Getting my kids to read all summer is kind of a pain in the rear. Not that they don't enjoy a good book every once in awhile (well, a couple of them do) but they're just so busy hanging out with friends and doing the ever present important task of NOTHING. (I don't know why they need so much time for nothing, but unless they get enough they're just cranky.)
I've decided to pick 6 books to focus on for the next few weeks, so my kids will get excited about reading something new. This is what we'll be reading:
"Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth" by Frank Cottrell Boyce looks interesting because it features a boy in a hard position in life finding what he likes about living on Earth. Sometimes I think my kids need to be reminded to look at all the good they have going in their lives, and not focus on how unfair it is that they don't have the best video games and who got the last blue popsicle.
"Where is Bear?" by Jonathan Bentley is a book I picked out for my toddler. He's in that stage where it's hilarious to hide or look for things, so I think this will really float his boat. Plus it has really cute pictures, and it should be obvious that I'm drawn to cute pictures, right?
"The Bear and the Piano" by David Litchfield looks really cute, and maybe it will inspire my kids to keep practicing a skill every day until it creates results that they want. I mean, I kind of doubt it, but at least that thought will be planted in their brains and hopefully grow into something real some day.
"The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill has won a lot of awards and I'm really excited to see what it's all about. It seems like something that will really stretch our imaginations and get us thinking in a new and creative ways - I love that.
"How to 'Almost' Ruin Your Summer" by Taryn Souders sounds interesting because I have a couple of kids going to camps this summer. Plus camp stories are just a hoot to read and there's a goat in this one - can't pass up a goat.
I chose "This Book Will Not be Fun" by Cirocco Dunlap because it reminds me of my kids' attitudes some days. Fighting them to do things that should be fun, when they insist that they won't be, and them having fun anyway, and then me saying "See, that was fun, right?", and them answering "No" even though they clearly had a blast. Parenting is fun...
I'm excited to see how these books work out for us. Maybe we'll find a new favorite among them - you never know! So what are you reading this summer?
All links are affiliate links, just thought you ought to know that if you wanted to perhaps read one of these books you should click on the link to get it so that I get credit. We all love getting credit, right?