When I was growing up, my favorite part of summer vacation was not just being out of school, it was getting to choose what I wanted to read. One summer, I read only historical romance. Another summer, it was epics about immigrants. Yet another, true crime. Then there was the summer of “disturbing animal stories” in which I read books about grizzly bears wreaking havoc in campgrounds, monstrous snakes living in places they shouldn’t, and, of course, sharks behaving in ways we wish they wouldn’t. Whether we were headed off on a camping trip (and in hindsight, perhaps the grisly grizzly stories weren’t a great choice), or spending lazy days at home, I loved the days when my mom would give my brothers and me each a tote bag and we would head to the library.
This summer will be different for everyone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep reading. In fact, you don’t need a pool or sand or an exotic location to make reading interesting and enjoyable during whatever break you have. And that goes for the whole family. If your kids cry “bored” but balk at your suggestion to read a book, perhaps they associate reading with school and, let’s face it, recent months have been tough on our students.
Summer is a great time to let your children choose what they want to read, just for fun. So, what do you do if they say, “I don’t know what to read”? Don’t despair; we’ve compiled a fun list of prompts for everyone in your family and readers of all levels. You can even get competitive and see how many from the list each family member can read before the end of the summer.
Ah, but there’s the question of libraries. While we don’t yet know whether our local libraries will open this summer, there are still options. For instance, check out the library’s e-book selection. Visit a store that sells used books. Look into an audio-book subscription. Buy online and then swap with friends and neighbors, donate them, or sell them at the second-hand book store.
Ready? Set? Read!
A book that became a movie
A book with a number in the title
A book with an animal in the title
A book by an author who uses a pseudonym
A book set at the beach
A book with plants or flowers in the title or on the cover
A book set in the summer
A book with “vacation” in the title
A book written by an author who has the same first or last name as you
A book that involves a sport
A book with a two-word title
A book with a dessert in the title
A book set in space
A book based on, or turned into, a TV show
A book that takes place in the year you were born
A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
A book set in a different country
A book told in a first-person point of view
A book mentioned in another book
A book set in a hotel
A book with a picture of water on the cover
A book about a family
A book based on a true story
A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit
A book with a fish on the cover
A book with a weather-related word in the title
A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter
A book with your favorite color in the title
A book from a genre you don’t normally read
A book set in the future
A book with a one-word title
A book with a blue spine
A book that was your favorite as a child
A book first written more than 100 years ago
A book featuring an imaginary or mythical creature
A book written from the perspective of an animal
A book with pictures
A book that involves a bookstore or library
A book that won an award
A book about a road trip
A book that takes place on an island
A book set in North Carolina
A book with an orange cover
A book based on a fairy tale
A book considered a classic
A book you noticed someone else reading
A book told from multiple points of view
A book written by a celebrity
A book you own but that you’ve never read
A book you choose entirely by its cover
