Decades of research have focused on the impact of summer learning loss and effective tools in stemming the flow of knowledge lost during summer break. While reading lists have become a standard practice for addressing students' needs to maintain learning levels over the summer months, very little research has been conducted on the book lists themselves. This study examined the books chosen for the summer reading lists for rising eighth graders in a single district. Several variables, including reading level, word count, interest level, author gender, category, and publication date were investigated. The findings suggest that the reading lists are quite varied, possibly as a result of each school's purpose or area of focus when compiling their individual lists. Recommendations for creating quality book lists for any grade level are provided.