As the summer begins, most children are looking forward to days spent at summer camp, playing basketball at the local park, or swimming at a friend’s house. As children get older, they tend to spend less time at home, making it difficult to get summer reading lists started. Use this list to engage your child in compelling books. Some are found on summer reading lists across the country and others are on my personal list of favorites.
 

Entering 6th Grade
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Red Badge of Courage by Steven Crane
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Entering 7th Grade
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Entering 8th Grade
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Summer of My German Soldier by Betty Greene

Entering 9th Grade
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Entering 10th Grade
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Natural by Bernard Malamud

Entering 11th Grade
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Entering 12th Grade
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest By Ken Kesey
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Books for All Ages
You will most likely be monitoring your child’s progress in their summer reading list. There are certain books I can read over and over, and find something new to love every time. Here are a few suggestions for the adult looking to check in with childhood memories or to share with your middle-school aged children for the first time.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

As students get older, summer reading takes on a different focus. Students will most likely be tested or expected to write an essay on material when they return to school in September. One way to help your child retain information is to buy a nice journal or notebook for her to take notes in. This inexpensive show of support is a simple way to help her organize her thoughts and refer back to them when school starts.

Since your child may be more inclined to go the mall this summer than to sit down with a book, you can set up a “reading date” for the two of you to get together and read. Get an iced coffee or go to your favorite park and discuss the book. You can read the book then rent the movie and compare the two. Being an active part in your child’s summer reading experience is a crucial factor in his success.

Reinforcing your child’s commitment to reading can also include an award. The Minnesota 529 College Savings Plan and Minnesota libraries announced on June 12 they would be running a sweepstakes for students participating in Minnesota’s 2009 Summer Reading Program at local libraries. 15 winners will receive $1,000 each to be used towards their college education. Check your local department of education websites for other summer reading programs.

The most important thing you can do to support your child’s summer reading is to have them start as soon as possible. Waiting until the week before school starts to open the book means your child will rush through and miss important details of the story. Taking notes and having frequent discussions about the book will ensure your child remembers the storyline come September.

Jennifer Cerbasi teaches at a public school for children on the autism spectrum in New Jersey. As a coordinator of Applied Behavioral Analysis programs in the home, she works with parents to create and implement behavioral plans for their children in an environment that fosters both academic and social growth. In addition to her work both in the classroom and at home, she is also a member of the National Association of Special Education Teachers and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.