Summer Reading List: What's On Yours?

Oh Summer.

Pause for affectionate sigh.

Pools. Water balloons. Late nights catching lightening bugs, grilling out, and movies at the park.

Just feeling the sun against my face makes summer quite glorious, but reading--books on my beloved summer reading list--is like the cherry on top of this season.

This year I have some lofty reading goals, but hey, shoot high, right? The kids are even chiming in to create their own list--I'll share it too!

Not only am I aiming high, I'm shooting wide and seeking to read a variety of genres, and topics. This writer's got to be well rounded.

So without further ado, meet my new poolside friends....

1: Smart Money, Smart Kids by Dave Ramsey & Rachel Cruze /Nonfiction/Instructional

2: The Hesitant Heiress by Dawn Crandall (Releasing in August! Stay tuned for a Review!)/Historical Fiction

3: Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson /Nonfiction/Instructional

4: Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green/ Historical Fiction

5: Promise to Return by Elizabeth Byler Younts/ Historical Fiction

6: The Jewel Series Anthology by Hallee Bridgeman /Romance

7: Divergent by Veronica Roth /Young Adult/Scifi/Fantasy

8: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling /Young Adult/Fantasy (I have to re-peruse this book nearly every summer!!!)

9: Iscariot by Tosca Lee / Historical Fiction/Biblical Times

10:  Sisterchicks on the Loose by Robin Jones Gunn /Women’s Fiction/Comedy/Friendship

11: Home Maintenance for Dummies by James Carey & Morris Carey Jr. (Yeah, if this book doesn’t help me fix things, then it’s back to youtube instructional videos, lol).

WHEW…but wait, there’s more J ….

Books I will be diving into to continue to sharpen my writing skills:

1: Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell

2: Revision and Self-Editing for Publication by James Scott Bell

3: Plot Versus Character: A Balanced Approach to Writing Great Fiction by Jeff Gerke

Now For the Kids:

The kiddo's reading list is a bit different, more interactive, and filled with variety. It's more like a Creative Story Kids Summer Camp, lol. It includes books to read, movies to watch, book reports to write/draw/create, and stories to create.

Goal: Choose and complete 10 of the 15 items on the list before school starts.
1: Watch the Lion King & create a book report--drawn or written.
2: Research an animal or historical event of your topic & create a fact sheet from what you learned.
3: Cut out pictures from a magazine. Glue them on a sheet a paper, and make up a story using the images on your paper.
4: Read a book, magazine, or comic book of your choice
5: Pick a writing prompt from our 642 Things to Write About and fill a page with what you have to say.
6: Read a book, magazine, or comic book your choice
7: Watch: Honey I shrunk the Kids, because I LOVED that movie as a kid!
8: Watch Mary Poppins, just because it's fun.
9: Find a recipe for your favorite food. Plan a time to create this food. Eat it and discuss how it turned out...good? or bad? What could you have done differently?
10: Read: A book, magazine, or comic book of your choice
11: Watch Ratatouille, and spend time reading through recipes from around the world using the internet. Make a few if you're feeling up to it! ;)
12: Compare & Contrast two movies on this list. This can be done in written form, or diagram.
13: Read a book, magazine, or comic book of your choice
14: Watch the Parent Trap (the original with Haley Mills), and create a list of all the other tricks the twins could've done to the fiancé.
15: Read a book, magazine, or comic book of your choice

When creating a summer reading list for yourself or you kiddos, include both fiction and nonfiction books, movies & documentaries. Make it FUN, and give incentives along the way as they mark off their Summer Reading List, like popsicles, a crazy game they've been asking to play or stickers. Be creative! ;)

Asking yourself a couple of questions can help you create that perfect summer reading list. Questions like these:

1: What interests you/them?
Do you like mystery? Romance? Both? Do your kids like a certain cartoon character?
Letting kids pick books/magazines/comic books that interests them helps foster a love for reading. Being forced to read things is never fun. Ugh. Anyone remember how awful some of those books were in High School?
2: What would they/you like to know or what places would they/you like to go?
Often times picking up nonfiction books on how things are made, travel destinations, or a specific historical event can be a lot of fun for you and your kids. Remember, kids really do love to learn, especially when you're excited about it.

Hopefully, these tips help you create a list that's just right for you and your family, but if not, feel free to copy ours.