Summer Reading Recommendations for Kids

Every teacher tells you to keep the kids reading during the summer; every library has a program devoted to summer reading; you know it's important. But how?

How do you find the time, keep it fun, make it a habit, and challenge your children's reading skills? Please chime in with your suggestions and ideas!

Perhaps even more important: what hasn't worked for you? (That way we'll all know what not to do!)

To get things started, I'll throw my thoughts into the ring... such as they are:
  - Car time is reading time, or at least some car time. On trips of an hour or more, our rule is at least 30 minutes of reading/drawing for every 30 minutes of screen time.
  - Sadly, we don't make time to visit the library every week in the summer. But when we go, we stay ... we read in the comfy chairs, play with the puppets, and really enjoy the time there.
  - Reading logs don't work for us (me) either. I've got enough paperwork, thanks. In the summer I like to try some different titles, especially with a "cool" theme. (Try The Snowman for beginning readers.)

What has worked (or not) for you and your kids? Please share. When you're done with that book, of course. 

I Beat the Odds (review)

Welcome guest blogger Sandi Latimer!  Sandi reviews Micheal Oher's recently released I beat the Odds, the story behind the story The Blind Side.

I became acquainted with Michael Oher when I watched the movie The Blind Side, adapted from a book of the same name. I know that under these circumstances, there is usually more to the story than what I see on the big screen. 

While looking for the book The Blind Side, I came across another book, written by Michael Oher himself. I figured that would give me a lot more information.  What the movie didn't depict and often times can't depict was how did this child feel? Michael was one of about a dozen children of a woman on drugs. What do children do when their mother is using drugs and they have no place to sleep, no food in the house? What attitudes do they develop? Who is their role model? In I Beat the Odds, Oher describes how he hung out with friends at meal times or late in the day so the family would ask him to stay for a meal or spend the night. At school, his attendance and his grades suffered. When Children's Services became involved and whisked the children off to different homes, he also moved from school to school.  

In fact, he was in so many schools that he had a difficult time finding his records when he applied to Briarcrest School, the private school the Tuohy children attended. At Briacrest, Oher met the family that eventually adopted him. The movie depicts quite a bit about the emotional and legal process the Touohy family went through to make Oher a part of their family. I Beat the Odds tells the story from Micheal's point of view.

In his book, Oher writes that as early as seven years of age, he knew he wanted to be a professional athlete and began a study of the sports. He thought he would go into basketball; instead, he became an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens football team. 

But it wasn't until Oher and writer Don Yaeger were doing research for I Beat the Odds when Michael met with a woman from Children's Services and began to understand that what she had done a decade earlier was in the child's best interest, even though it required separating him from his mother and siblings. 

Oher encourages children in the situation he was in to steer away from the bad elements and set goals. Not only does he speak directly to children in the later chapters about how to live their lives, Oher also lists several places where adults can start to give assistance to these less fortunate children and help them have a better life.  

Oher is fortunate to have two families who share their love, only in different ways. He says he honors his mother and will always love her, but never did and never will condone her lifestyle.
- -
I Beat the Odds was published in 2011 by Gotham Books, a part of Penguin Group. DonYaeger is a former associate editor for Sports Illustrated and the author of 13 books.


Guest blogger Sandi Latimer is a long-time reader and journalist. She is a staff writer for a weekly newspaper in Columbus, Ohio, and volunteer coordinator at Green Lawn Park, Ohio's second-largest cemetery. She has been a member of Ohio Professional Writers (OPW) for more than 30 years and now serves as president of the organization. She recently published her first book, Poodle Mistress. 

A Dozen Books for Dad

My dad likes to read, and I love to discover books he might enjoy. But,  I have rotten luck. For my dad's birthday, I bought a copy of Laura Hillenbrand's latest, Unbroken. The good news: he loved it. The bad news: he'd just finished it. Well, at least I was on the right track. Even though the story wasn't exactly a "happy' one, he recommended it to some friends. 

So, I include it here as one of a dozen (or so) book recommendations for dads who might enjoy reading...

...a different perspective on WWII
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

...about the making of a family and a pro-athlete
The Blind Side --even better than the movie!-- or the newer, first-person account, I Beat the Odds, by Michael Oher and Don Yaeger.

...about modern history, from a unique perspective
How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer

...or Hungarian history
The Book of Fathers will keep him flipping through 475 pages and 300 years of it.

...of the joy (and insanity) of parenting girls
What I Would Tell Her, a collection of 28 essays by fathers to and about their daughters. It's touching. Include a pack of tissues with this one.

...when he's not watching Comedy Central
Jon Stewart's Daily Show schtick is neatly packaged in two books - so far. Earth (2010) is the latest. What, dad already has it? Check the list of books/authors that have been featured on the hilarious show.

...to get ahead in their jobs
Leadership Energy by David Cottrell is one of the more, well, energized work-related books I've read. And at just over 100 pages, it can be toted along on a business trip without adding a lot of baggage.

...about things they'd do if only they didn't have jobs
The true account of three extremely rich (but otherwise normal...?) guys who climbed the world's seven tallest mountains, Seven Summits is an interesting story that's well told, largely because the rich climbers were smart enough to invite Rick Ridgeway along, a journalist who "got it right" according to the principles of the story, Frank Wells and Dick Bass.

...what Bill Cosby has to say about a dad's predicament
The inimitable Comedian's book Fatherhood ((c) 1987) is old but remains completely accurate. (Moms can read it too - I loved it!)

...and/or listening toNPR's unique storytellers
Try NPR's Sound Reporting or a similar audio version especially tuned to appeal to a father's ears, Driveway Moments for Dads

...the stereotypical dad-read-aloud-to-son book
If I Built a Car. Trust me, if dad ever played with Hot Wheels, he'll like this.

To all the dads out there: THANKS. And keep reading. (You're setting a great example.)

Walk this way, Dad (Save 25% for Father's Day!)

Does your dad like to hike? Should he (ahem) walk a little more often? The new edition of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland will show him where to go, tell him how to get there, and what to expect on the trail.

Now, just in time for Father's Day, use the promotional code - HIKECLEVELAND -  to save 25% off the book from Menasha Ridge Press.

Most of the hikes in the book average about three miles in length, and almost all of the descriptions include a turn-around point so you can create a shorter loop. Once he starts rolling, of course, Dad might enjoy the longer options.

All of the recommended treks are within Northeast Ohio...like the title says, all within a short driving distance of wherever you are in greater Cleveland.


If dad likes to hike outside of Cleveland, check out the 60 hikes series guidebooks available for 29 different metro areas. Check 'em all out here: http://www.menasharidge.com/pages.php?pageid=6)

13 Reasons to Read This Debut YA Novel

Thirteen Reasons Why was a NYT Bestseller and winner of about a dozen other awards, including Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA), and deservedly so.

Jay Asher's first novel, about suicide, is told by two narrators. One, Hannah, is dead. She left behind 13 cassette tapes explaining how she reached the decision kill herself. Clay is the other narrator. Clay is one of Hannah's classmates and one of the 13 "reasons" she committed suicide.

Hannah left the tapes with very specific instructions regarding who would listen, and how they would get the tapes. The set-up gave Asher a unique mechanism for telling the story.

The book's backmatter contains a brief Q&A with the author, where he explains a little about the process of writing 13 Reasons, and the message he hopes it sends to readers.

... Basically, even though Hannah admits that the decision to take her life was entirely her own, it's also important to be aware of how we treat others. Even though someone appears to shrug off a sideways comment or not to be affected by a rumor, it's impossible to know everything else going on in that person's life, and how we might be adding to his/her pain. 

Or as Hannah says in the book, "Everything affects everything."

While the subject matter is about as serious as can be, Thirteen Reasons is quite palatable, even - it sounds bad to say this - quite enjoyable reading.  


Thirteen Reasons Why is available in paperback in June 2011.

Teenagers in Love (Interview)

It's spring and love/lust is in the air - and on bookshelves, thanks to anthologist Andrea N. Richesin.

To create her latest title, Crush, Richesin asked 26 authors to remember when love was exciting and new. Not surprisingly, most of those times coincided with the writer's ride on the roller-coaster of adolescence.

And while I enjoyed Crush quite a bit, I hesitate to recommend the (whole) book to my daughter, or anyone at that first crush/serious relationship stage, because many of these crushes went all the way. If you know what I mean, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

To clarify: this is a PG-rated book; there are no graphic scenes, sexually or otherwise. Still... I'm one of those moms who doesn't want to condone teenage sex. Excuse me.  [[[Deep breath. BIG SIGH.]]]

OK, I'm back. There for a minute I thought I might have to face reality. Whew.

Anyway, whether your teenage years were PG-rated or not, you know what first love is, how crazy a crush can make you, and that no two experiences are the same. To review the book in a nutshell, it's good - because no two of these essays are the same, and you'll want to read them all.

Now... let's talk to the woman who put all those stories to bed.

("To bed" is publishing industry lingo for "to the printer." Get your mind out of the gutter!)

Dishing about Crush with Anthologist Andrea Richesin

How many essays did you solicit and/or review before selecting the ones that appear in this anthology?

I contacted roughly 75 authors to contribute to the collection and I read about 35 essays all together.

So 26 writers told you all about their first loves, or crushes. Did any of them tell you TOO much? And did any of the writers you approached refuse to divulge their early experiences, citing heartbreak or total embarrassment?
  I suppose you could reveal too much, but that all depends on how you tell the story. Yes, many of the contributors expressed some anxiety about delving into their tender teen diaries and remembering the boys they pined after. I believe most memoir writers have to be willing to confront feelings of discomfort and embarrassment to convey their true emotions. I’m in awe of the Crush contributors for being able to adequately convey what they felt, who they were and what their loved ones meant to them. I’ve never felt that way again and I doubt I ever will. So it makes the telling all the more dramatic and shattering.

Notably absent is your essay on a first love. C'mon! What would it say...in 50 words or less?

I fell in love with a charming boy who was crazy and scared, but lovely and ready to grow up. We loved each other at a time in our lives when we desperately needed to feel affection and as if we were understood. I envy them their love for each other.

I enjoyed Crush immensely - as I told you, I read it in one sitting! - but of your four anthologies, Because I Love Her is still my favorite. Which is yours, and why?

I love all of my anthologies for different reasons. I love The May Queen because she was my first book and it was unbelievably exciting to be published and to share that experience with my best friend and contributor Kimberley Askew. Because I Love Her also meant a lot to me because I’ve struggled in my relationship with my mother. I wanted to present a collection of essays that wasn’t sentimental, but took a hard look at the mother-daughter relationship and how complex it can truly be. What I Would Tell Her came as a complete surprise to me. I was floored by the emotional outpouring in the father’s essays, many of which brought me to tears. Crush was the hardest anthology I’ve edited as it didn’t go according to plan and thus required more work. I’m satisfied with it as an examination of first love, but I would have liked to have included a few more men in the collection.

Where will you take us with your next book?

I’m in the beginning stages of working on a follow-up to The May Queen about being a woman in one’s forties. I hope to work with the same contributors and a few new ones. I’m excited to see how these writers’ lives have changed and what has transpired differently from what they imagined six years ago. I would also like this collection to take the form of a backlash to the media’s attempt to portray older women as crones or cougars. I’ve been offended by the negative caricatures of older women in film and on TV. I’d like to see how the contributors investigate many issues facing women in their forties: struggling with infertility, caring for their children and elderly parents and aging gracefully with dignity rather than trying to be forever 21.

I know you've been busy, but I'm pretty sure you make time to read, too. Of the books you've read in the past couple of years, what are some of your favorites? And what's on top of your reading pile?

I loved Julie Orringer’s The Invisible Bridge, Jo Ann Beard’s The Boys of My Youth, Rumer Godden’s memoirs, and The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer. Right now, I’m reading In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard. I’m also anxious to read Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder and Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos. 

There you have it, a woman in love with books... who brings 'em to market and still makes time to read. Now what about you? What are you reading? Crush is available tomorrow...why not grab a copy and remember what grabbed you about your first love?

postscript  postscript  postscript  postscript postscript  postscript  postscript postscript  postscript  

Beyond the Crush

Faithful readers of this blog will remember that I had a major crush on Richesin's first anthology, Because I Love Her, about mothers and daughters. I still recommend it highly. It's a lovely gift for any mom, of course, but especially - perhaps - for YOUR mom? In case it's just kind of hard to talk to mom about being a mom? Um, you know who you are. (And yes, I am.)

Asking Questions about Reading

No matter how good their reading skills, little kids aren't big kids; they're just not ready for many of the books for older readers. So what's a parent to do?

Ask questions.

My son's teacher recently shared this very simple advice, and guess what? It works.

Last week we returned to reading quite a few of the picture books I'd (sadly) assumed we were "done with" because his reading skills have improved so dramatically.

Asking questions about what he's just read builds comprehension skills, said the wise teacher.

And his answers could be quite entertaining, thought his dubious mom.

After reading Ribbit (a HOWL! by Bender and Bender), Hi, Fly Guy (by Tom Arnold), and Wemberly Worried (by Kevin Henkes) I asked my little reader, "which was your favorite?"

He thought for a moment, then chose Hi, Fly Guy.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it's about pets, and I like pets. And it's about friendship, and friendship is important."

"Really?" I said, bested by a first-grader.

OK. I'll read it again. Clearly, I need to work on comprehension.