Every summer my boys and I work on summer reading lists, which they will be required to finish by the end of the summer in order to get a book of their choice added to their personal library. They read books alone and we read books together—because reading is good for kids. It increases their vocabulary, it teaches them empathy, it bolsters their hearts to overcome whatever life throws their way.
I could go on and on about the value and wonder of reading, but what I really want to do here is share the list that my 10-year-old and I came up with for his summer reading requirement. This year I wanted to choose books that would specifically promote empathy by introducing my son to realities that he hasn’t lived. I curated his list to include plenty of books that tell the stories of people who have lives very different from his.
He’s a great reader, so of course he’ll consume plenty of “light” reads this summer, too. But in order to add a free book (courtesy of Mom and Dad) to his library, these are the books he’ll have to mark off his list:
1. Navigating Early, by Clare Vanderpool (a sweet story about two boys who embark on a journey across the Appalachian Trail.)
2. Wonder, by R.J. Palacio (a beautiful story about a boy with a disfigured face. He’s already read this one, but I thought it would be good to read again, since the movie is coming out soon!)
3. The Inquisitor’s Tale, by Adam Gidwitz (an entertaining story about the Middle Ages and three kids on the run—written in like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.)
4. The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill (a lovely fantasy about a girl and her witch mother, with sorrow and hope at its core.)
5. Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai (a wonderful story about an immigrant girl.)
6. Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool (a historical story of a girl who spends a summer in a small town, away from her father.)
7. The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare (another historical story of an accused witch during the witch trials.)
8. As Brave as You, by Jason Reynolds (a fantastic story about two brothers who spend a summer with their grandparents.)
9. Ghost, by Jason Reynolds (a heartbreaking/heart-mending story about a boy who runs track and learns what it means to be part of a team)
10. Fuzzy Mud, by Louis Sachar (an imaginative story about some scientific biofuel that becomes a danger to residents in a town.)
11. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier (a superb story about a blind thief who embarks on many adventures and finds redemption.)
12. Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard, by Jonathan Auxier (an excellent story about a girl who restores ancient books and must retrieve some important ones so she can protect them.)
13. The Bartimaeus Trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud (a magical series about wizards and djinni and all things magical.)
He’ll also read Shel Silverstein’s Falling Up, because I always require my boys to read poetry. Poetry teaches the cadence of language and helps build a greater appreciation for words and sentences in the books they read.
This summer is already shaping up to be a great one.
The books mentioned above have affiliate links attached to them, which means I’ll get a small kick-back if you click on them and purchase. But I only recommend books I enjoy reading myself. Actually, I don’t even talk about books I didn’t enjoy. I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. (But if you’re curious whether I’ve read something and what I thought about it, don’t hesitate to ask.)
