Your Guide to a Fun Summer Reading Program

The weather is getting warmer and warmer as the days get longer and longer. Pretty soon, the school year will be over and your young readers will spend their days out and about. This summer while your students are lounging by the pool, camping under the stars, or chilling in their favorite hangout spot it’s important to encourage them to pack a book!

Summer reading programs are a crucial component to your students’ overall academic and personal development. Did you know that research has shown that students can lose up to two months of grade-level equivalency in skills over the summer if they don’t engage in educational activities? This phenomenon is what is referred to as the “summer slide”.

While students who don’t read fall behind, researchers have found that students’ overall cognitive development, critical thinking skills, and socio-emotional well-being is affected by reading over the break. So that’s why it’s time to say goodbye to the summer slide and hello to inspiring a generation of book enthusiasts!

We want to help you flip the script on the usual summer reading methods. So grab your flip-flops and your sunscreen and get ready to make your students’ summer reads more fun and interactive. Here are 6 ways to amplify your summer reading program!

Ideas to boost your summer reading program:

Create a Summer Reading Scrapbook

Want to get your kid’s creativity flowing this summer? Creating a summer reading scrapbook together is a fun way for you and your kiddos to crack those markers and sticker packs open. After your little one finishes reading a new book, have them create a new scrapbook page!

This is where your creativity comes in. Your kiddo can include pictures of them reading, cut out images that remind them of the story itself, or even try and redraw some of their favorite images! The possibilities are endless and this will be a great reminder of all the wonderful stories they read when they look back at the end of summer.

Introduce a Summer Reading Theme

Who doesn’t love a theme?! Creating a theme for summer reading not only makes picking books easier, but also allows students to deep dive into particular topics and lessons.

Some of our favorite ideas are “Around the World” where you can encourage your kids to read books from different countries around the world. This exposes children to different cultures, perspectives, and experiences. Students gain insights into people from various backgrounds, which is essential for fostering inclusivity and respect in society.

Another idea we love is “Science Sleuths”. Encourage students to get hands-on experiences this summer with their own science experiments, and engage with reading that promotes learning in a fun way. Children's science books are designed to present complex concepts in a fun and accessible manner by delving into interesting topics such as space, animals, ecosystems, and experiments.

If you want some more ideas, we also love “Summer Safari”, “Mystery Mayhem”, “Under the Stars”, and “Artistic Sleuths”. Creating a theme is supposed to be fun so let your imagination shine.

Participate in a Library Scavenger Hunt

To add an exciting and interactive element to your student’s summer reading adventures, introduce a local library scavenger hunt. From finding a book with a blue cover, to finding a mystery novel, or finding a book with an animal on the cover. You can make this list of books to find to encourage your kids to get out of their comfort zone and try out some new books they may not have thought about before.

By engaging in this activity, kids not only enhance their reading skills but also develop their research abilities, navigation skills within the library, and appreciation for the diverse offerings available in their local library. Prizes or incentives can be offered for completing the scavenger hunt, adding an extra layer of motivation and fun to the summer reading program.

Create a Reading Log/ Interactive Game

A classic summer reading activity is sending your students home with a reading log/ interactive game like Bingo! Summer reading bingo is a creative and engaging way to gameify students’ reading experience in a fun way.

We wanted to make it easy for you so we made our very own BookPal Summer Reading Bingo where you can challenge your little ones to change up their reading locations, kinds of books they are reading, and even try out some book related art projects!

Plan a Booknic With Your Friends

Planning a booknic with your family and friends is a fantastic summer reading activity that combines the joy of reading with the outdoors and good company. Choose your favorite outdoor location such as a local park, beach, or even your own backyard! And you can’t forget the picnic basket full of your favorite treats.

This is a perfect way to get out of the house in the summer and take turns sharing your reading with others. Take turns sharing excerpts from your books, discussing favorite characters or plot twists and share what you’re learning. The relaxed atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, and shared love for books will make the booknic memorable

Host a Family Dinner Book Club

A simple but meaningful summer reading activity for your kids is to host family dinner book clubs. You can either decide to discuss your current books you’re reading or choose a book as a whole family to read and discuss. During dinner, take turns discussing different aspects of the book, such as favorite characters, plot twists, and important themes. This creates shared memories centered around literature and family time.

20 Summer Books for Your Kiddos!

Now that we’ve talked about some fun activities to get your kiddos excited about their summer reading, we wanted to take a moment to share some new titles that we think would be perfect summer reads! Here are 20 books to read this summer:

1. Afternoon on the Amazon Graphic Novel by Mary Pope Osborne
2. Summer at Squee by Andrea Wang
3. Hiking Activity Book for Kids: 35 Fun Projects for your Next Outdoor Adventure by Amelia Mayer
4. Summer is Here by Renée Watson
5. Fun with National Parks: A Big Activity Book for Kids about America's Natural Wonders by Nicole Claesen
6. The Secret Language of Birds by Lynne Kelly
7. Summer: A Solstice Story by Kelsey E Gross
8. The Highlights Book of Things to Do Outdoors: Explore, Unearth, and Build Great Things Outside by Highlights
9. Comic Classics: Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of Baskervilles by Jack Noel
10. Sunny Parker is Here to Stay by Margaret Finnegan
11. Summer Brain Quest by Workman Publishing
12. Look by Gabi Snyder
13. Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim
14. See Inside a Museum by Matthe Oldham
15. These Bodies Between Us by Sarah Van Name
16. Meet Me on Mercer Street by Booki Vivat
17. The Children’s Book of Wildlife Watching by Dan Rouse
18. The Plant Rescuer by Matthew Rivera
19. Sandcastles are Forever by Ellie Peterson
20. Sejal Sinha Dives for Diamonds on Neptune by Maya Prasad

We hope we helped you discover that summer reading is not just a way to pass the time during school breaks; it is a valuable opportunity for students to maintain and improve their academic skills, develop a love for reading, and expand their horizons.

If you are looking for more summer reading books for your students then be sure to check out our summer reading catalog where we have many more titles. Or if you have a title in mind you can request your custom quote today! We hope you have a restful, book filled summer!