How to Come Up with a Reading List for the Summer

The summer is a great time for your child to read, and stay excited about learning, without the structured and often high-pressure environment of school. However, to get the most out of your summer reading, you should create a summer reading list that will be fun for your child to read, that will challenge their reading level, and will keep them reading all summer long. Here are a few tips to help you come up with a reading list for the summer:

First and foremost, check with your child’s school to see if they have any suggested summer reading. Most of the time, the school will come up with a list of books for each grade level that can be read during the summer. Usually there is one list for each grade level. It will consist of books that are going to be at the same reading level as what they are going to read that next year in school. Sometimes the reading lists they provide will have the same books they will read in English the next year. If not the same books, it will be books that are by the same authors, or genre as what they will be reading. This way they can be prepared for what is to come.

Second, look online at what the top reading lists are for your child’s age group. Many times you can find a number of reading lists, you can find ones put together by celebrities, by moms like you, or by some of the book sellers like Borders and Barnes and Noble. Usually these lists include the top selling books, like the kids favorite books, as well as some of the most educational, or best academic books to prepare your child for the next school year. 

Third, check with your local library for their summer suggestions. Most libraries have summer reading programs for younger children, and summer reading lists for the older children. The lists they come up with will consist of some of the most popular books for their age group, but will also have some of the books that will help them prepare for the following year. In addition, the librarian is going to have some insider knowledge on what is the most popular books for your child’s age range, as they see kids in that age come in and out of the library checking out books. 

Lastly, if you want to come up with the perfect summer reading list that is both going to inspire, entertain, and teach your child, you need to consult them about what they want to read. What are they interested in? What genre excites them most? Choose the top books in those areas, and books that will help them have a great time all summer getting lost in other worlds and lives.