AUTHOR: Beverly Cleary
GENRE: Classics, Realistic Fiction, Humor
SUMMARY: Just as Henry Huggins is complaining that nothing exciting ever happens, a friendly dog sits down beside him and looks pleadingly at his ice-cream cone. From that moment on, the two are inseparable. But when Ribsy’s original owner appears, trying to reclaim his dog, Henry’s faced with the possibility of losing his new best friend. Has Klickitat Street seen the last of rambunctious Ribsy?
AUTHOR: Kate Messner
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Time Travel, Animals, Adventure
SUMMARY: Everyone says the Titanic is unsinkable, and Patrick Murphy believes this most of all. He grew up near the shipyard where the magnificent ship was built and officially started working there when he turned thirteen. He’s even been chosen to be part of the crew during the Titanic’s maiden voyage! Ranger meets Patrick before the ship sets sail, and once on board, they befriend Maryam and Hamad. But one night, the ship hits an iceberg and starts to take on water. It’s a race against time for Ranger and his friends to help get as many passengers — including themselves — off the ship before it’s too late.
AUTHOR: Paul McCusker
GENRE: Christian Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, War
SUMMARY: “It’s the agents They know about the papers “The coal cellar’s heavy door squeaks and crashes shut. But when Wade Mullins feverishly works to reopen it, he discovers an entrance to a mysterious world very different from his hope in Odyssey.
Clutching the “secret papers” to his chest, Wade soon finds himself caught in a dangerous struggle for control of this new world. One power-hungry man believes Wade holds the key to conquering the land. But power in the wrong hand could result in disastrous consequences. Whom should Wade trust?
What message does this unlikely bearer bring to the people or Marus? Is it one of hope? Or of destruction? Can Wade save Marus from total annihilation… Or does the powerful and mysterious Unseen One have other plans?
AUTHOR: Henry Cole
GENRE: Fantasy, Animals, Fiction, Adventure, Friendship, Dragons
SUMMARY: Twig has always wondered who he will become. In the Hill, everyone studies a craft and becomes a master’s Apprentice, but first you have to be good at something.
Twig tries very hard in all his classes, but his imagination wanders to his favorite books or the delicious mayapples growing beyond the scavenge yard…and then he loses his focus.
Unsure he’ll ever amount to anything, Twig sets out on a journey to discover himself. However, instead of finding answers, he stumbles upon a strangely colored globe that contains a curious secret.
Protecting his secret is all Twig wants to do. But when he learns that his secret might hurt others, he’s forced to make a choice between his place in the world and the feelings in his heart.
We’re happy to announce the official SALT reading list for the 2025-2026 school year. The 3rd-4th Grade Division will again read 12 books and the 5th-6th Grade Division will read 16 books. You can find book details and summaries here. Each division’s complete list is shown below:
3RD-4TH GRADE DIVISION:
5TH-6TH GRADE DIVISION:
¹(UPDATED 3/18/2026) I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964 title has been corrected from “Alaskan” to “Alaska”.
AUTHOR: Katherine Rundell
GENRE: Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Dragons, Animals, Magic, Mythology
SUMMARY: The day Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever. It’s the day he learned about the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years—until now. And it’s the day he met Mal, a girl on the run who desperately needs his help. Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what’s happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.
AUTHOR: Jenny Cote
GENRE: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Animals, Fantasy
SUMMARY: Max, a Scottish terrier, takes his usual morning trot down to the loch where he hears a mysterious Voice humming in the reeds saying, “Come to Me…follow the fire cloud.” He embarks on an unknown journey from Scotland, meeting other animals along the way including Liz, a brilliant, petite black cat from France. Max and Liz become the brave leaders for their group, and eventually, for the entire ark. The mysterious journey, filled with danger, humor, trials, and triumphs, leads them across Europe to the Middle East. The moment of arrival for these animals is spectacular as the ark is miraculously transformed into the animals’ natural habitats.
Throughout the previous one hundred years, Noah and family have endured ridicule from villagers while building the ark. Now this family must painfully witness the loss of lives and total destruction of the earth through the mighty flood.
After the journey to the ark, the voyage in the ark begins. Liz finds ways to keep the animals occupied, including daily exercise led by the flamingos and a talent night where the animals entertain each other with their natural abilities. But a sinister plot develops Someone is out to kill Noah and his family. Liz follows clues that lead her to discover a stowaway who has deceived them all. Max and Liz foil the plot, but at a high price. The end climaxes with unexpected twists and turns, taking the reader from despair to hope.
AUTHOR: Jason Lethcoe
GENRE: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Time Travel
SUMMARY: A mystery is afoot at 221 Baker Street, but will Griffin Sharpe be able to figure out the clues before the future catches up with the past? When Sherlock Holmes moves out of Baker Street, a new tenant moves in’a mysterious woman named Elizabeth who has long been a fan of Holmes. When she discovers that Griffin and his uncle are also detectives, she becomes very friendly. So when Elizabeth goes missing along with a special invention, Griffin sets out to rescue her. But finding Elizabeth will take them on a race against the clock that bends time itself!
AUTHOR: Kate DiCamillo
GENRE: Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Animals
SUMMARY: Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. Edward finds himself on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hoboes’ camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis.