Summer Reading

Over the summer, I've heard so many parents discussing difficulties they're facing with summer reading lists and keeping their children interested in books. I truly believe it is the way reading and literature are presented to children in schools. Most people don't dislike reading; they dislike being required to read. I think most people would develop an aversion to eating cake if they were made to do it, and required to answer 10 questions about the taste, texture, and content. Schools require reading for content, so there is a sadly large number of children who don't even understand the concept of reading for enjoyment.

If the summer reading is driving you nuts, there are a few things you can do. A lot of local libraries offer summer reading incentive programs. After reading a certain number of books, the kiddos get a prize! Book It! has a summer reading program. What kiddo doesn't love earning a pizza? Barnes & Noble and Chuck E. Cheese's both offer reading incentives as well. And if your kids have a particular interest (space, karate, cars, etc.) you can buy them a book or two on their topic of interest to get them interested. It's all about taking the focus off of reading as a chore and reminding them that there is so much to enjoy about reading. Finding a fun series will also keep a lot of kids tuned in. My daughter is always looking for the latest cool book series since she started on Junie B. Jones in 1st grade! The Judy Moody books are great, too, and I just discovered they have a related series featuring her brother, Stink. (Yes, classy, I know - ha!)

I remember when I realized that reading could be fun. I was 9 years old, and I'd just discovered The Babysitters Club. I couldn't put the books down. Now my daughter is reading them on my Kindle, and I love it!


We hear no complaints from Sticky. She loves the attention from her non-furry siblings, and I think she even enjoys the stories when they take turns reading aloud to one another. As soon as she sees them curled up with a book, she snuggles herself beside them to take advantage of this relaxing, cozy time.

Ah, summer. We're loving it. Lots of time to read books on topics from volcanoes to birds, and everything in between. Reezle will be taking Spanish this fall, so I downloaded the Kindle version of Spanish for Dummies for her. As for me, I'm waiting for Brandon Sanderson to release the remainder of my beloved Wheel of Time series!

Happy reading!