Quick and Fun Ways to (Get) and Keep Kids Reading This Summer

Summer always seems especially perfect for lazy afternoons reading. With a month left before kids go back to school, it's a great time to add something new to your summer fun.

Here are some great ideas from The Reluctant Reader: How To Get and Keep Kids Reading on how to get kids to enjoy reading!

1. Take kids to the library often and show them how to use its resources.

2. Be seen reading and enjoying it!

3. Read detective stories out loud together and have the kids guess whodunit.

4. Have a book scavenger hunt. Read something together and then create a scavenger hunt.

5. Give rewards for reading. Consider this more incentive and less bribery if necessary. Incentives (okay, bribes!) could include stickers, small toys, more books, a trip to a museum or zoo, or an opportunity to stay up late and read.

6. Keep a list at home of reading progress. Make this list visible to show progress.

7. Let kids read short stories instead of longer books-they'll get a greater sense of gratification and completion.

8. Encourage kids to write their own plays, poems, and stories.

9. Start a book club.

10. Collect books on a theme that will get your kids excited about reading-think dinosaurs, space travel, or fascinating places and animals.

11. Have your kids read the newspaper. Anything goes-comics, horoscope, or world news.

12. Sign up for story time at the library.

13. Take a library tour with your kids.

14. Make a special area for your kids to read in your home. A special reading fort sounds like great summer fun.

15. Head to a museum or zoo and then find books on what your kids found most interesting.

16. Have kids make a map of their favorite place.

17. Have your kids find recipes that sounds yummy, read them, and then make them together.

Happy summer and happy reading!

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children

By Ransom Riggs
Age: 10+

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must travel to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.  Jacob and the peculiar children discover new allies, peculiar animals, fight and escape those that are chasing them, and many unexpected surprises. 

I was super excited about reading the second book in this series.  I love the first one.  I don't think it was the same level as the first book.  The story continues and new interesting people are discovered and met.  I love the old vintage photographs of the peculiars.  Some of the unexpected turns/surprises did catch me off guard ( I didn't see them coming).