Schools Out! Summer Reading Challenge

School is out here in the Northeast US, and summer has begun for my children. They have started camp, we are planning some of our typical summer adventures (drive-in, museum visits, camping, bike riding, swimming, etc.). One of the other key parts of summer for us is an extension of what we do year round – reading.

Summer seems to afford us more time to read, and perhaps dig into those books we’ve been putting off. There seems to be something extra thrilling about finding a good spot on the deck, or grass (or even in a tree!) to be whisked away to another place.

This summer I am giving my children a summer reading challenge. There are about 10 weeks before school starts again, so I am giving them a list of 20 books focused on their reading ability, age, and interests. I want to encourage them to become better readers while experiencing quality literature. If they finish 10 of the books on the list, they get a toy or book of a set amount. We had to establish rules for each 10 books read, since my son wants to earn multiple rewards (and he is an avid reader, so good for him!)

My son is 9, but reads at a higher level so I have given him books that stimulate his reader’s brain while maintaining topics and content at his age level. My daughter is a beginning reader, and this summer I want to ignite that reading spark! Between kindergarten and 1st grade was an exciting summer for my son – he discovered books that were engaging and built his confidence as an independent reader. There will still be plenty of reading out loud here (I really do love a good read-aloud picture book), but she hopefully will end the summer a more confident reader.

So what’s on their lists? Check out our lists, and let me know in the comments if you have any other books you consider essential summer reading.

9 Years Old