Former First Lady Laura Bush releases her 2025 summer reading list for kids

As summer break approaches for students across North Texas, former First Lady Laura Bush released her 2025 Summer Reading List for Kids.

On Instagram, the Bush Center said this year’s list consists of 16 books for toddlers through middle schoolers celebrating everyday adventures, friendship and America.

Robin Berkley, director of education for the George W. Bush Institute, said Mrs. Bush and her team first establish relevant themes that align with the center’s values.

This year’s themes are The World Around You, Stars and Stripes and Friendship for the Ages.

“We try to pick themes that are of high interest to all age readers, that help connect them to their community and that align with the values of the Bush Center: freedom, opportunity, accountability and democracy,” she said. “Those really are the guideposts in everything that we do.”

They then sort through individual contenders, an extensive process that takes several weeks, Berkley said, with the former first lady having the final say.

“There’s usually some back and forth … ultimately, everything about the summer reading list comes from Mrs. Bush,” she said. "We think a lot about making sure we’ve got books that are interesting to boys and girls, to different interest levels and reading levels.'

Berkley said the selected books can be newly published or old favorites, but cannot have been on a previous year's list.

Once the search begins, Berkley said they quickly get an idea of what would fit and why.

“’Pete the Cat’ was focused on baseball, so that was the book that checked the sports box,” she said. “When we were talking about stars and stripes, we were trying to give kids some really interesting books to help them understand the origins of our country and some notable events and those relationships.”

Among the Stars and Stripes theme is ‘First Ladies Make History,’ a book written by Bush's former Chief of Staff Anita McBride and her daughter.

“It was a natural fit, and there’s a really special personal relationship there,” Berkley said. “I’m sure Mrs. Bush was very proud and honored to include the book on the list.”

Included in this year’s list is “I Loved You First,’ written by Mrs. Bush’s daughters, Jenna Hager and Barbara Bush, a storyline Berkley said fit within the theme.

“It was a lovely book,” she said. “I also suspect that they are two of [Mrs. Bush] favorite authors, so I think she was very happy to include them.”

First introduced in 2018, Berkley said the reading list is an extension of the Bush family’s focus on literacy.

“Mrs. Bush is a librarian and has been for most of her adult life, and she really sought to share the love of reading with children through book festivals, her library grants and with the summer list,” she said.

Berkley said the Bush Center hopes to encourage kids to dive into new topics or expand on what they’re already interested in, an experience she had with her first-grade son when she discovered the 'I Survived the American Revolution' book made the list.

“That [book] sparked a lot of discussions about the origins of our country and our history, and it’s a pretty dramatic story," she said. "Hopefully, that’s happening in houses across the country, and that parents and children alike are finding new books to read because Mrs. Bush pointed them in this direction.”

Berkley said authors of the selected books do not receive a monetary reward, and the Bush Center does not receive commission if a book is purchased through its .

Along with dividing the books into their respective theme, the list provided brief descriptions of the plot and recommended reading level.

The World Around You

• "The Little Island" is written by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard and is recommended for young readers.
  • "Winner of the 1947 Caldecott Medal, this beautifully moving story centers around a little island in the midst of the wide ocean, and the curious kitten who comes to visit. As the seasons pass, the island and the creatures who call it home witness an ever – changing array of sights, smells, and sounds – proving that, no matter how small, we are all an important part of the world."

• "Inky the Octopus," written by Erin Geudelberger and illustrated by David Leonard, is recommended for elementary school readers.
  • "Follow Inky the octopus as he escapes from his tank at the National Aquarium of New Zealand to the open ocean! Based on a true story, this ocean picture book for children ages 4-7 chronicles the adventure that the real-life Inky might have taken on his escape to freedom."

• "I Loved You First" is written by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki and is recommended for elementary school readers.
  • "There is nothing more important than the time we spend together, learning to see the world through each other’s eyes. From counting constellations to imagining shapes in fluffy clouds to hiking great canyons or jumping into the ocean, the special moments between a mother or father and their child are some of the most memorable and precious in our lives."

• "The Moffats" is written by Elanor Estes, and is recommended for middle school readers.
  • "Meet the Moffats. There is Sylvie, the oldest, the cleverest, and-most days at least-the responsible one; Joey, who though only twelve is the man of the house…sometimes; Janey, who has a terrific upside-down way of looking at the world; and Rufus, who may be the littlest but always gets in the biggest trouble. Even the most ordinary Moffat day is packed with extraordinary fun. Only a Moffat could get locked in a bread box all afternoon, or dance with a dog in front of the whole town, or hitch a ride on a boxcar during kindergarten recess. And only a Moffat could turn mistakes and mischief into hilarious one-of-a-kind adventure."

• "My Side of the Mountain," by Jean Craighead George, is recommended for middle school readers.
  • "Sam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in New York City with his family, so he runs away to the Catskill Mountains to live in the woods – all by himself. With only a penknife, a ball of cord, forty dollars, and some flint and steel, he intends to survive on his own. Sam learns about courage, danger, and independence during his year in the wilderness, a year that changes his life forever."

Stars and Stripes

• "Pete the Cat: Play Ball!" written by James and Kimberly Dean, is recommended for young readers.
  • "Pete the Cat is ready to play baseball! Pete’s team, the Rocks, is playing the Rolls. But when the game doesn’t go Pete’s way, what will Pete do?"

• "First Ladies Make History," written by Anita and Giovanna McBride, and illustrated by John Hutton, is recommended for elementary school readers.
  • "Who are the first ladies of the United States and what do they do? With this special book, authors Anita and Giovanna McBride explain that this is a big question with many answers."

• "The Camping Trip that Changed America" is written by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein and is recommended for elementary school readers.
  • "In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw sights and held discussions that would ultimately lead to the establishment of our National Parks."

• "The 4th of July Story," written by Alice Dalgleish and illustrated by Marie Nonnast, is recommended for elementary school readers.
  • "What happened on the Fourth of July long before there were fireworks and parades? Alice Dalgliesh takes young readers back to revolutionary times, back to the colonists’ desire for freedom and the creation of the Declaration of Independence."
• "I Survived the American Revolution, 1776," by Lauren Tarshis and illustrated by Leo Trinidad, is recommended for middle school readers.
  • "Nathaniel Fox never imagined he’d find himself in the middle of a blood-soaked battlefield, fighting for his life. He’s only eleven years old! He’s barely paid attention to the troubles between America and England. Instead, he’s been worked to the bone by his cruel uncle. But when his uncle’s rage forces him to flee home suddenly, Nate finds himself in New York City, in the middle of the American Revolution. He encounters an old friend and joins his army regiment as a camp helper. Soon the British invade – and nothing goes as planned. Can Nate survive the war’s biggest battle yet?"

Friendship for the Ages

• "The Rabbit Listened" by Cori Doerrfeld, is written for young readers.
  • "When something sad happens, Taylor doesn’t know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn’t feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that’s not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to act, and one by one they fail to offer comfort. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen . . . which is just what Taylor needs."
• "Poppleton in the Summer," written by Cynthia Raylant and illustrated by Mark Teague, is recommended for young readers.
  • "Poppleton loves summer! He relaxes on his rooftop. He drives to the country for an adventure with his friend Hudson. And he especially enjoys a summer rain shower!"

• "The Bookshop Mice" by Robert Sterling is recommended for elementary school readers.
  • "Astrid is a bookshop mouse, but when she tells her new classmates about her astromouse mom and the incredible adventures she has with her dad, they don’t believe her. Only a visit to The Book Nook will show them what they’re missing!"

• "In a Jar" by Deborah Marcero is recommended for young readers.
  • "Llewellyn, a little rabbit, is a collector. He gathers things in jars – ordinary things like buttercups, feathers, and heart-shaped stones. Then he meets another rabbit, Evelyn, and together they begin to collect extraordinary things – like rainbows, the sound of the ocean, and the wind just before snow falls. And, best of all, when they hold the jars and peer inside, they remember all the wonderful things they’ve seen and done. But one day, Evelyn has sad news: Her family is moving away. How can the two friends continue their magical collection – and their special friendship – from afar?"

• "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowery is recommended for middle school readers.
  • "Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war."

• "Clubhouse Mysteries: The Buried Bones Mystery" is written by Sharon M. Drape, and is recommended for middle school readers.
  • "Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome build a clubhouse in Ziggy’s backyard and decide to bury their secret treasures nearby. But when the boys start digging, they uncover a box of bones and are swept up in a mystery more intriguing—and scary—than anything they could have imagined. Who could have buried a box of bones behind their clubhouse?"

Links to purchase each of the books individually, or as a bundle, and the list as a PDF to print are available on .