19 Children’s Books You Should Re-Read This Summer

Summer is the perfect time to read a coming-of-age story, and there are few as vibrant and visceral as The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Written in 1984, the novel tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, a Chicana girl living in a Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. At 12, Esperanza already has a lot going on — puberty, friendships, a whole lot of feelings — but when you add in domestic violence, racism, sexual harassment, and more? She’s got to grow up pretty fast. The House on Mango Street is all about identity and the things that build us up (and tear us down). It’s such a heart-wrenching, beautiful read for the summer.

This is one of those book covers that just seared into my memory. The Watsons Go to Birmingham was a must for me to read every summer as a kid, and its description of Birmingham in 1963 and the Civil Rights Movement really put the history into perspective for little me. The story follows the Watsons, an African-American family of five who lives in Flint, Michigan. The story is told from the perspective of Kenny, the middle child, as the family travels to Birmingham to let the oldest of the three, Byron, live with his grandmother. All of this alone is enough for a compelling story, but when you add in the historical elements — and how deeply it affects them all — it really makes the story feel like required reading.

I read Because of Winn-Dixie a few summers ago with my three girls, and goodness, it was the perfect summer book. The story of 10-year-old Opal moving to a new town in Florida so her father can preach is one of loss, friendship, and identity. Opal’s mother is gone, and while that loneliness hangs on her, finding a stray dog that she names Winn-Dixie really turns Opal’s whole summer around. (This one also has a great movie companion to watch after you read the book.)

When I Was Young in the Mountains is a picture book, but it’ll still give you all the feelings as if it were a 200-page YA novel. I remember reading this one as a kid over and over, and the illustrations accompanying Cynthia Rylant’s story of a little girl’s idyllic life with her grandparents in Appalachia will make you swoon for summer and bare feet and cornbread.

Charlotte’s Web is another one I read to my daughters over the course of a summer, and it was just the sweetest. If you haven’t read this classic in a while, it’s the story of Wilbur the pig (who’s a tiny bit whinier than I remembered as a kid) and his sweet friendship with Charlotte, a spider who changes his whole life with her web. Warning: You will not be prepared for how emotional reading the end is.

I’m going to tell you right now, these novels came out when I was the exact same age as the four besties, and I still feel that same thrill of recognition and identity when I re-read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Whether you read all four of them or just the first one, the story of four besties trying to figure out who they are apart from each other in a summer will tug at all of the hidden parts of you.

Honestly, any of the American Girl summer-themed historical books are worth a re-read, but I especially loved Addy Saves the Day: A Summer Story. Addy and her family are working hard to reunite their family, and all of the talk about their past brings up a lot of memories — and feelings — for Addy and the enslaved life she once lived. This one also features some great themes of friendship and identity, and reads like the perfect bite-sized historical fiction.

Before the Roman Empire, the boys I knew spent most of their time thinking about the book Hatchet. The YA survival novel is about a 13-year-old boy named Brian who survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness en route to visit his father for the summer. For 54 days, he must find food, shelter, and protection, with only a small hatchet his mother gave him on hand. It’s pretty grueling, but a great summer read.

There are a million Roald Dahl books to choose from and read over and over, but James and the Giant Peach is one of the best. When a boy named James ends up having to live with two terrible aunts, he’s saved by the most unlikely of heroes: a giant peach he accidentally and magically grows, filled with new friends. It’s just pure wonder and fantasy, and a delightful read.

Summer is for dreaming, for creating, for rising, and those are exactly the vibes in the classic Esperanza Rising. The story of a girl and her mother being forced out of their privileged life and into one of hardship and heartache is enough to make anyone feel something, but the way Esperanza fights against it all will make you a little weepy.

You can’t reread children’s books without rereading a Goosebumps story, right? Welcome to Camp Nightmare is #9 in the Goosebumps series, but all about a creepy summer camp, so it’s obviously a perfect choice. It will remind you of summer nights staying up late to read and constantly looking for a new Goosebumps book in stores.

I’ve already mentioned that a coming-of-age book feels like a quintessential summer read, but The Outsiders especially does because when I was a kid, this was always on the local library’s summer reading list. With themes on society, on friendship, and on identity, everybody — adult and kid alike — can relate to Ponyboy and his friends.

Did any book completely rev up an entire middle school like Holes did? This one is a classic for a reason, and the minute you let yourself get lost in the hot desert sun and the mystery of Stanley Yelnats and his family’s curse, you’ll remember what a hold it had on tween you.

Whether you were a Big Bow Girl as a kid or never got a chance to pretend to be Mary, The Secret Garden is totally worth rereading over the summer. With themes of advocacy, of perseverance, and of self-awareness, I honestly think we could all use a reminder of some of the lessons from this story.

Listen, you could truly read any of the original Baby-Sitters’ Club books for summer vibes, but the specific title Summer Vacation is a must. The Baby-Sitters’ Club is off to summer camp, and while there are a whole lot of things to look forward to, the boys' camp just across the way might be the most compelling. Major ‘90s tween vibes here, and I welcome them with open arms.

I was a horse girl in book form only in the ‘90s, and I especially loved the Thoroughbred Series. One of the books — Camp Saddlebrook — gives major summer camp vibes as one of the girls heads off to riding camp, but ends up making enemies with a true mean girl.

I distinctly remember checking Ella Enchanted out of the library one summer with my mom and reading the whole thing in almost one sitting. The slightly backwards story of Cinderella, Ella is cursed with the gift of “obedience” and desperately wants to free herself from this so she can be her own person. It’s the perfect mixture of coming-of-age and fantasy for a summer read.

The Amber Brown series was a personal favorite of mine, even when I was “too old” for the books. In You Can’t Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown, the title character is all set to go visit her aunt in London and her father in Paris for the summer — where she will convince him to come back home. But suddenly, those mosquito bites she was fighting feel like something more, threatening her entire summer plan. I always found these books laugh-out-loud funny, and they are still a delightful read as an adult.

And finally, who does coming-of-age better than Judy Blume? Re-read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. this summer for the perfect teen angst mixed with nostalgia swelling mixed with identity fears. You’ll feel 12 years old all over again.