WIRED's Ultimate Summer Reading List for Kids and Teens

 by Meredith Goldstein

Ages 12–16

It's the summer before college, and 17-year-old Maya is having the time of her life until the unthinkable happens: Her high school boyfriend dumps her. To win him back, Maya carries out an experiment—with the help of some friends in a lab at MIT, where her late mother was a scientist—to change her pheromones. Things go about as you'd expect. Chemistry Lessons is a story about the chaos and confusion of being a teenager in love, with an added dose of scientific folly. (There's also casual scientific observation: One character's red hair and freckles make him "such an unusual Punnet square.") Will you cringe watching Maya's amateur experiment? Absolutely. But you'll also be rooting for her until the very end, when she realizes that matters of love are more complex than they seem. —Arielle Pardes

 by Kelly deVos

Ages 12–17; Available June 29

Vivian Ellenshaw is the captain of her school soccer team, an amazing fundraiser, and a mathlete—she’s also a self-described “girl in plus-sized pants.” After her thin, perfectionist mother marries the school’s gym coach, Viv is shipped off to Camp Featherlite, a glorified fat camp for rich kids (“The governor sent his own daughter last spring,” her mother says), despite her vocal opposition to diet culture and fatphobia. But there’s something really strange going on at Camp Featherlite. On their bus ride there, a gray, shrouded figure darts out of the woods and causes the bus to crash, a blizzard later knocks out the camp’s power, and the lead doctor is nowhere to be found. On top of it all, they’re being urged to eat an experimental neon green energy bar called “Metabolize-A.” What follows is a rollicking, fast-paced thriller that scrutinizes America’s obsession with thinness, its multibillion-dollar diet culture, and the lengths people are willing to go to attain an “ideal” body. —Meghan Herbst

 by Angeline Boulley

Ages 14–18

In many ways, Firekeeper’s Daughter is a conventional young adult crime thriller. There’s a dead body, and then another body, and a Michigan community already ravaged by drugs that seems to be the target of some new shadowy crime syndicate. Secret agents appear; guns are flashed; loved ones may not be who they seem. What elevates the mystery is the setting, and the novel’s sharp, practical, and deeply thoughtful teenage protagonist, Daunis. She has always walked an identity tightrope. Her mother is the scion of the small city of Sault Ste. Marie’s most wealthy and established white families, the descendants of 19th-century fur trappers. Her father was a member of the Sugar Island Ojibwe reservation. Daunis herself isn’t an enrolled tribal member, but she certainly faces the bigotry of white people around her. When a handsome new stranger comes to town to take part in the regional obsession, competitive hockey, Daunis is plunged into a violent world that forces her to question who she is, who the people around her are, and who she’s meant to be. Author Angeline Boulley, herself an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, crafts a moving and un-put-downable tale that will introduce many to a whole new world—one that, for others, may feel just like home. —Aarian Marshall

 by Max Brooks

Ages 8–12

Here is what you need to know about how to defeat a zombie piglin: The best way to defeat a zombie piglin is simply to wear gold armor and just let it be. It won't attack you. But be careful! They tend to congregate in groups, and if you attack one, all of them will come after you. I think that Minecraft: The Mountain author Max Brooks must have loved writing about zombie piglins, since he is also the author of World War Z, the story of a zombie apocalypse told as a series of accounts by veterans and other people who experienced the awful events. (The movie is not structured like that at all, and it is terrible.)

Anyway, the author of that masterpiece has written a new book series about Minecraft. In case you don’t know, Minecraft is a computer game (or maybe you could call it an experience) set in a blocky world where you must build, hunt, forage, and fight to survive. In the first book, the main character must learn the mechanics of the game and what his capabilities are in this world. Just like in the game, our hero must build a house and explore—it reminded me of the first time I played Minecraft myself, and the exhilarating feelings that came with it. In this second book, Minecraft: The Mountain, the main character finds himself in a new region with another individual (Summer) and together they explore the mythical Nether so they can get glowstone for Summer's fortress. Our hero must learn about friendship and the strange new rules of the Nether (like not to attack any of those piglins). Together they can defeat ghasts and wither skeletons. At first glance, it’s a story about a dumb game, but really it's about people and their shared experience. —Fergus McWilton, Age 12

 by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Ages 14–18

Niveus Academy is the center of this debut novel by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Considered to be the best and brightest, Niveus students tend to have a lot in common: money, power, status, and the hopes of getting into an Ivy League school. Among those students are Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, who find themselves at the top of their senior class against all odds. Their hopes for a bright future seem to be within reach until an anonymous bully who goes by the name of Aces begins harassing them and exposing their deepest secrets, ultimately forcing them to realize their perfect school has a dark past that could come crashing down on the two of them—and possibly ruin their lives forever. Mere acquaintances at first, Devon and Chiamaka's lives collide when they are forced to come together in order to take down Aces in this exciting rollercoaster of a tale. Ace of Spades combines social commentary and suspense to tell a captivating and compelling story about fearlessly exposing the truth and demanding justice. For any teen or adult who enjoys shows like Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl or movies like Get Out, this novel is sure to feed your love for mystery, thrill, and drama. Buckle up. Ace of Spades is a wild ride. —Laura Cameron

 by Caroline O'Donoghue

Ages 14–17

While cleaning an old closet as punishment for arguing with her teacher, Meave finds an enchanted tarot deck. When Meave begins to give tarot readings to her classmates, the taste of sudden popularity reinforces the special power she never knew she had. But, after being pressured to give her ex-best friend Lily a reading, she is confronted by the past mistakes that led to the end of their friendship. Flustered by the encounter, Meave accidentally curses Lily to disappear—and she does! As Meave’s determination to reverse the curse grows, she ironically finds the stable friendships she’s been searching for—with an atheist thespian named Fiona and with Lily’s queer brother, Roe. Anyone who was ever a teen will recognize the awkward friendships and the unstable cliques, the necessary and unnecessary rule-breaking, and definitely the challenge of trusting and abiding by one's own intuition. All Our Hidden Gifts tells a story that's mystical and dark, but ultimately heartening, about the good—and harm—that can come from untapped adolescent power and misplaced intentions. —Lauryn Hill

 by Temple Grandin

Ages 8–12

After more than a year of being trapped inside, we could all use a little outdoor adventure, and The Outdoor Scientist will inspire you to detach from your screens and start exploring nature—Temple Grandin offers stories, facts, and projects that involve everything from rocks to the night sky. Even as an adult without children, I found myself wanting to try some of the DIY science projects, like making homemade crystals or preparing enticing bird snacks so you can become a backyard ornithologist.

Temple Grandin inspires a curiosity about nature, and encourages young readers by allowing them to be scientists themselves. There is an irresistible “you are good enough” message from the world-renowned scientist based on her experiences as a person with autism and an expert on animal behavior. Because her brain works differently, she feels she is better equipped to empathize with animals, and, likewise, invites readers to embrace being different. “You don’t have to be a professor or a professional,” she says, “just someone who cares about the environment.” —Elena Lacey

 by Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz, illustrated by Jack Teagle

Ages 8–12

This book would’ve been a smash hit at sleepovers when I was a kid. With lively illustrations, Wow in the World provides a funny, frank tour of the human body using kid-friendly language (eyes are “slimy Ping Pong balls,” while lymph nodes are “teeny-tiny bean bags sitting under the surface of your skin.”) The comic-style illustrations in bold colors make this tour through human biology a breeze to read, despite the remarkably thorough rundown of how our bodies work. Parents should know that the authors definitely belong in the potty-humor-is-funny camp—there’s a page devoted to illustrations of different people and animals farting—so expect uncontrollable giggle sessions in younger kids. But it’s entertaining and educational for all ages—I learned some impressive, gross, and impressively gross facts reading it as an adult. Did you know that Ancient Romans used to brush their teeth with urine because they thought it made teeth whiter? Or that Benjamin Franklin wrote about the phenomenon of asparagus changing the smell of urine? Well, now you do, and so will any child who reads this. —Kate Knibbs

 by Abby Leighton

Ages 9–14

Did you know that barrier reefs make up 95 percent of Biscayne National Park? Or that Yellowstone became the first national park on March 1, 1872? Me neither! But I do now, thanks to the work of author and illustrator Abby Leighton. In her book National Parks Maps, she presents maps for 62 parks, illustrating them in beautiful color pallets evocative of each region. The page dedicated to Everglades National Park uses shades of olive, seafoam, and orange, while the Gates of the Arctic are drawn in deep purple, navy blue, and mauve. Using color in this way, she is able to convey a sense of what time spent in one of these parks might feel like.

Leighton’s illustrations are similar in tone and feel to the iconic WPA national park posters from the 1930s and ’40s, and they’re complemented by detailed blocks of text that highlight what’s cool about each park. The book is a playful, pretty introduction to what these parks have to offer, and it doesn’t risk overwhelming young readers: Our 8 year old remained engaged and interested to learn more the whole way through. —Ryan Meith

 by Andrea Minoglio, illustrated by Laura Fanelli

Ages 8–12

Look, climate change is heavy stuff for a kid’s book. But Our World Out of Balance presents the harsh facts in an approachable way for young readers. It is formatted like a series of Instagrammable infographics, breaking the vast problem of climate change down into digestible chunks. Through beautifully illustrated infographics, readers learn about issues like plastics in the oceans, and how smog impacts cities and the people who live in them. Some of the graphics may provoke frank conversations—even as an adult, it’s hard to look at a delicate drawing of a dolphin tangled up in fishing net or a dead whale washed up on the beach, and sensitive readers will likely be emotionally affected—but the book’s balance of honesty and hope is commendable. And it includes a recurring graphic called “How You Can Help” to help its audience feel empowered to pitch in and fix the problems the book lays out, from protecting biodiversity to saving forests. A great pick for budding climate activists and nature-loving kiddos. —Kate Knibbs

 by Jan Van Der Veken

Ages 6–9

The publisher of this delightful release, Prestel, claims it’s suitable for ages 6 to 9. I would advise ages 6 to 99—there’s something here for everybody. Belgian illustrator and pilot Jan Van Der Veken takes readers on a journey around the world of aviation, with stopovers in airplane design, weather and atmosphere, communication and navigation, and more. His retro-futuristic illustrations conjure the sense of wonder and possibility of flight, and his deft deployment of swirling arrows and other infographic elements illuminate invisible forces of air flowing across surfaces. Throughout the book, Van Der Veken alternates between explanatory breakdowns and “spotlight” profiles of iconic aircraft—Renaud Caudron C.460, Northrop YB-35 Flying Wing, Beechcraft Bonanza. Morbid music fans might be interested to know that the Beechcraft is the plane in which Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in 1959, followed by Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads in 1982. Odd historical tidbits like that, as well as some of the more technical aspects—for example, explaining “pressure altitude” and how altimeters work—might be lost on a few of those 6-year-olds, but Van Der Veken’s prose navigates a nice balance of simple-enough clarity and information density without being eye-rollingly remedial for the 99-year-olds. If your kid starts pronouncing the number 3 in pilot-speak as “tree,” you’ll know their knowledge is gaining altitude. —Jon J. Eilenberg