Lower School Summer Reading
Suggested resources from:
Alena Keene-Carlson, MLS, Fort Worth Academy Librarian
Elizabeth Bonin, MLA, CALT, Fort Worth Academy Reading Specialist
Raising lifelong readers tips and activity ideas from our librarian
Recommended blog for parenting tips on raising readers; recommended books, activities
Reading tips for raising readers from the Texas Library Association
Access great resources and take the 21-Day Read Aloud Challenge on the ReadAloud.org website
Online books and reading: Epic4Kids
(paid subscription required for access outside of school hours/year)
Recommended Reading Lists
Texas 2x2 Book List: Annual list of books recommended for kids ages 2 through 2nd grade.
Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominees: Nominated books to encourage reading for pleasure for students in 3rd-6th grade.
Texas Lone Star Reading List: A recommended reading list for grades 6-8 to encourage recreational reading.
Imagination Soup's 2026 Summer Reading Lists of Best Books For Kids
The Today Show's Read with Jenna: Junior!
ALA's 2026 Youth Media Award Winners
Summer Reading Activities and Challenges
Fort Worth Public Library: Mayor's Summer Reading Challenge
Monkey & Dog Books: Follow this local independent bookstore on Facebook and/or Instagram for information about upcoming storytimes, book clubs, and other fun activities this summer.
Half Price Books Summer Reading Camp
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Journal
Scholastic Home Base Summer Reading
Pizza Hut's BOOK IT! Summer of Stories
The Let Grow Summer Experience: DIY Independence for Kids
FWA Summer Reading Assignments:
Mission: Lower School Summer Reading 2026
FWAmilies, next week your Lower School students will bring home a Mission: Summer Reading sheet. We challenge your stellar students to read for at least 15 minutes everyday during the summer break to help keep their minds strong and fast. Please help your child keep track of their summer reading by coloring in one star on the sheet for every book that they read OR for every 15 minutes that they spend reading. If you read aloud to your child for 15 minutes before bed, that also counts as one star. If you take your child to a storytime at a public library or a bookshop, that counts as one star too! Does your family listen to audiobooks together? That can count as a star too!
On the reverse side of the star chart are suggestions and ideas for different reading activities to keep summer reading fun and engaging.
Please have your child return their Mission: Summer Reading sheet to their new teacher during the first weeks of school in August so that we can celebrate our Stellar Readers rising to their summer reading challenge.
Tip: Post your child’s Mission: Summer Reading sheet on the refrigerator, on a bulletin board, on a bookshelf, or near your child’s favorite reading spot. If the Mission: Summer Reading sheet gets lost, you can reprint it from this link.