The school year is coming to an end and summer is quickly approaching. Summer is a time where school-age kids have more time to enjoy all sorts of fun things, like sports, bike rides, time with friends, vacations ... and reading. Just like any other skill, it is important to continue to spend time reading during the summer, even if your child is not enrolled in any sort of summer school.
One way that I've found to keep the summer reading energy going is to connect reading or books with activities or events that were related to our summer plans. For example, if we were going to take a trip to a zoo or the aquarium that summer, then we made sure to read a book or two by Jess Keating (check out her World of Weird Animals series) or other books about animals we might come across on our visit. Neither of my kids are big non-fiction readers, so finding books connected to summer plans is also a great way to get some informational reading into their habits.
Another way is to really capitalize on their interests and find books that are related to those. When my son used to play baseball over the summer, we found an audiobook biography on New York Yankee Derek Jeter (Who Is Derek Jeter? by Gail Herman) that he listened to repeatedly, because baseball was something he enjoyed doing at the time. At a time when both kids were letting their creative sides flourish, we read books like the If I Built series by Chris Van Dusen, and they would come up with ideas for their own car or house. Using this extra free time during the summer to take advantage of what your kids find interesting can be a great way to keep them into books.
You can also get your kids reading by connecting to events that are happening right outside their door. For example, this year is supposed to be a big one for the cicadas, with two different broods scheduled to emerge just in time for summer. Luckily, there's even a children's book for that. Christen M. Jeschke first wrote her book Cicadas Don't Bug Me in 2021, but has released a second edition this year for the upcoming invasions. Her motivation for Cicadas Don't Bug Me was her own amazement with a cicada invasion when she was a child, but her sister had the opposite reaction and feared them, hence the book title.
Jeschke's nonfiction book is a catchy, rhythmic book that gives young readers all the information they need about cicadas without feeling overwhelming. This book has photos that help give the reader a very clear idea of not only what a cicada looks like, but also their process of living underground for years and molting their skin. There are even cute "Did you know?" facts sprinkled throughout the pages that enhance the book. For instance, did you know that cicadas have five eyes? Jeschke has given us a book that is a quick, informative read and will also help your child understand what those summer insect sounds are outside.
Of course, I will always advocate for visiting your local library during the summer. Libraries also know how important reading during the summer is and they will have all sorts of summer reading plans to keep your child engaged in books over the summer (and maybe even you, too).
Deana Metzke is the literacy/social studies/library coordinator for District 186 and a mom of two. For more children's book recommendations, follow her blog at http://raisingreaders.site.
