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School’s Out for Summer – READ READ READ!
For many children, school is now out for summer. If not, they are counting down the days. Studies show that students drop reading levels at the start of a new year from lack of summer reading. Don’t let this happen to a child you know!
Summer is a time of lazy days with more daylight – more light for reading time! Encourage children to keep their mind active over the summer months. Here are just a few reading ideas.
- Join your library reading program. Many libraries have fun themes, extra activities, and even prizes!
- Read a book in a hammock.
- Start your morning with a puzzle.
- Tell ghost stories (or any story) around the camp fire.
- Take a book to the beach, park, grandparent’s house, or anyone else.
- Listen to audio books on road trips.
- Act out your favorite book.
- Read a book about stars then star gaze.
- Read a book about gardening then help plant your own garden.
- Adults also read to show an example.
- Read to the family dog/cat/hamster. (They don’t care if mistakes are made.)
- Have a bookclub and discuss the book.
- Read a book before bed. (Instead of tv time)
- Read about the place you’re going to visit or where you’d like to go.
- Pick up any book and just read!!!
Happy Reading on Read Across America Day
In honor of Dr. Seuss‘ birthday (March 2nd) is Read Across America Day. Dr. Seuss sparked reading with fun rhymes and good messages. The National Education Association (NEA) marked the calendar this year for March 1st, so schools across the country can participate. Schools, libraries, and other locations plan special activities for this event. So, grab your Dr. Seuss hat and any book to READ, READ, READ! Every day is great day for reading! 
You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild,
To pick up a book and read with a child.
You’re never too busy, too cool, or too hot,
To pick up a book and share what you’ve got.
In schools and communities,
Let’s gather around,
Let’s pick up a book,
Let’s pass it around.
There are kids all around you,
Kids who will need
Someone to hug,
Someone to read.
Come join us March 1st
Your own special way
And make this America’s
Read to Kids Day.
(National Education Association Read Across America Poem)
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
― Dr. Seuss
I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
http://www.readacrossamerica.org/
Click to access RAA13_EduKit_Booklet_WEB.pdf
Weekly Quotation: Michael Upchurch
The ultimate luxury is to reread: to revisit a book to see how time has treated it, how memory has distorted it, or how my own passing years have cast a new light on it.
Weekly Quote: Louise Rosenblatt
Text is just ink on a page until a reader comes along and gives it life.
Weekly Quote: Mark Twain
A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.
— Mark Twain
What should I read next?
Imagine yourself finishing a wonderful book and now you’re searching for your next read. I often have a difficultly finding the right book after reading a great book. I may have ended with a high and want to continue that feeling or the book left me feeling low and I need a boost. I have ‘to-read’ book lists, but I then need to find the book that ‘fits’ from the many on my list. We’ve all asked others ‘What’s a good book you’ve read? Do you have any recommendations?’ hoping the book will spark our interest. Pick up a book and look at the back cover. Most likely there’s a few book reviews that tell you, in their opinion, why it’s a great book. It’s a plus if there are authors who I’ve previously read, so a chance that I’ll enjoy this new book in my hands. I also search for my next book on Amazon.com and type the title then check out the ‘customers who bought this item also bought’, however my problem is I’ve often read many of those recommendations. I think most readers have this similar problem to find the next great book.
So is it okay to compare our last book read to the next great read? I tell myself that it’s a new book, so I should mentally have a fresh start. Perhaps I should read a different genre to get a completely new perspective from my last book. I could follow the advice of C.S. Lewis to read an old book before reading a new book. The reader then knows exactly what they’re ‘getting into’ and when the old book is finished a new perspective can begin. So, how do you decide your next great read? How do you mentally start fresh each time you open that first page of a new book? Do you take the recommendations from others or search the shelves alone? I’m always looking for new books to read, so leave any suggestions.
It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.
– C.S. Lewis
The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.
– Joseph Joubert
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