Reading lists, Kindergarten to Grade 12
Which books do Long Island schools list for each grade? Pick a grade band. Every book has a short summary in our own words, themes and questions to talk about at home or in class.
Good to know: New York State does not require a set list of books. NYSED says text selection and curriculum are local school district decisions. So each district picks its own books. We list only books a district posted online, with the year of the list. Summaries, themes and questions are written by Goal100 in our own words; we copy no text from the books and show no covers. Lists change: always check with your school.
Kindergarten to Grade 5
458 books from elementary district lists: read-alouds, early readers and chapter books.
Kindergarten: 68 · Grade 1: 83 · Grade 2: 92 · Grade 3: 106 · Grade 4: 108 · Grade 5: 109
Open K-5 listsGrades 6 to 12
213 books from middle and high school ELA and summer lists, with content notes and writing prompts.
Open 6-12 listsJump to a grade
How the lists were made
- District lists only. We started with Deer Park (Robert Frost Middle School and the schools that feed it), then the other Long Island districts on our site: North Babylon, West Babylon, Half Hollow Hills, Commack, Lindenhurst and Wyandanch.
- Only what we opened. A book is listed only if it is on a district or school page or file we opened. Each book links to that list and shows its year.
- Our own words. Summaries, themes and questions are written by Goal100. When we do not know a book well enough, it says "Summary coming". We never guess.
- No invented levels. We show a reading level only when the district list gives one.
- Nothing found? Some districts do not post book lists online. Ask your child's teacher or the school.
Copyright: Books belong to their authors and publishers. We show titles and authors only, with our own summaries and questions: no quotes from the books and no covers. To read a book, borrow it free from your school or public library.
Family reading tips
Simple ideas that work for every learner, from Kindergarten to Grade 5.
- Read together every dayA short, cozy time works. Keep reading aloud even after your child can read alone: you can read books a little harder than they can read by themselves.
- Let your child chooseOffer two or three books from the list and let your child pick. Choice keeps kids reading.
- Rereading is goodFavorite books read again and again build speed, new words and confidence.
- Take a picture walk firstBefore reading, look at the cover and pictures together and guess what might happen.
- Talk before, during and afterUse the three questions under each book. Ask: What happened? How do you know? What would you do?
- When a word is trickyWait a few seconds. Then: look at the first sound, look at the picture, read the sentence again. Praise the try, not just the right word.
- Use the library for freeYour public library and school library lend books and audiobooks at no cost. Ask a librarian for books like the ones your child loves.
- Audiobooks countListening to a book builds vocabulary and story sense. Follow along in the print book when you can.
- Any language is greatReading and talking about books in your home language helps too. Strong talk in any language builds strong readers.
- Keep a simple logWrite the title and a smiley face or a star after each book. Some schools ask for a summer reading log: check your school's page.
General tips for families. Your child's teacher and school reading plan come first.
Sources
Book lists come only from district and school pages we opened. Summaries and questions are ours.
- NYSED · English Language Arts and Literacy FAQs (text selection and curriculum are local district decisions; state modules are optional): https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/nys-next-generation-ela-standards-faqs.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- NYSED · EngageNY ELA Curriculum Files Archive (old optional state modules; CC BY-NC-SA, so reference only for us): https://nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/engageny-english-language-arts-ela-curriculum-files-archive (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · JFK Intermediate · Summer Learning: https://sites.google.com/deerparkschools.org/john-f-kennedy-i-s/home/summer-learning (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- North Babylon UFSD · Summer Reading 2026 (elementary): https://sites.google.com/northbabylonschools.net/summerreading2026/elementary/book-recommendations (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Half Hollow Hills CSD · Elementary Summer Reading: https://www.hhh.k12.ny.us/teaching-learning/english-language-arts/elementary-reading/summer-reading (checked Nov 8, 2026)