Elementary Summer Reading 2024: Picture Books, 3rd-4th Grade

Motivated by the realization of global inequities, a young boy embraces his dual identities as an artist and activist, becoming an "artivist" to make a difference by using his viral mural as a catalyst for positive change.

"The words were dangerous." For as long as people have been expressing their opinions in writing, there have been those in positions of power who have succeeded in censoring those thoughts. In this timely and provocative parable, a book is first subjected to redaction, then removal from a library. What becomes of a banned book? Is it really just landfill fodder in the end? Readers must decide for themselves.

In a world built for Perfect Pets, Barnabus is a Failed Project, half mouse, half elephant, kept out of sight until his dreams of freedom lead him and his misfit friends on a perilous adventure.

Praised for acting like a big girl when she is small, as a young girl grows, 'big' becomes a word of criticism, until the girl realizes that she is fine just the way she is.

Ruben feels like he is the only kid without a bike. His friend Sergio reminds him that his birthday is coming, but Ruben knows that the kinds of birthday gifts he and Sergio receive are not the same. After all, when Ruben’s mom sends him to Sonny’s corner store for groceries, sometimes she doesn’t have enough money for everything on the list. So when Ruben sees a dollar bill fall out of someone’s purse, he picks it up and puts it in his pocket. But when he gets home, he discovers it’s not one dollar or even five or ten—it’s a hundred-dollar bill, more than enough for a new bike just like Sergio’s! But what about the crossed-off groceries? And what about the woman who lost her money?

Abelardo defies his father's instructions and sets out to free a whale caught in their tangled fishing net.

Sam is fascinated by her new neighbors and their ability to talk with their hands, and when she meets Mai, she starts to learn Filipino sign language so they can communicate. Includes dictionary of Philippine signs.

Young Mai and her mother embark on a long, perilous journey from Vietnam to America to find Papa, who left ahead of them to start a better life for their family.

Two stories about Harlem; the first chronicles the adventures of a four-year-old Black girl named Harlem, and the second describes the history of the New York neighborhood of Harlem and the start of America's Great Black Migration.

As the climate shifts, families experience weather emergencies, including a tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane, finding joy in preparedness and resilience.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child in the world has the right to play. Unfortunately, that universal right is not always respected. I Like, I Don't Like presents this reality to readers by showing how children in varying circumstances can see the same object very differently. With stark illustrations that perfectly capture the tone of the book, I Like, I Don't Like will inspire meaningful discussions about privilege and poverty.

From dawn to dusk, through sunshine, rainfall, and everything in between, he works his smooth hands until they crack. He harvests plenty of gifts for everyone to enjoy in hope of a brighter future for his own--he is the backbone of our country. Beautifully illustrated with the gifted colors of Mother Earth and told from the perspective of a proud son, this heartfelt tale will take us on a journey through the hardships and tireless days of a field worker.

After generations of short hair in her family, a little girl celebrates growing her hair long to connect to her culture and honor the strength and resilience of those who came before her.

A boy and his father cross the United States-Mexico border every other Saturday, visiting their favorite places, spending time with family and friends, and sharing in the responsibility of community care.

Three generations of Egyptian Americans share special memories and a precious recipe in preparation for Eid al-Fitr, the feast that marks the end of Ramadan.

In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a Hmong refugee child navigating life at home and school in America while carrying the weight of her selective mutism.

Bianca is Keira's best friend. At school, they are inseparable. But Keira questions their friendship when she learns more about the meaning of the Confederate flag hanging from Bianca's front porch. Will the two friends be able to overlook their distinct understandings of the flag? Or will they reckon with the flag's effect on yesterday and today?

A celebration of Langston Hughes and African American authors he inspired, told through the lens of the party held at the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in 1991.

In an alternate past--or possible future--a mighty tree stands on the banks of a winding river, bearing silent witness to the flow of time and change. A family farms the fertile valley. Soon, a village sprouts, and not long after, a town. Residents learn to harness the water, the wind, and the animals in order to survive and thrive. The growing population becomes ever more industrious and clever, bending nature itself to their will and their ambition: redirecting rivers, harvesting lumber, reshaping the land, even extending daylight itself.

As a little girl accompanies her grandma on a walk to the polling station, members of their community join and the grandmother explains the importance of their journey.

A grieving son follows a treasure map his late father left him through the woods they used to explore together.

In this exploration of what it truly means to swim, expansive vignettes introduce sandpipers, tannin-soaked lakes, and the feeling of a small waterfall on sun-soaked shoulders. But what about those who are afraid of the water’s mysterious ways and resist learning to swim? Painting a compelling picture of the many joys and surprises that the water holds, artist and author Jack Wong has delivered an empowering, poetic journey that invites children to discover their confidence within to receive the warmth and wonder of the natural world.