2021 Spring Awards & Summer Reading Lists

As you and your students celebrate the end of a school year like no other, we share a collection of links designed to keep you and the children and young adults in your life happily reading over the summer vacation. First, though, we begin with links to the books that we blogged about over the last year that have won recent awards and honors in the field of children’s and young adult literature. We invite you to explore our previously written blog entries for these winners and honor books.

Photo by Kindel Media

2021 Spring Book Awards

The following awards and recommended book lists announced each spring are included in this post:

• 2021 Notable Children’s Books in the English Language Arts (Children’s Literature Assembly)
• 2021 Notable Books for a Global Society (International Literacy Association)
• 2021 Best STEM Books (National Science Teachers Association)
• 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (National Council for the Social Studies)
• 2021 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (these awards are usually announced each June, so they will be added to this list shortly)

2021 Summer Reading and Resource Lists

American Library Association – Library Summer Reading Programs

https://www.ala.org/alsc/publications-resources/book-lists/2021-summer-reading-list

American Library Association – 2021 Notable Children’s Books

https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb

American Library Association – 2021 Notable Children’s Digital Media

https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncdm

Children’s Book Council: Building a Home Library

https://www.cbcbooks.org/cbc-book-lists/bahl-2021/

Lee and Low Books Diverse Summer Reading Book List, K-8+

The Horn Book – 2021 Summer Reading Recommendations

https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=2021-summer-reading-list

Reading Rockets: Big Summer Read

https://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/summer

We Need Diverse Books Summer Reading Series

Summer Reading Series

Audiobooks for Families

We love audiobooks for car rides with the family. Many public libraries now have downloadable audiobooks that you can listen to on an MP3 player, iPad, or iPod. Check in with your local public library and share the details with parents and students before the year is over. You might want to search for some of the books included in these lists below.

American Library Association – 2021 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults 

https://www.ala.org/yalsa/2021-top-ten-amazing-audiobooks-young-adults

American Library Association – 2019 Notable Children’s Recordings

https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncr

Audio Publishers Association – 2021 Audies Awards

https://www.audiopub.org/winners/2021-audies

Resources for Teachers/Parents

Collaborative Summer Library Program

Home

Cooperative Center for Books for Children Booklists

Booklists

International Children’s Digital Library – Free digital PDFs of children’s picture books from around the globe in their original language. There is an iPad app that allows for easy viewing on your iPad.

http://www.childrenslibrary.org/

Literacy Tips for Parents in Multiple Languages (Reading Rockets)

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/reading-tips-parents-multiple-languages

Reading Rockets – Summer Reading Loss

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/summer-reading-loss

School Library Journal article on Range, an app that locates free summer meals and libraries as safe havens

http://www.slj.com/2015/05/technology/applications/indiegogo-campaign-for-an-app-to-help-kids-find-safe-havens-during-summer/#_

Start With a Book

http://www.startwithabook.org

Summer Reading Loss: School Library Journal Interview with Dick Allington

http://www.slj.com/2013/06/curriculum-connections/summer-reading-and-the-richpoor-achievement-gap-an-educator-responds-to-questions/

Unite for Literacy – digital picture books narrated in a variety of international languages

https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/

Filed under: Awards, Book Lists, Book Reviews, Summer Reading