Summer Reading BINGO for Older Kids (with a gigantic book list)

 

In an effort to get my boys (ages 13 and 11) to branch out of their literary ruts, I created this Summer Reading BINGO for Older Kids that includes several different genres to choose from.  I have one child who only wants to read sports biographies during his independent reading time and another child who just reads the same book over and over.  We normally do some type of summer reading incentive so I am excited to force them out of their comfort zones this year!  Our local library gives out a similar BINGO for adults during the summer but I thought it would be fun for tweens and teens as well.

 

I also feel like categorizing the type of book  a child is reading is helpful in many ways, as it helps create a framework that is beneficial for comprehension.

 

>>>>  Download the Summer Reading BINGO board here!  <<<<

 

Psst- if you are looking for summer reading suggestions for younger kids, be sure to check out these summer reading printables.

 

Summer Reading BINGO Book Suggestions

Genres in order from left to right, top to bottom on the BINGO board (links are affiliate links).

**denotes our family favorites

 

Picture Book Biographies

Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwanda and Bryan Mealer

The Camping Trip that Changed America by Barb Rosenstock

Florence Nightingale by Demi

The Oldest Student:  How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard

Through the Wardrobe:  How C.S. Lewis Created Narnia by Lina Maslo

 

 

Fantasy

**On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (and subsequent books in The Wingfeather Saga) by Andrew Peterson

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

The Scourge by Jennifer Nielsen

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Redwall by Brian Jacques

 

 

Book Based on a Video Game

Trapped in a Video Game series by Dustin Brady

Diary of a Minecraft Zombie by Zack Zombie

 

 

Science Fiction

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Shadow Cipher (York series) by Laura Ruby

 

 

Audio Book

**By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

 

 

Graphic Novels

El Deafo by Cece Bell

The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley

**The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Marcia Williams

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

 

 

Books of Poetry

**Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood

Swimming Upstream:  Middle School Poems by Kristine O’Connell George

 

 

Adventure Novels

**The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers

**The False Prince (and subsequent books in the Accendance series) by Jennifer Nielsen

Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner

Peak by Roland Smith

Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine by Caroline Starr Rose

 

Books of the Bible

Any book of the Bible will be great and although your child might choose the shortest (here’s looking at you, III John), here are a few that might be good places to start for tweens and teens:

Genesis, Luke, Acts, or Ephesians

 

 

Dystopian Novels

The obvious books that come to mind first are  The Hunger Games or Divergent.  However, these books can be pretty intense so if you aren’t ready for your child to read those books yet, here are some other options:

**The Giver by Lois Lowry

Sylo by D.J. Machale

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Dry by Near Shusterman (this is YA, not middle grade – there is some language and violence in this book so only appropriate for 13+, in my opinion)

The Gifting by K.E. Ganshert

 

 

Book About Science

How We Got to the Moon by John Rocco

 

 

Picture Books

Even big kids can learn something from a good picture book!

**Redcoats and Petticoats by Katherine Kirkpatrick

Dandelions by Eve Bunting

**Ronnie Wilson’s Gift by Francis Chan

**Go and Do Likewise  by John Hendrix

 

Sports Biographies/Fiction

I originally only had intended to have biographies but there are some fun historical fiction books about various baseball players that I think kids would really enjoy as well!

Epic Athletes: Patrick Mahomes by Dan Wetzel

The Boys of Winter by Wayne Coffee

Jackie and Me by Dan Gutman

Babe and Me by Dan Gutman

The Hero Two Doors Down by Sharon Robinson

 

 

Realistic Fiction Novel

**The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

**Restart by Gordon Korman

Unplugged by Gordon Korman

 

 

Classic Literature

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

 

 

Chapter Book Biography

Who Was?  books on historical figures

The Story of All-Star Athlete Jim Thorpe by Joseph Bruchac

*End of the Spear by Steve Saint (please note:  this book includes several accounts of violence, only approrpriate for 13+)

Christian Heroes then and Now books

 

 

Historical Fiction Novel

**The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

**A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

**A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen

**Refugee by Alan Gratz

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

 

 

Comic Book

 

 

 

Mystery/Suspense

**The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

 

 

How-to Guide

Beginner’s Step-by-Step Coding Course by DK

How to Speak Chicken by Melissa Caughey

 

 

 

Nonfiction Historical Time Period or Event

Boys in the Boat by Gregory Mone

History:  From the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day by Smithsonian Institute

**God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew

**Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong

 

Autobiography

e**The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

 

Travel Book

National Geographic:  Destinations of a Lifetime 

The Bucket List:  1000 Adventures Big and Small by Kath Stathers

Atlas Obscura:  An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders