Keep Your Teen Reading This Summer

Parents know the importance of keeping their kids reading throughout the summertime. Not to say that kids should not take a mental rest during the summer, because a rest is probably needed, but not too long of one. The challenge for parents is finding books that will hold their teen's interest and spark their enthusiasm for reading.

The best time to head to the library is a week or two after school lets out for summer break. If you try to get them to the library or bookstore before enough time goes by that, their boredom grows to the point of wanting to read. In addition, do not hesitate to shut off the television! (Unless of course your teenagers are voluntarily watching something educational)

Most kids will have a summer reading list from school, but that usually only requires the kids to choose from one book. Since most breaks last a little over two months, kids can easily consume more than one book. The more a kid reads the better reader they will become. It only takes one experience with a great book to hook a kid on reading. The teen years are important years to adapt to reading because of the amount of reading that is required in college.

The following are a few options that have been staples on teen reading lists. They are classics that move quickly and will keep your kid's attention.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

A journey that encourages the pursuit of wisdom and the following of one's dreams.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A story of love and human insincerity.

The Giver

If they did not get to read this classic earlier in life, it is a great read for any age.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

A journey through a world the makes perfect non-sense.

The National Council of Teaching English, www.ncte.org, offers several links to summer reading lists for pre-teens and teens as well as reading and writing projects that will keep their minds sharp in the heat of the summer.

The following summer reads are from an article concerning summer reading from the English Journal, Vol.96, No. 5.

Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks

An SAT study group whose bond is challenged when it is revealed that one member has cheated.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

A classic story if adventure and survival.

The Warrior Heir

An average boy that inherits magical powers.