s young readers.”

Screenshot of the CDE's Recommended Literature List

Coordinated by the California Department of Education, the Recommended Literature list was developed with the assistance of teachers, library consultants, administrators, curriculum planners and college professors. It now features more than 8,000 contemporary and classic titles for children and adolescents, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama, as well as books from multilingual authors.

The public can search the interactive database by author, title, annotation, illustrator, translator, subject, grade span and language. Meanwhile, the state is also encouraging local school officials and teachers to use the list as a resource for standards-based instructional programs.

For more information, visit the CDE’s Recommended Literature List webpage.