Want to get your child or tween reader engaged with summer reading this year? Then check out this book list of all the must-read, new graphic novels and chapter books for kids and tweens releasing throughout the summer that they’ll want to add to their summer reading list.
A few may have released in May just prior to the official start of summer but they are too good to keep off this list of summer 2024 new releases.
Need even more motivation to keep your tween reader engaged in summer reading? Download our free Summer Reading BINGO card that gives several engaging prompts for picking books and graphic novels to read throughout the summer.
Download your free copy below:
*Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program so if you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
2024 Summer Reading List of New Releases for Tween Readers:
Charlie Thorne and the Royal Society
by Stuart Gibbs
Charlie Thorne is a genius. Charlie Thorne is fearless. Charlie Thorne may have finally met her match.
Charlie Thorne is used to being on the run. Ever since she was recruited by the CIA to track down Einstein’s most dangerous equation, Charlie—and former CIA agents Dante Garcia and Milana Moon—have traveled around the world to prevent history’s greatest discoveries from falling into the wrong hands.
But after beating others to the secrets hidden by Einstein, Darwin, and Cleopatra, they find they are not the only ones searching for an immensely powerful discovery of Isaac Newton’s.
From a chase over the rooftops of Cambridge University to scaling the Sydney Harbour Bridge to skirting a volcanic eruption, Charlie will need to think one step ahead of her opponents to follow Newton’s trail of devious clues and keep herself out of the hands of the many enemies who are hot on her tail.
Related: Charlie Thorne Series Order
The One and Only Family
by Katherine Applegate
Ivan has been happily living in a wildlife sanctuary, with his friend Ruby next door in the elephant enclosure, frequent visits from his canine friend Bob, and his mate Kinyani by his side. And in the happiest turn of all, Ivan and Kinyani have welcomed a set of twins to their family!
Ivan loves being a papa, even though it can be hard sometimes. But as he navigates the joys and challenges of parenthood, he can’t help but recall his life before the glass walls of the mall circus, his own childhood in the jungle—and his own twin.
The Frindle Files
by Andrew Clements
Josh Willet is a techie, a serious gamer. Nothing’s better than writing code or downloading a new release. Which is why Mr. N’s ELA class is such a slog; it’s a strict no-tech zone. It feels like being stuck inside a broken time machine. Mr. N makes the kids write everything out on paper, he won’t use a Smart Board, and he’s obsessed with some hundred-year-old grammar book.
Then one night, while s-l-o-w-l-y finishing an assignment by hand, Josh discovers a secret. Turns out Mr. N’s been keeping a lot more than technology from his students! Josh and his best friend, Vanessa, are determined to solve the mystery and rally the other kids around their cause. And maybe—just maybe—get some screen time back, too.
Farrah Noorzad and the Ring of Fate
by Deeba Zargarpur
Farrah sees her father just one day every year—her birthday. But this year, her wish to bring them closer goes wildly awry when Farrah discovers she is a half-jinn…and her father is one of the seven great jinn kings. Her wish traps her father inside a legendary ring, and the other six jinn kings will follow unless Farrah can rectify her mistake.
Pursued by menacing shadow jinn, Farrah’s quest takes her to a floating mountain range. Joined by Idris, the jinn boy whom she inadvertently freed from the ring, and her newly discovered half-brother, Yaseen, Farrah must find a way to navigate the mysteries and dangers of her new world in order to save her father and face the most devious jinn lord of all.
Fall of the Robots
by Lee Bacon
It’s been a few months now since XR_935 met Emma, a human girl who wasn’t supposed to exist. Robots thought they’d eliminated all humans, but some have survived all these years. Now, robots and humans live side by side, and the world is so much better for it. They’ve formed a new society, living together as equals.
Even if XR doesn’t always understand humans, it is impressed by their creativity and ingenuity––especially considering all the terrible things that robots did to humans all those years ago. But some humans are not so quick to forgive. A group known as the Machine Breakers has emerged.
They won’t stop until they’ve destroyed every robot on earth—and any human who stands in their way. Can XR and Emma stop them? Or could this be the end of the robots—and the world as they know it?
Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea
by Pari Thomson
In a land ruled by water, treachery runs deep, and Daisy Thistledown’s journey is just beginning…
Desperate to join the expedition searching for her mother and the other missing Botanists, Daisy and her friends abandon the safety of magical Mallowmarsh. Facing danger on the high seas, they find themselves pursued across the waves by ruthless Grim Reapers.
But they will need help to defeat these dangerous enemies. Their greatest hope: to find the legendary Iffenwild, a mysterious city hidden beyond the sea and lost to time.
New discoveries await, and a strange botanical magic stirs beneath the waves. It will take all of Daisy’s courage and determination—and the trust of an unexpected new friend—if she is to save the Greenwild from a terrible fate.
Unicorn Crush
by Dana Simpson
In this collection of Phoebe and her Unicorn comic strips, nine-year-old Phoebe Howell and her magical unicorn friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, explore the complexities of popularity, friendship, and crushes. Phoebe finds herself in the awkward position of taking on her friend Max in a debate contest and also helping her best frenemy, Dakota, regain her confidence.
Marigold goes to therapy and reconnects with a friend named Sparkleface McGee who she hasn’t seen in 700 years. And both Phoebe and Marigold draw a fun series of comics about their lives.
As it turns out, the social lives of a nine-year-old human and a centuries-old unicorn have a lot in common! Young readers will enjoy the caring and comedic adventures of this colorful duo as they rediscover the magic in themselves and in each other.
Related: Phoebe and Her Unicorn Series: The Complete Guide
Penny Draws a Class Trip
by Sara Shepard
When fifth grader Penny Lowry and her classmates get invited to go to New York City for a weekend hosted by Billy J. Plumberry, the famous author her school is named for, Penny finds a lot to worry about.
After all, isn’t the city full of aggressive bike messengers ready to run kids over? And what if she gets stuck in an elevator for life? Not to mention all the pianos falling out of windows everywhere!
On the other hand, what if it might actually be fun to explore an exciting new place with some of her best friends?
When it soon becomes clear Billy J. Plumberry has a few surprises in store, can Penny find a way to face her fears—and her worries—in the biggest, bustling-est place she’s ever been?
Related: Penny Draws Series Order
Warriors
by Erin Hunter
Adapted and Illustrated by Natalie Riess & Sara Goetter
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest. But the cats of ThunderClan are in grave danger, and sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. In the midst of this turmoil appears a house cat named Rusty—who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.
Ever since the first Warriors book hit shelves, readers have devoured these epic adventures. This stunning new adaptation retells the original Warriors story arc as a full-color graphic novel.
Ali Cross: The Graphic Novel
by James Patterson
Adapted by Adam Rau
Illustrated by Phillip Tajalle
Ali Cross has always dreamed of following in the footsteps of his father, famous detective Alex Cross, who never gives up on a case. Ali’s chance to prove himself arrives sooner than he might think when his best friend, Gabe, goes missing.
But the more Ali digs, the more he realizes maybe he didn’t know his friend as well as he thought. At the same time, his house is hit in a string of burglaries. With his father on trial for a crime he didn’t commit, Ali is on his own to piece together the clues. Will Ali be able to trust his instincts and find his friend—or is he in over his head?
Related: Best Spy Books for Kids and Tweens
The Night Librarian
by Christopher Lincoln
Twins Page and Turner know about the magic a library holds—they’ve been going to their beloved New York City public library for years, especially since their parents are always traveling for work.
But a secret mission involving their dad’s rare and valuable edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula uncovers a world they’ve never known, featuring a mysterious Night Librarian, famous heroes (and villains) that have broken free from classic books, and an epic battle to save the library from total destruction.
Upstaged
by Robin Easter
Ever since sixth grade, Ashton Price and their best friend and enduring crush, Ivy Santos, have spent their summers together at theater camp. Now it’s their last year before they part ways for high school, and Ash is determined to end it on a high note!
With Ash as stage manager and Ivy the lead in this year’s musical, this summer’s shaping up to be everything the two could have hoped for. Maybe Ash will even work up the courage to ask Ivy out! But between Ivy rehearsing long hours with her colead and Ash throwing themself into an ambitious stage production, will they end up drifting apart instead?
As summer wanes and September looms, Ash and Ivy’s friendship will change forever, one way or another.
Let’s Go Coco
by Coco Fox
When Coco joins the school basketball team, she’s ready to rock. Joining the team means new friends—something she’s desperate for—but it also means dealing with bossy teammates, confusing crushes, and less-than-flattering new nicknames. When the team’s all-star player, Maddie, starts calling her “shrimp,”
Coco realizes it’s not actually a joke and that she’s going to need new moves if she wants to score both on and off the court. But her resilience is put to the ultimate test when a courtside catastrophe threatens to put an end to the new world she’s worked so hard to be a part of.
Curveball
by Pablo Cartaya
Illustrated by Miguel Diaz Rivas
Baseball is Elena Rueda’s entire life: She may be the only girl on her team, but she’s the best player and everyone knows it. Except . . . Elena has stopped having fun, and it’s time to leave the sport behind.
The problem is, Elena has no idea who she is without a bat in her hand. Can a summer spent with her brother’s quirky friends in an empty sandlot that offers a world of possibility show Elena who she is—and teach her to love to play again?
Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Club: Time to Party
by Molly Knox Ostertag
Illustrated by Xanthe Bouma
Olivia loves being the Dungeon Master of her after-school club, creating a world with magic and epic battles with adventure around every corner. She’s always felt at home in her game, but now—with new members and new plotlines—her world has gotten more complicated than ever.
It doesn’t help when Olivia’s older sister, Lu, comes home from college and brushes off all Olivia’s hard work, telling her to get real. A seed of doubt is planted, and suddenly the colorful world of her game starts to fade around her. Will Olivia be able to keep everything from changing, or will the party fall apart?
Plain Jane and the Mermaid
by Vera Brosgol
Jane is incredibly plain. Everyone says so: her parents, the villagers, and her horrible cousin who kicks her out of her own house. Determined to get some semblance of independence, Jane prepares to propose to the princely Peter, who might just say yes to get away from his father. It’s a good plan!
Or it would’ve been, if he wasn’t kidnapped by a mermaid.
With her last shot at happiness lost in the deep blue sea, Jane must venture to the world underwater to rescue her maybe-fiancé. But the depths of the ocean hold beautiful mysteries and dangerous creatures. What good can a plain Jane do?
Sink or Swim
by Veronica Agaral & Lee Durfey-Lavoie
Bouncing back from a broken arm should be no big deal—but when Ty spends a month off the swim team the thought of getting back in the water is suddenly not as fun as it used to be.
After weeks of ignoring his friends, Ty isn’t sure how to connect with them again in summer camp. They used to have swim team together but after so long without swimming he’s out of shape and afraid of failing in front of them. With his friendships fracturing, will Ty be able to gain confidence in himself and fix everything before it’s too late?
Storm: Dawn of a Goddess
by Tiffany D. Jackson
As a thief on the streets of Cairo, Ororo Munroe is an expert at blending in—keeping her blue eyes low and her white hair beneath a scarf. Stealth is her specialty . . . especially since strange things happen when she loses control.
Lately, Ororo has been losing control more often, setting off sudden rainstorms and mysterious winds . . . and attracting dangerous attention. When she is forced to run from the Shadow King, a villain who steals people’s souls, she has nowhere to turn to but herself. There is something inside her, calling her across Africa, and the hidden truth of her heritage is close enough to taste.
But as Ororo nears the secrets of her past, her powers grow stronger and the Shadow King veers closer and closer. Can she outrun the shadows that chase her? Or can she step into the spotlight and embrace the coming storm?
Sweet Valley Twins: The Haunted House
by Fancine Pascals
Adapted by Nicole Andelfinger
Illustrated by Knack Whittle
The buzz at Sweet Valley Middle School is all about Nora Mercandy, the new girl living in the town’s infamous haunted house. Jessica is convinced there’s something witchy about her, but Elizabeth thinks there’s more to the story. Caught in a whirl of rumors and a rift with her twin, can Elizabeth discover the truth before friendships are torn apart?
Related: Sweet Valley Twins Graphic Novels Series
Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters
by Jordan Kopy
Illustrated by Chris Jevons
The first rule of the Monstrous League of Monsters is to keep monsters hidden from humans. But when zombie George and his cat companion Bandit find an abandoned human baby, they can’t leave her to be eaten by hobgoblins. So they spirit her home where she quickly becomes part of the family.
Fast-forward ten years, and young Theodora doesn’t seem too scarred by her monstrous upbringing. But a series of anonymous letters suggests that someone is about to reveal the secret of her caretakers’ identity. If Theodora doesn’t act fact, she may lose her beloved monster family forever.
The City Beyond the Stars
by Zohra Nabi
Illustrated by Frederica Frenna
Yara may have stopped the magical plague spreading its way through her new home, but to do so, she had to leave her mother in the hands of the sinister alchemists.
Now Yara longs to return to Zehaira and free her mother from her prison. Yet when her mother’s familiar arrives, close to death and bearing a message, Yara must put aside her plans to rescue her and instead set off with her friends to the official residence of the Grand High Sorceress, convinced it holds magic powerful enough to defeat the alchemists.
After a treacherous journey, Yara finds her mother’s house, and in it, a girl claiming to be the daughter of the Grand High Sorceress—a sister Yara didn’t know she had. Meanwhile, the alchemists are circling ever closer, and the magic that Yara’s mother was working threatens the foundations of their world.
Yara is unsure if her newfound sister can be trusted, but she is going to need all the help she can get if she wants to save their mother and take back Zehaira from the alchemists’ rule.
The Predator
by K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant
Adapted by Chris Grine
Marco never wanted to be an Animorph. He didn’t want the ability to change into any animal he touches. And he certainly didn’t want to be one of a handful of kids that are the planet’s only defense against a secret alien army.
His friends know why he feels the way he does. He’s worried about his dad — the only family Marco has left. If anything happens to him, his father will be alone.
But something big is about to change for Marco. Something that could finally give him a reason to fight.
Mortified
by Kristy Jackson
Illustrated by Rhael McGregor
It’s nothing short of a catastrophe when someone secretly signs up Belinda Houle, the school’s shyest kid, to audition for a play.
Belinda turns to Sally—her unflappable best friend and resident witch—for help. Belinda doesn’t believe in magic, but if Sally says she has a spell for confidence…well, it couldn’t hurt to try it. Could it?
What follows the spell is a series of disasters so disastrous they would have been funny—if only they weren’t happening to Belinda!
From eating dog food, to losing her hair in a straightening mishap, to wrecking a mural and ending up with globs of paint on her head, things get worse and worse for Belinda until she must face the facts: One piece of bad luck can be explained away, but this? This is a straight-up curse!
Can she break the curse before the dreamy Ricky Daniels takes notice of her crooked wig?
More importantly, can Belinda battle the very thing she hoped the spell would take away: her embarrassment?
Mid-Air
by Alicia D. Williams
It’s the last few months of eighth grade, and Isaiah feels lost. He thought his summer was going to be him and his boys Drew and Darius, hanging out, doing wheelies, watching martial arts movies, and breaking tons of Guinness World Records before high school. But now, more and more, Drew seems to be fading from their friendship, and though he won’t admit it, Isaiah knows exactly why. Because Darius is…gone.
A hit and run killed Darius in the midst of a record-breaking long wheelie when Isaiah should have been keeping watch, ready to warn: “CAR!” Now, Drew can barely look at Isaiah. But Isaiah, already quaking with ache and guilt, can’t lose two friends. So, he comes up with a plan to keep Drew and him together—they can spend the summer breaking records, for Darius.
But Drew’s not the same Drew since Darius was killed, and Isaiah, being Isaiah, isn’t enough for Drew anymore. Not his taste in clothes, his love for rock music, or his aversion to jumping off rooftops. And one day something unspeakable happens to Isaiah that makes him think Drew’s right. If only he could be less sensitive, more tough, less weird, more cool, less him, things would be easier. But how much can Isaiah keep inside until he shatters wide open?
Finn Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop
by Joshua S. Levy
Finn and Ezra don’t have a lot in common—except, of course, that they’re trapped in a bar mitzvah time loop, reliving their celebrations in the same New Jersey hotel over and over and over again. Not ideal, particularly when both kids were ready for their bar mitzvahs to end the moment they began.
Ezra comes from a big family—four siblings, all seeming to get more attention than him, even on his bar mitzvah weekend. Finn is an only child who’s tired of his parents’ constant focus, even worse on his bar mitzvah weekend. They just want to get past it, just want to grow up. And now they’re both stuck. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. No way out.
Until Finn and Ezra meet and realize they’re not alone.
Teaming up, they try everything they can think of to break the loop. But nothing works, and after every reset, the boys’ schemes become more desperate. As their frustrations build, the questions mount and real-life problems start to seep through the cracks. With all the time in the world, can Finn and Ezra ever figure out how to move forward?
Noah Frye Gets Crushed
by Maggie Horne
Noah Frye just had the Best Summer Ever. Not only did she have an epic time at science camp, but her new camp friend Jessa is going to Noah’s school in the fall. Noah can’t wait to introduce Jessa to her best friends Zoey and Luna when classes start.
But when the friend group is reunited after their summer apart, something seems to have changed: Zoey and Luna have discovered boys, and now it’s all they want to obsess over.
Suddenly, it feels like Noah is the odd one out in their friend group, especially since Noah hasn’t ever even considered boys in that way. When Noah finds herself caught in a lie about having a boy crush of her own, she decides she’ll do anything to fit in with her friends again—even if that means using the scientific method.
Noah’s crush experiment is simple: find a boy, fake a crush until it turns real, and get her friends back. But that might be easier said than done, especially when Noah can’t stop thinking about Jessa. What ensues is a hilarious and heartwarming turn of events in this queer contemporary middle grade story about friendship, first crushes, and self-discovery.
Summer Vamp
by Violet Chan Karim
After a lackluster school year, Maya anticipates an even more disappointing summer. The only thing she’s looking forward to is cooking and mixing ingredients in the kitchen, which these days brings her more joy than mingling with her peers . . . that is until her dad’s girlfriend registers her for culinary summer camp! Maya’s summer is saved! . . . or not.
What was meant to be a summer filled with baking pastries and cooking pasta is suddenly looking a lot . . . paler?! Why do all of the kids have pointy fangs? And hate garlic? Turns out that Maya isn’t at culinary camp—she’s at a camp for VAMPIRES! Maya has a lot to learn if she’s going to survive this summer . . . and if she’s lucky, she might even make some friends along the way.
Minecraft Omnibus Volume 2: Wither Without You
by Kristen Gudsnuk
The lives of Cahira and Orion, twin monster hunters under the tutelage of Senan the Thorough, are changed forever when, after an intense battle with an enchanted wither, the two meet an unexpected, and highly unusual ally; Atria, a girl cursed as a monster lure.
To break her curse, the friends will traverse the length of the Overworld, facing dungeons, sorcerers, and even a zombie apocalypse! But what connection does Atria have to the mysterious wither? And are the heroes a match for the powerful monster?
Pizza Face
by Rex Ogle & Dave Valeza
It’s time to face facts! On the first day of seventh grade, Rex encounters a bump in the road — a big angry pimple right in the center of his forehead. And this is only the beginning of his problems. What follows is a frustrating battle with stubborn acne, body odor, and other embarrassments of puberty.
Still struggling with a home life edging on the poverty line, Rex can’t afford to buy the acne medication or deodorant he needs, and bullies are noticing Rex’s awkward transformation. On top of it all, things have gotten weird with his friends, making Rex feel like he can’t do or say anything right. So far, seventh grade stinks!
Meet Me on Mercer Street
by Booki Vivat
Aspiring artist Kacie spends most of her time on Mercer Street with her best friend, Nisha, people-watching and doodling whatever is happening in their neighborhood. But when she comes back from a summer away, the local corner store is boarded up, the adults in town are all on edge, and Nisha is nowhere to be found! Everything is changing, and Kacie’s not sure what to do about it. Especially without Nisha to help her.
But Kacie has a knack for noticing things, and with her sketchbooks and observational skills, she just might have what it takes to figure out what’s really happening on Mercer Street.
Lucky Scramble
by Peter Raymundo
Despite qualifying for the Speed Cubing National Championships in Las Vegas, twelve-year-old Tyler Goodman and his mom don’t have the money to get him there. That is, until the retailer CubeMania offers him one of their coveted all-expenses-paid sponsorships!
But getting to Vegas is just the beginning: There are hundreds of speed cubers from around the country, and each has something to prove.
Like Dirk, who’s certain he’s about to nab his third straight National Championship trophy. Lizzy and Izzy Peterson, twins who crush cubing competitions with the exact same moves and times—until one of them decides to break the mold.
Renowned eight-year-old prodigy Eli Newton solved his first puzzle cube at five, yet his dad seems much more excited about the sport and there’s something . . . off about his cubes.
And then there’s Miles Oldman, the first American to solve the cube in under 40 seconds, who’s back decades later to set some new records.
Asking for a Friend
by Ronnie Riley
Why go through the stress of making friends when you can just pretend? It works for Eden and their social anxiety… until their mom announces she’s throwing them a birthday party and all their friends are invited.
Eden’s “friends,” Duke, Ramona, and Tabitha, are all real kids from school… but Eden’s never actually spoken to them before. Now Eden will do whatever it takes to convince them to be their friends–at least until the party is over.
When things start to go better than Eden expects, and the group starts to bond, Eden finds themselves trapped in a lie that gets worse the longer they keep it up. What happens if their now sort-of-real friends discover that Eden hasn’t been honest with them from the very beginning?
Fate Be Changed
by Farrah Rochon
If you could change your fate, would you? Merida understands that as princess of Clan DunBroch, she has certain obligations—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Especially when one of those obligations means losing her freedom by becoming betrothed to a man she has never met. Merida balks at this tradition, but her mother Queen Elinor insists that Merida must do this to embrace her role as future queen.
Determined to chart her own path, Merida follows magical wisps to a witch’s cottage, where she is given a magic pastry and promised it will incite “a great transformation” in her mother. But instead of feeding Elinor the pastry, Merida eats it herself.
Merida awakens in the past, a now-teenage Elinor holding a knife to her throat and accusing her of espionage. She’s been transported to a time when the Clans MacCameron and DunBroch are bitter enemies. And it just so happens that the timing of Merida’s arrival has kept Elinor and Fergus from meeting.
Will Merida be able to bridge the rival clans, help her parents fall in love, and change her own fate?
Lunar Boy
by Jes and Cin Wibowo
Indu, a boy from the moon, feels like he doesn’t belong. He hasn’t since he and his adoptive mom disembarked from their spaceship—their home—to live on Earth with their new blended family.
The kids at school think he’s weird, he has a crush on his pen pal who might not like him back, and his stepfamily doesn’t seem to know what to do with him. Worst of all, Indu can’t even talk to his mom about how he’s feeling because she’s so busy.
In a moment of loneliness, Indu calls out to the moon, begging them to take him back. And against all odds, the moon hears him and agrees to bring him home on the first day of the New Year.
But as the promised day draws nearer, Indu finds friendship in unlikely places and discovers that home is more than where you come from. And when the moon calls again, Indu must decide: Is he willing to give up what he’s just found?
Camp Prodigy
by Caroline Palmer
After attending an incredible concert, Tate Seong is inspired to become a professional violist. There’s just one problem: they’re the worst musician at their school.
Tate doesn’t even have enough confidence to assert themself with their friends or come out as nonbinary to their family, let alone attempt a solo anytime soon. Things start to look up when Tate attends a summer orchestra camp—Camp Prodigy—and runs into Eli, the remarkable violist who inspired Tate to play in the first place.
But Eli has been hiding their skills ever since their time in the spotlight gave them a nervous breakdown. Together, can they figure out how to turn Tate into a star and have Eli overcome their performance anxieties? Or will the pressure take them both down?
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