Summer Reading
The Gaston County Public Library’s Summer
Reading Program
June 1-August 27
Our 2022 summer reading theme is Oceans of Possibilities! Choose books, magazines, comic books, e-books, and audiobooks at the library or at home that you love to read. Research shows that reading at least fifteen to twenty minutes a day is optimum for slowing the summer slide, the loss of learning which happens over the summer.
How does Summer Reading work at the Gaston County Public Library?
Babies to age 3
For babies to age 3, grab a free early literacy record at your library. Parents, complete the activities with your child to receive an ocean toy and be entered into the grand prize drawing for early literacy prizes.
Pre-K to Grade 5
For kids in pre-K to Grade 5, pick up your free reading record at the library. Read for 15 minutes a day (read anything you like!) and mark it on your record. Come back to the library later in the summer and a librarian will check your record and give you any prizes you've earned along the way. After you have completed your record, turn it in at any library branch for a prize and two entries into our Grand Prize drawing. Participants may complete multiple records for additional drawing entries.
Grades 6-12
For teens in grades 6-12, pick up a free teen reading card, read 6 books over the summer, and bring in your completed card to earn your choice of earbuds or a water bottle and be entered into the Grand Prize drawing. Participants may complete multiple records for additional drawing entries.
Adults
Adults, pick up a free adult reading card at your library, then read 4 books to win your choice of a bag or a cup and an entry into the Grand Prize drawing! Participants may pick up multiple cards throughout the summer.
In addition to printed reading records, there will also be an online summer reading option for those that prefer to go paperless.
Our online summer reading option for kids is Readsquared. Log your minutes read online at Readsquared between June 1 and August 27 by going to http://gastonlibrary.readsquared.com/
For teens and adults, participate online in our Goodreads group at https://bit.ly/2022GastonAdultSummerReading .
FREE Library Events
Throughout the summer, GCPL will host a variety of fun, educational programs. Make sure to follow GCPL and your local branch on Facebook and check our website for programming announcements.GCPL Youth Services Facebook (for children’s and teen information and programming): https://www.facebook.com/gcplyouthservices
GCPL Facebook (for adult information and programming): https://www.facebook.com/gastonlibrary
Virtual Learning and Library Portal (for children’s e-content created by GCPL librarians): https://my.nicheacademy.com/gastonlibrary?category=13134
Online Reading Tools
Need help strengthening Reading Skills like comprehension, phonics, and fluency?
Try Home Reading Helper https://www.homereadinghelper.org/
Concerned about your child’s readiness for Kindergarten?
Gaston County Early Literacy Collaborative provides fantastic resources for birth to age 5:
http://gastonlibrary.org/online-databases/gaston-county-early-literacy-collaborative/
Reading Suggestion List
Check out these fantastic books recommended and compiled by GCPL Youth Services staff:
Kindergarten:
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli
Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey
Bad Dog by Mike Bold
The Pigeon Has to Go to School! by Mo Willems
The Smart Cookie by Jory John
Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch
Inside Cat by Brendan Wezel
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Saturday by Oge Mora
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
My Toothbrush is Missing by Jan Thoma
First Grade:
Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed
If I Built A School-Chris Van Dusen
It Came in the Mail by Ben Clanton
Snail Crossing by Corey R. Tabor
Rules of the House by Mac Barnett
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander
Ten Beautiful Things-Molly Beth Griffin
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
Soaked! By Abi Cushman
Tabitha and Fritz Trade Places by Katie Frawley
Second Grade:
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty
Norman: One Amazing Goldfish! by Kelly Bennett
Ella and Owen (series) by Jaden Kent
Zoey & Sassafras (series) by Asia Citro
Princess in Black (series) – Shannon Hale
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre by Anika Aldamuy Denise
Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots by Michael Rex
Cat Problems by Jory John
Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein
The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba Clark
Dory Fantasmagory (series) by Abby Hanlon
Mia Mayhem is a Superhero! by Kara West
Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o
Third Grade:
EllRay Jakes (series) by Sally Warner
The Bad Guys (graphic novel series) by Aaron Blabey
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Stella Diaz Never Gives Up by Angela Dominguez
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech
Crown An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes
Bookjoy, Wordjoy by Pat Mora
Wedgie & Gizmo by Suzanne Selfors
Dragon Masters (series) by Tracey West
Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks
Geronimo Stilton (series) by Geronimo Stilton
Fourth Grade:
The Beast Within (Villains Series) by Serena Valentino
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (series) by Grace Lin
Rump (series) by Liesl Shurtliff
Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk
Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
The Book of Three (Chronicles of Prydain series) by Lloyd Alexander
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Borrowers (series) by Mary Norton
The Last Kids on Earth (series) by Max Brallier
The Friendship War by Andrew Clements
Not if I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler
The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff
Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
I Survived (series) by Lauren Tarshis
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley, and Marjory Wentworth
Fifth Grade:
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty
Holes by Louis Sacher
A Journey to Jo’burg by Beverley Naidoo
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
Smile (graphic) by Raina Telgemeier
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Real Friends by Shannon Hale
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
Diverse Book Titles:
Diverse Board Books @ Gaston County Public Library
Diverse Picture Books @ Gaston County Public Library
Diverse Chapter Books @ Gaston County Public Library
NC Battle of the Books
Elementary School Battle of the Books for 2022-2023:
https://ncslma.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/2022-2023%20EBOB%20List.docx.pdf
Middle School Battle of the Books for 2022-2023:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19_elUF6rtZ1q3ngwOpfWs_WoES74oo3qwH2UK9NI__0/edit
High School Battle of the Books for 2022-2023:
ALSC 2022 Summer Reading List
National Summer Learning Week
National Summer Learning Week is July 11-15, 2022. During National Summer Learning Week, we celebrate summertime efforts to keep children healthy, safe, and learning so that they are ready for school success. Learn more at https://www.summerlearning.org/summer-learning-week/