Healthy NewsWorks is highlighting some of the books featured in student-written reviews throughout the school year. Together, these titles form a summer reading list filled with stories that inspire connection, kindness, curiosity, and new ways of seeing the world.
The selections also reflect themes explored in the Spring issue of By Kids, For Kids, including the Norristown Public Library feature, “Reading builds connections and keeps you healthy,” which highlighted how reading can strengthen empathy, support learning, and contribute to overall well-being.
Throughout the school year, students found meaning in stories that encouraged gratitude and perspective. In The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera, readers follow Grace as she writes thank you notes to her family, neighbors, and the world around her. The simple act of gratitude resonated with Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School reporters.
“It showed that if you do something kind, you’ll get something back in return,” said a fourth-grade reporter.
Russell Byers reporters connected with Jayden’s Impossible Garden by Mélina Mangal and illustrated by Ken Daley, which follows a boy who sees nature in a city where others do not. Many students related to being told by adults what they should or should not see or do. Thirteen out of 15 Healthy Knight News reporters said they liked the book and would recommend it.
“What some adults don’t see, some kids see,” said one fourth-grade reporter.
In Planting Stories by Anika Aldamuy Denise, Cole Manor fourth graders learned how books can teach about how different cultures approach storytelling and sharing points of view. Reporters recommended it for younger readers, noting that it is engaging, quick to read, and includes Spanish vocabulary.
“It was inspiring because [the main character] Pura was telling stories to small groups and then more people were able to read them,” said a student.
As Mrs. Karen Mitchell of the Norristown Public Library shared in the Spring magazine, reading helps build connections and supports health by strengthening empathy and understanding. These student-selected books reflect that same idea.
Readers can find more student work, and revisit the librarian feature, in the Spring 2026 magazine.
Check out the summer reading list below and click the links to read reviews written by student reporters published in their school newspaper.
K–2
- 100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler
- Bernice Gets Carried Away by Hannah E. Harrison
- The Big Beach Cleanup by Charlotte Offsay
- The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee
- Can I Join Your Club? by John Kelly
Grades 3–5
- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Grades 6–8
- Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
All Ages
- Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds
- Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Illustration by Surine, 4th grade, Rowen, 2025-26.
