Rare Sighting- Summer Reading!

We just got back from a 3 week road-trip. (From Utah, through  Canada- down through New York to Maryland (where I grew up) and then back to Utah!!)

The first day we were home- the kids rushed outside. Connected with friends, had a huge squirt gun fight with the neighbors and then slept soundly in their own comfortable beds.




This is what they looked like day two! I was shocked. They were reading without my nagging  motivational speeches. lol

AMAZING.

The son laying down is reading Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets.
The other picked up a book he read before Summer of the Woods by Steven Smith.

While visiting cousins- my boys were introduced to an avid 11 year old coin collector! We didn't know this cousin was so interested, knowledgeable about coins. We came back to grandmas house after a day of touring Washington DC, and my sons took the coins out of their pockets to show him. (From the Metro we had gotten $1 coins as change- and this third son of mine had an old Susan B Anthony.) My nephew (their cousin) grabbed his coin collecting book and they learned it was valued at $60!

Well- needless -to -say that really sparked the interest of my sons. We've been checking our pocket change the rest of the trip. Coin collecting is so cool- it's like a treasure hunt with our own American money!! Summer of the Woods is about two brothers who find a rare Indian Head penny, that leads their summer vacation into a 60 year old mystery of a stolen coin collection in their town.

(You can click here to read our book club about it.) Even though he has read it before- he admitted he didn't remember much, and wasn't that interested. NOW that he is hooked on collecting coins... he wants to read it again! lol


Other Summer Reading ideas:
Calendar Mysteries Series- I am currently hosting a summer book club for my 8 year old with this series. Click HERE to see our book club activities.

Million Dollar Series by Dan Gutman is a really fun series for kids who love sports. Each book is centered around one sport; Million Dollar Shot (Basketball), Million Dollar Goal (hockey), Million Dollar Putt (golf). My second son did this entire series with his book club when he was in grade school. Book Club activities are pretty easy- simple play that sport!


If you have any family vacations planned- try finding a book that relates!
With our recent trip, I brought along a fun series called Capital Mysteries.


If you are having a Stay-cation this summer, Weird School is a funny series we did last year.

Books for Older boys that my sons have loved include:

Hatchet and Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen

If your kids have fallen in-love with the HOW To Train Your Dragon Movies- we did a few of these books as a book club, before the movies were made. (The movies don't follow the books faithfully- so it might be a fun book club to compare and contrast!)

Hope this list helps you find some great books your child will enjoy reading~!

Can you relate?

I have four sons.

All of them - reluctant readers.

 

I feel like it is a never ending task- trying to encourage them to read.

 

Like that Greek tragic character who spends his eternities pushing a boulder up a hill...

 You know that guy? When he is close to the top- he stumbles

 and the rock rolls/tumbles down the hill only to have the task start again. 

 

If I am lucky- I find a series that one of my sons gets hooked on.

He'll read the whole series! I feel, for a month or so, satisfied that "Finally! He has realized the joy, magic, satisfaction of reading!" But then the series is over and back to square one.

 

 It's okay.

 I mean, like I have said before, this is my "mommy mission".

And if you knew me, in person, you would know..

I'm  pretty tenacious.

 

Having illiterate children- just isn't acceptable.

 

{partly- because I HATED to read when I was a child and now I can see how being a poor reader really made schooling and other aspects of my life harder. But more importantly- NOW I love to read! It is something that can be learned!}

 

So - my current up hill battle? My second grader.

We held book club last summer and that really motivated him- yay!

(See what we did- by clicking HERE)

 

But there is no time during the school year to have book club.

He has now fallen in a rut.

Chapter books are just too daunting.

Nothing keeps his interest.

 

Every night was like pulling teeth to get him to read!

 

So- we have gone back to picture books.

 

 

I have decided (long ago) it is better that he reads-- regardless of what he reads.

He likes picture books.

He likes the satisfaction of finishing one, two , or three in one sitting.

He likes the pictures- who doesn't?

 

So while this may seem like a step backwards.. (regressing to picture books from chapter books)..

It's not. What is important is that kids read! And that they enjoy reading!

 

A cute series my second grader loves is..." The Night Before..." there are a few.

The Night Before Christmas,

The Night Before Easter,

The Night Before Halloween,

The Night Before St. Patrick's Day

The Night Before Summer Vacation...

 

I just wanted to share.

Don't give up on your reluctant reader!

It's a up hill battle - worth fighting.

Movies that will inspire summer reading!

If you have a reluctant reader, like I do, try using movies to encourage summer reading!
Especially if your child enjoyed Percy Jackson: Lightening Thief!

Aug. 7th the second Percy Jackson book hits the silver screen: Sea of Monsters.

My 10 year old is asking about when does the movie come out and more importantly-

 when can HE see it.

Deep inside, my heart jumped. I thought, "Finally! A story he is interested in!" I suggested he read the book first. (He wasn't too excited about that.) We normally wait to see movies at the dollar theater- so I bribed him... he could see it as soon as he finished the book! Opening night- if he wants!

Follow this link to the movie trailer.

If you have reluctant readers- movies really help them connect to the characters, setting and plot. I have found that watching a trailer or even 10 minutes of the actual movie (on video) helps them set important information in their minds- so as they struggle to read- they still are able to follow the story line. They don't struggle over details in setting, or character descriptions- those things are already firmly implanted, they can just follow the adventure.

 My 10 year old tried to read book 2 after he watched and read book 1- but he got lost a bit. (Too many monsters if you ask me.... ) But after watching the trailer- he is ready to try and tackle the book again.

Another great book for OLDER boys- that is being made into a movie this fall is Ender's Game.

(If you let your child watch Hunger Games- this is similar in intensity.) This movie comes out in November, you can follow this link to see that trailer.

Two great movies coming out- means two great opportunities to get your kids reading!

Reluctant Readers

There is much more to read in the world than just books! In fact, your son might be reading more than you realize. Just because he doesn't dedicate himself to reading a lengthy novel doesn't mean he hates reading. Some other ideas to "spice things up":

Kid-friendly magazines. Magazines are less intimidating for reluctant readers because they have lots of pictures and shorter articles. If your son loves animals, he's sure to love Ranger Rick. Sports fans will enjoy Sports Illustrated for kids.

Recipes. Get him helping in the kitchen; he'll find it hard to refuse the invitation when he knows he'll be rewarded with a warm, gooey cookie afterwards!Computer games with written dialogue. Look for games that require reading to play.

Directions. Print out road directions and let your son navigate!

Computer game/ cheat guides. If your son has a favorite game see if there is a guide that reveals hidden secrets and "cheats". What better way to practice comprehension? Your son will apply what he has read to get the reward while playing his game. (Remember: it doesn't matter what they read. The trick is to get them to read.)

Joke books provide hours of entertainment for boys, who often end up laughing so hard they don't even realize they're reading!

Magic trick books

Scavenger hunts, treasure hunts...when you start getting creative, you'll find that everyday reading opportunities are endless!

What to do for older boys with lower reading levels?

This is a common challenge. Older boys don't want to read "baby books" that are closer to their reading level, but often the books that interest them are just too hard to read. One of my sons had this problem until a family member gave us a subscription to Ranger Rick. He loved the articles, which were short enough that he could read them without getting frustrated, and all the great pictures kept his attention. Check out our side bar for a link to some great kid friendly magazines!

How are Bookclub4boys Outlines Different?

Learn More about Bookclub4boys Outlines:
In a national survey conducted by the Young Adult Library Services Association in 2001, boys reported their top obstacles to reading.

39% said it was boring/no fun
29% said they had no time/were too busy
11% said they would rather do something else
8% said they couldn’t get into the stories
4% admitted they weren’t good at it

Book Club For Boys will address each of these obstacles and help channel your boy's creative energy in a fun, productive, educational way!



"Boring/No fun"? Our outlines are packed with activities, so fun is the focus!





"No time" or "would rather be doing something else?" Our outlines provide great incentive games to reward boys who put the time into reading the book. (For example, begin by asking the boys questions about the book. For each question answered correctly, the boys earn a water balloon for the upcoming water balloon fight!)



"Can't get into the stories"? Try our special Movie Book Clubs. Sometimes boys with shorter attention spans or slower reading skills struggle to get into the story, but if they watch even the first 20 minutes of the movie first, they connect with the characters. Then, they can relate to the setting and feel motivated to read the book.



"Not good at it"? The more he reads, the better he will get at reading! We offer a number of helpful ideas and tips of how parents can help their sons read. To learn more about me , my family and maybe some additional tips on motivating boys click HERE.

IF you would like to check out other book club groups and see their ideas, head over to our Book Club Round UP page.
If you host a book club, reading group, or story time and would like to be spotlighted- click HERE for more information.