Are you looking for ways to motivate your elementary age readers this summer? Scholastic Corporation, the well-known children's book publisher, offers a Summer Reading Challenge to keep kids reading every day. The challenge includes some of the best summer reading materials for children.
With a variety of subjects and styles, the list has something for every young reader. Here is a quick look at a few of the books.
Grade One
Batman’s Dark Secret, by Kelly Puckett & Jon J Muth. Puckett retells the story of Batman's origin. Designed for young readers, the book features watercolor illustrations. This is an ideal choice for super-hero fans.
Elephant & Piggie: I Really Like Slop!, by Mo Willems. Parents, teachers, and children understand the appeal of Elephant & Piggie. Students enjoy being read to or reading aloud the humorous adventures of these popular characters. In this installment, Piggie invites Gerald to try her favorite food ... slop.
Grade Two
Fly Guy Presents: Snakes, by Tedd Arnold. Arnold helps emerging readers with their non-fiction reading skills. Full-page photographs illustrate text to help with reading comprehension.
Emma and Julia Love Ballet, by Barbara McClintock. If snakes do not appeal to your reader, this book offers a very different topic -- ballet. Emma is a young girl who is taking ballet lessons. She watches Julia, her ballet hero, perform, then meets her backstage.
Grade Three
The Paperboy, by Dav Pilkey. A bit of nostalgia as Pilkey describes an early-morning paper route. This book celebrates the ability and responsibility of a young paperboy.
It Came From Ohio!: My Life as a Writer, by R.L. Stine. By third grade, most students are familiar with R.L. Stine and his Goosebumps series. This book takes students behind the scenes to learn about the author's life.
Grade Four
Sit, Stay, Love, by J.J. Howard. For grade levels 4-7, this book might challenge a fourth-grade reader, but the appealing story about a girl and her love for a rejected puppy encourages children to expand their reading and vocabulary skills.
Some Kind of Courage, by Dan Gemeinhart. Gemeinhart tells a story for students who love horses ... and for anyone who wants to see the protagonist overcome obstacles.
Grade Five
Upside-Down Magic series, by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle & Emily Jenkins. Keep your child reading by finding a can't-put-it-down series. If your fifth grader likes one book in the series, you are set for a summer of reading as he or she checks out more Upside-Down Magic.
Serafina and the Black Cloak, by Robert Beatty. Beatty is an excellent choice to introduce students to historical fiction. He combines mystery, history, and action to appeal to middle-grade readers.
Grade Six
Unidentified Suburban Object, by Mike Jung. Chloe Cho is the only Korean student in her school. Sixth-grade students are entering a stage of self-awareness that fosters empathy for Chloe. As reading skills advance, books about inner growth are appropriate for students' reading and reflection.
Kalahari, by Jessica Khoury. This book is rated at a seventh-grade reading level, but is ideal for stretching reading skills. Teens are the protagonists stranded in the Kalahari Desert. Mix in a strong dose of science fiction and you have a sure way to pull your pre-teen away from video games.
Summer reading will maintain and improve your child's vocabulary and comprehension -- along with an all-important love for reading. You also want to be sure that your child's summer reading is developing critical thinking skills. The Test Tutor offers enrichment tools to help students develop logic and pattern-recognition.
If you have concerns about your child's reading ability, contact us to learn more about how you can enhance your child's academic progress.