Summer Reading

Summer is the perfect time to sit back, relax, and dive into a good book. Find out why summer reading is such a good idea, as well as resources to inspire and motivate the young scholar in your life to read all summer long.

Why should young people read during the summer?

"Summer slide" is a phenomenon in which many children seem to "slide" backwards in reading skills in the months they are not in school. This is a time when children sometimes lack the enrichment opportunities or access to books that they have during the school year. Click here for five easy tips to prevent summer slide for your young scholar at home.

What are some resources I can use to combat summer slide for my child?

• Join a summer reading program at any of our county's libraries this summer (most programs begin June 1st and run through August)
  
  
• With your library card, access free eBooks and audiobooks online, from the comfort of your own home
  
  
• Subscribe (or get your student's teacher to create an account for you for free!) to access the leading digital library for kids 12 & under
  
  
• Looking for book ideas? Try these reading lists:
  • The 100 Best Children's Books of All Time & The 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time
  • 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12
  • 16 Feminist Kids' Books for Dismantling the Patriarchy
  • LGBTQAI+ Titles for Pride Month–and Onward
  • A Mighty Girl: Science is for Girls (35 Books about Female Scientists)
  • Where to Find Diverse Books
  • The Ultimate Backseat Bookshelf: 100 Must-Reads for Kids 9-14
  • Multicultural/Culturally-Responsive Books
  • A More Diverse Reading List
  • Reading Rockets Summer Reading Booklists and Start with a Book
    
    
• Have your child search for a book on her own/his own by grade level (K-12), subject, and difficulty

Above all, make reading a family event. If you have a young child, devote time each day to reading stories aloud; if you have an older child, let them observe you reading and encourage them to join in on the fun.

Happy reading!