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Today is the last day of school! It’s a welcome relief from all the test stress we’ve been experiencing. But staring in the face of long days and weeks of a hot summer have me thinking about ways to keep my two daughters engaged with books this summer. One way I hope to keep them reading is by finding lots of new titles for them to read. Here are four resources for kids’ books that I’m looking at. Please add yours too. Together, we can keep our kids reading all summer long!

Parents’ Choice 2012 Book Awards (opens in a new window). I consider this a trustworthy site, although at first glance some of the books recommended for my older daughter take on some pretty serious topics (suicide, depression, drownings), so I’ll need to look at those more closely before recommending them.

The schools library network (opens in a new window) from the Houston Area Independent Schools offers extensive lists by grade level. What I like about many of their recommendations is that they are a part of a series. There’s nothing better than stumbling onto a new author or series — one book can lead to many more!

Librarians Recommend Books for Boys (opens in a new window) includes links to many lists and recommendations. I’ll be looking at these lists even though I have girls; there are some great titles and adventure stories here! Not just for boys.

Great Early Elementary Reads book list (opens in a new window) from the Association for Library Service to children. This list includes several titles readers just learning to read and those beginning to read on their own.

And, for teachers, here’s a list from Edutopia (opens in a new window) that includes good education-related titles and other good old-fashioned page turners!

About the Author

Along with her background as a professor, researcher, writer, and teacher, Joanne Meier is a mom. Join Joanne as she shares her experiences raising her own young readers, and guides parents and teachers on the best practices in reading.

Publication Date
June 8, 2012
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