Back to School: Recommended Late Summer Reading

Since there is still some summer left, North Fork Patch asked a couple of local librarians what books they’d recommend for kids preparing to go back to school — and to enjoy the last days of their vacation at the same time.

Here are a few. Happy reading!

From Poppy Johnson,, Greenport:

• Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. A young James Bond captivates readers from Grades 4+. Action from page 1.

• The Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbott. For those children in grades 2+ who are captivated by Harry Potter, but not quite yet ready for that read.

• For the younger readers (pre-school-K) Pigs to the Rescue, Cows to the Rescue, Ducks to the Rescue by John Himmelman. These animals all try to help farmer Greenstalk and his family but all they do is create a big mess.

• Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett. What does a young girl do with a box of yarn that is always full? For those readers if grades 1+.

From Penny Kelley,

• Harry Potter series - still popular among the kids!

• Hunger Games series - great dystopian novels by Suzanne Collins and it's still a challenge to keep those books on the shelf!

• Any books by Rick Riordan, but the most popular are the Percy Jackson books - fantasy based on Greek mythology.

• RL Stine writes creepy, spooky novels

• For the younger kids (tweens), Roald Dahl is still a favorite author (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the BFG, Matilda, etc.)

• Manga (japanese comics) is widely read by the teens

Southold Library is also involved with Suffolk County Battle of the Books which is an inter-library competition between teams of teens focused on eight young adult novels. Teams can be no larger than six players (students entering grades 6-9 in the fall) but have been as small as two players. Held in August, the competition is divided into two back-to-back four-hour regional competitions and an awards night. 

I have about 12 -14 kids reading the eight books designated books for Battle of the Books.  Some highlights include:

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer: 12-year-old Foster has dreams of having her own baking show, her mom wants to sing, her friend Macon wants to be a filmmaker in this heartwarming, realistic novel.  

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod  by Heather Brewer: The first of five novels depicting Vlad as a normal kid trying to make it through the tumultuous years of adolescence - only he is anything but normal - he is a vampire!

Cosmic  by Frank Cottrell Boyce: Young Liam Digby is gifted and talented and VERY tall for his age (12).  What happens when Liam fakes his identity as an adult and ends up lost in space?  Funny and witty story with endearing and quirky characters.

The Last Apprentice by John Delaney: Young Thomas Ward is the seventh son of the seventh son and is destined to be the apprentice of Spook - a man who spends his days capturing witches, boggarts and ghosts. Now Thomas has to learn his trade.  Is he brave, strong and clever enough to learn the job?

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins: After chasing his little sister down an air duct in the laundry room, Gregor finds himself in an entire underground city where there are oversized cockroaches, rats, bats and strange looking humans.  What happens to Gregor and his little sister is an adventure of a lifetime!