Susan: Summertime. War of the Worlds at the multiplex, reruns on TV, and a truce in the homework battles. But parents know (and researchers agree) that kids can't afford to just turn off their brains for the next three months.

Summer reading is just about everyone's default strategy in the effort to keep kids engaged and thinking through the summer months. The problem is that required reading lists and mundane book report assignments can suck the fun right out of the prospect, especially for reluctant readers. How can we help our kids find the books that will make summer reading a joy rather than dog-days drudgery?

According to one study, students should read at least four to five books over the summer months to keep their skills strong. Richard Allington, a professor of education at the University of Tennessee, says giving kids a choice of what to read is important. But that's not quite the same as letting them loose at the library or a big-box book storeReading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High Schoolthat can be overwhelming to kids (and given the heated condition of the culture wars, scary for parents).

Author Cheryl Coon is here to help. Coon is the author of Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough Challenges. Geared to preschool and elementary school-aged kids, the book offers book suggestions for kids struggling with everything from fear of haircuts to divorce. Now, she's working on a sequel for middle-schoolers.

Welcome, Cheryl—lets get started.

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Susan: Cheryl, I'm going to exercise my prerogative as host to ask a question of my own. What was one of your favorite books as a child that you introduced one of your own children to? Did they respond to it as you had hoped, or not? And do you think parents who are passionate about books sometimes push too hard to shape their children's taste in reading?

Cheryl: The Carrot Seed! It's still a wonderful book (I also had it on a 78 record)! My kids loved this one, but I also tried to introduce a later favorite, A Wrinkle in Time, and I think I did introduce it too early. My sense is that it depends so much on the child. An enthusiastic reader, as my daughter has always been, seems unable to be pushed too hard—she found her own favorites and patiently tolerated mine. But my son is a different reader altogether. I've had to be much much more subtle about introducing books to him.

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Laura Zionts: My situation is this: My son is 14. He has always HATED reading...he is below grade level in decoding skills by about two years. He will read short pieces, like magazine articles. He has never been one to read or to enjoy novels. He begins high school in the fall. I would really like to have him spend time reading this summer. How can
I get him to read without it becoming a battle? We've tried finding books in his interest areas but it doesn't seem to help. He often pretends to read when I try to "make" him read a book. Is there any other way to motivate him to read or to help him discover the pleasure
of a good book?

Cheryl: I assume you’ve ruled out an explanation for his reading problems such as vision issues or dyslexia? It’s not surprising that at this point he feels so negative about reading; after all, it’s a source of feeling unsuccessful in some of his academic experiences. Your first goal is to re-introduce him to the pleasure of books, without worrying about the level at which he reads. You might consider beginning with a family read-aloud of a book, in which you take turns reading. Even here, you’ll want to select books at a level in which he can feel successful joining in the reading. Jim Trelease’s “Read Aloud Handbook” is filled with ideas for good books at different levels for read-alouds. If he doesn't want to participate, you can simply read chapters aloud to him and the family. You may find that when you put the book down, he will want to continue reading it on his own.

Another idea that may capture his interest is the popular genre of graphic novels. Check out Stephen Weiner’s “The 101 Best Graphic Novels” and an excellent Web site, http://www.noflyingnotights.com, for lots of good choices for him.

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Betty, LA: I want my 9 year old to read over the summer break, how many books should I push her to read?

Cheryl: How about approaching it from another angle? Rather than setting an amount of books to read, there are lots of fun ways to create her enthusiasm for reading. Consider these: regular library trips, listening to audio books, a "favorite family readathon" (followed by a letter to the author), writing her own books and "publishing" them, creating a board game and writing instructions, and finally, having your own book contest like the Newbery awards—you choose what books to read (everyone in the family) and then pick the best!

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Carole Fiore, Florida: Not a question, but a comment. I agree with Dick Allington. Access to books is vital to encourage reading. But to make kids into readers, it is more than just providing books. Children and teens need to be actively engaged in reading and literature related activities—such as book discussions, sharing read alouds with family and friends. And one of the best places during the summer to do that is your local public library. Most public libraries offer some type of summer library reading program where the concentration is on enjoyment of reading. And the more a child reads, the better reader he/she becomes.

Susan: Thanks for your comment, Carole. Librarians are really the unsung heroes here—a good young adult section is a priceless neighborhood resource. We did a story recently on how the Baltimore city libraries are encouraging youth involvement. It turns out teens are about 25 percent of the library-going population.

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Sharon, Hubbard, OR: What topics do you cover in your book?

Cheryl: Just about every experience a child will have in his growing up years—and some tough issues we hope kids won't encounter—so that means siblings, new friends, new schools, bullies, divorce, family illness, reading problems—you name it—there are a lot of wonderful books out there that can reassure children they aren't alone and offer them real strategies for solving problems.

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Detroit: Cheryl,

Are you familiar with magazines directed at children, like Muse? This is a science-oriented publication for kids aged 10 and up. I bought a subscription for the 9 year-old son of my best friends and he loves it, but I also bought it for my 11 year-old nephew. My brother says my nephew barely reads it.

Your thoughts?

Cheryl: You said it perfectly - what works for one child doesn't necessarily work for another. Your job is to be a book detective -- figure out, through trial and error, what will grab a child's interest. Some kids who enjoy science will prefer it in a format like the Magic Schoolbus stories while others will prefer a straightforward nonfiction format. Feel free to experiment!

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Rachel Henighan: How do you feel about "issue books" vs. books that happen to deal with issues? My experience as a reader is that books “about” something often feel like they hit you over the head, while a matter of fact in a book - there are divorced parents, there are disabled characters, etc. – are more enjoyable as books and perhaps as a result get the "message" across better. What are your thoughts?

Cheryl: You make an excellent point. When books are written for the sole purpose of conveying a message, it’s unlikely that the characters will engage us and make us care about them. Without our identifying with a character and coming to care, we aren’t going to care about a message either. I do believe that books can play a very important role in reassuring and empowering children, as well as teaching them the tools of problem-solving. When I chose the books to recommend in my book, Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough Challenges, I looked for books that are enjoyable and well-written, and also effectively and realistically depict characters encountering an event or challenge in their lives.

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Sharon, Hubbard, OR: Why are books valued in terms of dealing with issues or problems that kids are experiencing? Wouldn't it be better to just talk to them about what's bothering them?

Cheryl Sometimes a child isn't able–or willing–to talk to an adult about what's bothering them. Sometimes, a favorite fictional character can "speak" to them more effectively than we can–not only reassuring them that they aren't alone but also demonstrating that there are a variety of ways to address a problem. It also opens the door to a less threatening conversation between an adult and a child–you can talk about the character and how s/he handled the issue.

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Washington, D.C.: Why does it seem more difficult to get boys to read?

Cheryl: In a literacy study cited in a recent Washington Post article, "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys," by Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, the researchers found that boys generally take longer to learn to read than girls; they read less and are less enthusiastic about it; and they have more trouble understanding narrative texts yet are better at absorbing informational texts. As educators, we don’t need to understand all the reasons why boys don’t read in order to be open to different strategies for engaging boys in reading. The first and most fundamental strategy may be to avoid judging what they want to read or insisting that they read narrative texts. Let’s find out what interests them – whether it’s non-fiction, sports, fantasy, or repair manuals, it’s still reading. Help them find their way to that reading material – make it available to them, let them use it for book reports and presentations. When we engage them in reading by being open to what interests them, we create the possibility of engaging them in other genres as well.

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Susan, D.C.: Another question from the host! Now that you are working on a book about middle school reading, what are some of the new categories that come into play when looking for books for this older, more sophisticated audience?

Cheryl: Well, you know the article CFK just had up about online bullying? A wonderful book offers the opprtunity to look at this issue through the eyes of several fictional middle-schoolers. It's called "The Revealers" and I've used this book with middle-school students. Invariably, it provokes all kinds of great discussion. Other schools have even dramatized chapters of it and set up their own school blogs about it.

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CG, Washington: Cheryl,

How do you feel about school-assigned summer reading homework? Is this something parents should encourage? Or does it take the fun out summer reading?

Cheryl: I admit to a bit of queasiness about it. In an ideal world, every parent would be encouraging summer reading in all of the fun ways I described in a response to an earlier question. But we know that won't happen. So it's understandable that teachers, who are well aware of studies showing that students lose ground over the summer when they don't read, would assign reading. It's just that it makes it feel like a chore. One thing you might do with your child is look at the assigned readings and brainstorm together about ways to make it more fun (especially if the assigned books aren't ones your child would have chosen).

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Dave, Alaska: My local library doesn't have enough books for my son—he reads very fast, can you give me a resource for cheap books.

Cheryl: Have you checked out used bookstores in your area? Does your library have an interlibrary loan program? If you're really isolated, you may have to rely on online used bookstores—Amazon, for example, lists used versions of many of the books it sells.

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B. Washington: How should educators encourage teens to get active in their libraries?

Cheryl: Teens are at a stage in their lives when they want to be treated as adults, respected, and given opportunities to have input. So educators and librarians need to involve teens in the most fundamental aspects of libraries. For example, educators and librarians can work together to involve kids in creating library displays, planning YA library programs, writing book reviews for a library magazine, and creating a YA library website for teens. What about creating a teen advisory board? Teens can give book talks for other kids too. Teens can be mentors for younger kids and help seniors in their libraries with computer skills. Above all, let’s ask them what they think will attract their peers.

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Cathy, Jonesboro: What is an appropriate level of intervention for parents to take as their kids are picking reading material? Does that depend on age? I remember huge fighjts with my father over Catcher in the Rye when I was 16.

Cheryl: I'm assuming your question is about reading books that you consider inappropriately advanced, not the reverse? (Just a note on reading books that seem too "easy" -- many seemingly easy books have content and illustrations that offer lots of room for curious minds to probe, so don't worry if your child sometimes wants to read "easier" books. My 16 year old still enjoys picture books but she also reads Milton's "Paradise Lost".) For books that seem too mature—my first recommendation is—read it yourself. Consider whether your child may already know about this issue or may be curious to read about it. You can always say yes but that you'd like to talk about it before or after.

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Susan: The reference to "Catcher in the Rye" reminded me of my own experience growing up, during which my parents paid absolutely no attention to my reading choices. Have you ever taken exception to a book choice made by one of your children? What's a good way to talk to kids about a book you don't want them to read, without making them want to read it even more?

Cheryl: I don't think I ever have taken exception (but for a truly accurate answer, you'd have to ask my kids!)

Seriously, I do recall when my son first inquired about reading Goosebumps. Now lots of kids were reading them, particularly his older cousins, but I knew that he was still experiencing nightmares when he read scary material. So I talked to him and said—you can read this if you want to but there is some very scary stuff in it. In that case, he chose not to read it. More recently, he wanted to read "The Da Vinci Code" and I admit that I wasn't enthused—I had hoped that his first introduction to mystery would have been more like Sherlock Holmes. So, we talked about the book first and I shared some of my concerns with him. Then he went on to read it.

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Susan: I wanted to respond to Dave as well. We've had some success in my school neighborhood by holding occasional "book swaps"—parents bring books their kids have outgrown and drop them off, then browse for books that are new to them. It sort of keeps things circulating through the neighborhood in a nice informal way.

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Bernice, NC: I own a rental vacation home that I stock with books for the children who visit there. I am always touched by the notes left behind by the young children who have enjoyed the books. I just wanted to share.

Susan: Bernice, that's great. We have rented homes in the Outer Banks and Maine, and one of the first things the boys like to do is go through the bookshelves and also look for weird board games they haven't seen before. It's like treasure for rainy days.

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Dorothy Rich: What are some "inspirational" books today for young people. This dates me—but I grew up with Madame Curie and Young Tom Edison. What are the inspirational titles today?

Cheryl: One exciting development is that there are biographies that cover so many people who have done so many different things, available for children and teens, so that virtually all of their interests can be a starting point for choosing a book. Biographies nowadays come in many formats too, including graphic novels (“Patrick Henry: Liberty or Death” by Jason Glaser, Peter McDonnell), picture books (“Reaching for the Moon” by Buzz Aldrin, Wendell Minor) and of course, chapter books. And biographies aren’t only of well-known adults anymore; there are wonderful biographies of children, such as “ Of Beetles and Angels : A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard” by Mawi Asgedom (the story of an Ethiopian refugee family) or “ We Were There, Too!: Young People in U.S. History” by Phillip Hoose, that remind readers of the important role children and teens have played in history.

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Rachel Henighan: As a teacher and a reader, I am continually surprised by how few of my colleagues are also readers themselves. I know there are studies and surveys every so often that show that adults seem to be reading less and less, and more and more "junky" books. Is it fair and/or realistic to expect kids to read and care about reading when fewer and fewer adults really do?  

Cheryl: It’s both fair and realistic, and as you know, critical to their future, to expect children to read and care about reading. But it’s less likely to happen when the adults in their lives don’t enjoy reading. You’re right to be concerned about the message that a teacher who is lukewarm about reading will convey to a child. Sometimes we have to do remedial work to share the wonder of books with our colleagues. Maybe you can organize a book group for teachers – all reading the same book and talking about it. Maybe teachers would enjoy a book group in which you read children’s books, not only to rediscover the pleasure of these books, but to share ideas about how to effectively share them with kids. Some teachers, like some children, will be inspired by a different kind of reading material and that fact can make them especially able to understand those differences in the kids they teach.

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Janis, Virginia: Do you have suggestions for reading lists or resources to help readers whose reading levels are at odds with their emotional or chronological age? I am thinking of older youth with poor reading skills who need books that are appropriate for their age but written at an easier reading level. Or books that are appropriate for young children reading at a much higher reading level than their age.

Cheryl: Here are some ideas:

For younger children with higher level reading skills—one good approach is to look for first chapter books—the Beverly Cleary books are all reliably suitable for younger children yet are more challenging reading. Check out The Borrower series, The Little House on the Prarie series, Cam Jansen mysteries, The Boxcar Children, Bailey School Kids series, Captain Underpants and The Time Warp Trio series! Boys may enjoy Matt Christopher's sports oriented books or the books about Matt and his telepathic dog.

For older children with lower reading levels, the first hurdle is their own attitude (and sometimes, that of their peers and teacher) about the reading material that will work best for them. Humor is always a winner (Operation: Dump the Chump, My Babysitter is a Vampire); there are easy chapter books and frankly, lots of picture books with limited text address more mature themes.

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Susan: Cheryl, a friend of mine told me she was paying her son $5 per book to motivate him to read. I didn't think this was such a great idea, but couldn't quite articulate why. What's your feeling about incentives for reading?

Cheryl: Yuck. I am not a fan of incentives for reading! Even prizes for summer reading make me uncomfortable. That said, I have to acknowledge that some kids can benefit from these kinds of motivations, such as kids are are reading below level or are reluctant readers. Even so, I'd rather see rewards that are closely related—some family time, a toy that's related, the chance to stay up late to read!

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Deborah Baker: When my children were in middle school, I found I was often surprised by the topics and content of many of the books in the young adult section of the library, most particularly by how explicit some of them were in terms of depictions of teen relationships and sexuality. Can you comment on what kinds of trends and themes you are seeing in the young adult fiction category?

Cheryl: Our generation wasn’t raised on explicit young adult books; for us, J. D. Salinger was explicit enough. But kids today are exposed to sophisticated ideas and themes much earlier than we were, on television, in other media and online. The real question, I think, is whether kids are: (1) reading these books when they are developmentally ready; (2) getting accurate information via these books; and (3) having an opportunity to talk about what they are reading. These days, when I speak to middle-school teachers, I’m regularly asked for book recommendations on topics such as self-mutilation, gay teens, suicide, and incarcerated parents. That tells me that these issues are coming up in the classroom and in the school, and we need to be equipped with books that deal with them realistically and accurately.

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Tyler, Michigan: Growing up, I loved reading the Hardy Boys books, is there a contemporary equivalent to these books?

Cheryl: Hey, I loved the Nancy Drew books. I still do! Well, there are the Cam Jansen books, the Encylopedia Brown books, the Time Warp Trio books, The Boxcar Children books, The Adventures of Captain Underpants, Brian Jacques' Redwall Series, and of course, Harry Potter! Not exactly the same, but kids feel about these as we did about Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys!

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Susan: Some of the adolescent boys I know are absolutely entranced by very gory fantasy books—these are huge, fat paperbacks that usually come in series, with titles featuring words like sword, blood, storm, etc. We all tend to worry a lot about the electronic media our kids are exposed too, but what about these sort of trashy but gripping novels?

Cheryl: Yes, I've got one of those adolescent boys living in my house, too. The thing is—there are some truly terrific books out there that do have blood and gore. Consider Tolkien, for example! I'm inclined to be happy anytime I see someone snuggled up with a great book—I doubt that the blood and gore are much compared to movies and television and the message he is getting is that reading can be exciting, too.

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Ellen: As Youth Services Coordinator of Lexington County Public Library System in SC, I work with thousands of youth each summer during our nine-week summer reading program. We count hours spent reading instead of books for children to earn reading medals and some incentives along the way. It worries me that children seem to be so reward-oriented these days. I would love some suggestions as to ways to instill in youth the concept of reading for the pure pleasure it brings.  

Cheryl: I share your dismay at the reward system, while acknowledging that it seems to be a positive incentive for some children. I think that Esme Raji Codell, author of “How to Get Your Child to Love Reading” offers a very good suggestion when she observes that it would be helpful if rewards could be kept closely linked to the reading, such as a doll or puzzle related to a favorite character, getting to choose a book by a popular author, or giving an autographed picture of a favorite author.   Beyond that, I believe that we instill love of reading best when we start young and always stay open to what it is that a particular child enjoys. Let’s stop telling kids that a book is too young or too hard or not our idea of what they “should” be reading...and let them have some control over what they read. If they’ve loved a movie, maybe they would be interested in the book. Some kids shy away from fiction (most often, boys) but will eagerly read a book on computer programming. But that’s reading too! Sometimes our offer to start off reading it to them leads to them wanting to continue on their own. Other ideas that I’ve seen work well include having kids give book talks to other kids, followed by other kids “bidding” on that book.

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That's all we have time for. Thanks, Cheryl, and thank you everyone for taking part. Our next Book Chat will be in August.

Susan