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BOOK LIST

50 Summer Reading Books Under $5

These budget-friendly books will motivate your students to stick to a reading routine while school’s out.

By Scholastic Editors
March 17, 2025

50 Summer Reading Books Under $5

Even though summer means pencils down, it doesn’t mean your students have to put books down! You can encourage your students to keep up with their reading routine during the summer by stocking up on these summer-themed books for under $5. 

Whether you’re refreshing your classroom library or sending your students home with books (or both!), these highly engaging reads will open up their imagination and help them hone their reading skills while school’s out of session.

Browse the best summer reads by grade! Jump to: 

Grades K-2

Younger elementary school students love picture books and early chapter books for their easy-to-decode text and simple sentence structure. 

Take the widely adored Scholastic Branches book, Diary of a Pug #7: Pug's Road Trip. Your students will follow along as Bub and Bella search for the perfect souvenir on their road trip to bring back for their friend, Jack. The easy-to-follow text and engaging plot will grasp your student's attention and encourage them to read more! 

$3.74$5.99
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Princess Truly is very curious! In these three rhyming stories, Princess Truly visits a museum and learns about dinosaurs and butterflies, she solves a mystery when her snack goes missing, and she takes a trip to outer space in a rocket ship with her pug, Sir Noodles. 

$4.49$5.99
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Best friends Sniff and Scratch love to play together! Across three giggle-inducing short stories, Sniff and Scratch have fun with toilet paper, they enjoy chasing each other's tails, and they snuggle with Sniff's stuffed duck.

Paperback Book

Frog on a Log?

Grades Pre-K - 1
$4.46$5.95
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A silly read-aloud story with funny rhymes and hilarious illustrations.

Paperback Book

Count on Fish

Grades Pre-K - 1
$3.71$4.95
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Paperback Book

Clifford the Big Red Dog: It's Pool Time!

Grades Pre-K - 1
$3.74$4.99
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What child wouldn't like to have a pet as special as Clifford the Big Red Dog! That's part of the secret of Norman Bridwell's successful series of children's books.

Organized into color-coded levels, these short, compelling stories will have both emergent and more advanced readers entertained and engaged as they explore new stories with their favorite characters.

$4.46$5.95
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Otter is going to learn to swim at the beach. There's only one problem...Otter's scared of the sea! 

Paperback Book

Worm Weather

Grades Pre-K - 1
$4.46$5.95
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While children splash in puddles above, down below an earthworm delights in a rainy day. The lively comparison will delight preschoolers.

The familiar song gets a new twist in these silly, energetic books.

Paperback Book

Sea Animals

Grades K - 1
$3.71$4.95
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What lives in the sea?

$4.49$5.99
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Clarke is new to town and ready to explore. Miguel loves meeting new people and going on adventures. With their walkie-talkies and compass in hand, these new friends map out their neighborhood and search for hidden treasure!

Viv and Sanjay are the Inside Scouts! Together, they help animals. They have a cool superpower -- they can shrink super small. A giraffe can't eat because her tummy feels sick. The Inside Scouts put on their suits, grab their tools, and get really small! They go inside the giraffe to find out what is stuck in her gut. And they work together to help the giraffe feel better!

Moby and Toby want some sun. A beach day will be lots of fun! Their ninja skills make a big splash when they go play at the Beach Bash!

Paperback Book

Pete at the Beach

Grades K - 2
$4.46$5.95
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Pete and his mom and his brother are spending the day at the seashore. Pete has fun collecting shells and building a sand castle until he gets too hot. Luckily there is a whole ocean for Pete to cool off in, but it looks scary. Pete's brother, Bob, offers to teach Pete to surf. Will that be enough to help Pete get over his fear of the water?

$4.49$6.99
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Eva is ready to rock out at the Woodlandstock Music Festival! But when another band can't make it, Eva and her friends are ready to step in. Will they be able to form their own band in time to save the festival? And who will be their band's star singer? With speech bubbles, easy-to-read text, and adorable characters, this bestselling series is perfect for newly independent readers!

Paperback Book

Scuba-Cat

Grades K - 2
$4.46$5.95
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Pete the Cat is going scuba diving! Before he hits the water, Captain Joe tells him about all the sea creatures he might find, and Pete is super excited to see a seahorse. 

Organized into color-coded levels, these short, compelling stories will have both emergent and more advanced readers entertained and engaged as they explore new stories with their favorite characters.

School's out, and Splat can't wait to visit the waterpark, but first he needs make some money-selling lemonade! Splat opens a lemonade stand to make enough money to buy a ticket to the Super Jump Water Park. But when Spike opens another lemonade stand right across the street, Splat is in for some friendly competition.

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Eva at the Beach

Grades K - 2
$4.49$6.99
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This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

$4.46$5.95
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Take a stroll along the beach. What do you see? Young readers will learn all about the beach and the animals that call it home in this fun pre-reader. Through text features such as the vocabulary tree and the wrap-up activity, kids will be introduced to new words and concepts—helping them expand their understanding of the world.

$4.49$5.99
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Bub the pug; his human, Bella; and their friend Jack are excited to go on a road trip. There will be so much to see and do! But when Jack can no longer come, Bella and Bub vow to bring him something special from their trip. Can Bub and Bella find the perfect souvenir for Jack?

Little Critter and his classmates take a field trip into the woods to study their natural surroundings. There are plenty of surprises in the great outdoors!

$4.49$5.99
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Poppleton loves summer! He sunbathes on his rooftop. He drives to the country for an adventure with his friend Hudson. And he especially enjoys a summer rain shower!

Reach for the stars with Ready-to-Read books! With familiar and amazing characters, readers will embark on a journey where they are all reading stars!

Paperback Book

Flat Stanley Goes Camping

Grades 1 - 2
$4.46$5.95
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Stanley and the Lambchop family take a trip to the woods, but things get a little scary when Stanley and his brother, Arthur, run away from a skunk and straight toward the edge of a cliff.

$4.49$5.99
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With a highly visual approach that mixes kid-friendly cartoons and engaging photographs, this Scholastic Reader version of the popular "What If You Had" series will become a favorite with newly independent readers.

$4.49$5.99
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Miguel and Clarke are on the look-out for their next great adventure. They go to the library to find ideas. Clarke reads about spies and Miguel reads about space. Across four short stories, Miguel and Clarke use the power of their imagination to travel to outer space, explore a new planet, make a map of the stars -- and they even encounter aliens!

Paperback Book

Mia Mayhem: Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero!

Grades 2 - 3
$4.49$5.99
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Meet Mia Macarooney, an ordinary eight-year-old who finds out she has an extraordinary super-secret! With easy-to-read language and illustrations, these chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

Paperback Book

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer

Grades 2 - 3
$4.46$5.95
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After two whole days of brainstorming, Judy's figured out a plan for the most fun summer ever! But then she finds out her two best friends already have plans to go away for the summer. Bummer! Even worse, her parents are going to California and leaving her and her brother, Stink, behind with Aunt Opal.

$4.46$5.95
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School's almost out for the summer, and A.J. is dreaming about all the fun things he's going to do on vacation.

But A.J.'s dream quickly turns into a nightmare when three familiar spirits appear to show him summers past, present, and yet to come. Will they be able to convince him to leave his bad ways behind? Or will this summer end up being a total bummer?

Grades 3-5

Many upper elementary students spend their summers at camp and might feel anxious about making new friends and joining activities. Reading books about similar experiences will help your students feel seen and give them the tools to troubleshoot tricky social situations. 

Adventure is out there, and summer is the perfect time to explore national parks. In I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 , Eleven-year-old Melody Vega is camping with her family and encounters a fearsome grizzly bear. This thrilling book is a great reminder of how unpredictable nature can be. 

Meanwhile, growing readers will love Pool Party from the Black Lagoon. In this hilarious chapter book, Hubie is the only person in his class that isn't excited for an upcoming pool party, but he hopes swimming lessons with Mr. Sharky will help him dive in. Students will not only improve their literacy skills, but also get a good laugh in about relatable experiences.

To stop the Shadow Dragon from covering the whole world in a sky-shadow, the Dragon Masters must seek out a Light Dragon. So Drake and Darma travel to find a Light Dragon named Lysa. Lysa's Dragon Master, Rune, who is deaf, explains that the Dragon Masters will need a Star Flute in order to summon a Star Dragon and stop the Shadow Dragon. But the flute is hidden within a dangerous labyrinth! Will they be able to make it out of the tricky maze?

Paperback Book

Love Puppies: The Fast and the Furriest

Grades 2 - 4
$4.49$5.99
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With a little bit of magic and a whole lot of kindness, the Love Puppies are here to help kids overcome some tough social situations. Because with the power of love, anything is paw-sible!

Paperback Book

Dragon Games: The Battle for Imperia

Grades 2 - 4
$4.49$5.99
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An adventure-packed series about three kids who travel into a magical, dragon-filled world! Play the game. Save the realm.

Paperback Book

You Should Meet: Duke Kahanamoku

Grades 2 - 4
$3.71$4.95
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Meet “the human fish!” An introduction to the life and achievements of the remarkable Hawaiian surfer and five-time Olympic medalist who saved eight people from a shipwreck with his surfboard.

Paperback Book

The Bad Guys

Grades 3 - 4
$4.49$5.99
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Mr. Wolf. Mr. Shark. Mr. Snake. Mr. Piranha. They're bad guys, everybody knows that. They're scary and dangerous and...well, just bad. But these guys want to be heroes. And they're going to prove it by doing good deeds, like rescuing those dogs from the city pound. Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys when the dust settles?

$2.99$3.99
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This easy-to-read book lets kids guess which ocean predator really rules under the waves!

$4.49$5.99
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George likes to write. Harold likes to draw. They figure all superheroes look like they're wearing underpants - and so a new comic-book superhero is born. And this one's got Wedgie Power!

Paperback Book

Pool Party from the Black Lagoon

Grades 3 - 5
$3.71$4.95
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The weather is hot so it's time for a pool party! The whole class is excited, except for Hubie. Just the thought of getting in the water is enough to make him sink. Hopefully, some swimming lessons with Mr. Sharky can help . Will Hubie dive in? Don't hold your breath.

$4.49$5.99
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Rosie, Phoebe, and Stella all share an incredible secret-- when they travel to a place called the Magic Forest, they can transform into powerful creatures called Night Dragons. Once there, the friends must save the Magic Forest from an evil that threatens to banish nighttime – forever.

$3.74$4.99
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History's most exciting and terrifying events come to life in these stories of amazing kids and how they survived.

$3.74$4.99
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Ten-year-old George Calder can't believe his luck: He and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George's life changes forever.

$4.46$5.95
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Visiting his dad's hometown in Japan four months after his father's death would be hard enough for Ben. But one morning the pain turns to fear: first, a massive earthquake rocks the quiet coastal village, nearly toppling his uncle's house. Then the ocean waters rise and Ben and his family are swept away and pulled apart by a terrible tsunami.

Now Ben is alone, stranded in a strange country a million miles from home. Can he fight hard enough to survive one of the most epic disasters of all time?

Grades 6-8

Chapter books are a great way to boost vocabulary and build critical reading skills in middle schoolers. 

Theory, Practice, and Destructive Properties: Liar, Liar is a thought-provoking story about Kevin, one of the best liars out there. Kevin lies not to get in trouble, but to make things easier for everyone. But when he finds his lies starting to snowball, Kevin's life is turned upside-down, and he must finally do the most difficult thing he can think of: tell the truth. 

Meanwhile, Finding Someplace takes readers along thirteen-year-old Reesie Boone's journey to become a fashion designer. But when Hurricane Katrina destroys Reesie's city, her journey back home has only just begun after the waters recede. 

Shop the best summer reading books under $5 below! You can find all books and resources at The Teacher Store.

Paperback Book

Stealing Home

Grades 5 - 7
$4.49$5.99
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Stealing Home is a moving and poignant account of a man who was determined to play baseball regardless of the color of his skin. This biography tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play in baseball's major leagues in the United States.

Paperback Book

Finding Someplace

Grades 5 - 8
$3.74$4.99
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Reesie Boone just knows that 13 is going to be her best year yet. But on Reesie's birthday, everything changes. Hurricane Katrina hits her city. 

Paperback Book

Mockingbird

Grades 6 - 7
$3.74$4.99
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Caitlin is a bright fifth grader and a gifted artist. She also has Asperger's syndrome, and lives in a world of her own. Her brother, Devon, was the one who always helped her get by. But a middle-school shooting took his life. Now she has only her widowed father to rely on, and he has problems - and grief - of his own. Can a wise school counselor help Caitlin reach out to a world she's never understood? With Devon gone, will she have the courage to live fully on her own?

Fourteen-year-old Kevin is one of the best liars out there, but he doesn't think it's a problem. It's not like he means to cause trouble by lying all the time; he just tells lies to make things easier for everyone...and, okay, maybe for himself as well.

Like telling his social studies project partner that he has a serious disease so she'll do all the work. Or lying to his teachers to get out of class so he can spend time with his crush.

But as his lies start to snowball, Kevin's friends, family, and teachers aren't very happy with him at all. Now he just might have to do the unthinkable: tell the truth.

Paperback Book

Storm Runners

Grades 6 - 8
$4.49$5.99
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Chase and his dad are storm runners, racing across the country in search of wild weather. As the hurricane of the century approaches, it's clear this challenge is far beyond their experience.

Paperback Book

True Ghost Stories: Haunted Campers

Grades 6 - 8
$3.71$4.95
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A horseback rider gives a stranger a lift. What spooky secret is this hitchhiker hiding?

On an abandoned country lane, a camper comes upon a horse-drawn funeral procession. He later learns what occurred on that spot more than 100 years ago. How are you spending your next vacation?

In this spine-chilling book, you'll encounter these and many more ghostly camping stories experienced by real kids!

$3.74$4.99
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Watch your step. Be careful what you do. Ghosts are everywhere. In houses new and old. In lonely walks and grim gatherings. Underneath the wallpaper. Riding through the night.

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