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Celebrate a nation of diverse readers with these recommended books, authors, and teaching resources.
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Get Serious About Summer Reading

Use these ideas and resources to put good books into kids’ hands and connect them to vibrant summer learning adventures.
A girl reads a book while lying in the grass
Published: 01/28/2021 Last Updated: 05/25/2022

When it comes to summer, reading may not be the first thing—or even in the top 10 things—kids have in mind! But reading can be the ideal summer activity. It’s fun, portable, can involve the whole family, and will help your child academically. Use these resources to launch a summer of reading.

Summer Reading: What the Research Says

Summer Reading and Summer Activity Resources

  • Head to Start with a Book for free themed toolkits featuring 5 days of reading and learning fun with dozens of carefully chosen fiction and nonfiction book recommendations, hands-on activities, writing ideas, and apps and websites to deepen learning.
  • Sign up for Camp Wonderoplis, the free online summer-learning destination that's full of fun, interactive STEM and literacy-building topics boosted by Maker experiments.
  • Check out Summer of Possibilities from PBS KIDS for Parents.
  • Join Reading Is Fundamental on a summer reading road trip and spend the summer visiting new and exciting places through books.

Ways to Challenge Kids to Read this Summer

Summer Reading Recommendations for Kids

Reading Tips

Great Web Resources to Help Raise Readers

  • AdLit.org supports the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers with multimedia information and resources.
  • Colorín Colorado provides resources for educators and families of English language learners (ELLs) in grades PreK-12.
  • NAEYC for Families helps parents understand how children ages 0-8 learn and offers creative learning ideas to try at home.
  • National Summer Learning Association focuses on closing the achievement gap through high-quality summer learning for all children and youth.
  • Reading Rockets offers strategies, lessons, activities and ideas designed to help young children learn to read.
  • ReadWriteThink provides access to the highest quality practices and resources in reading and language arts instruction.
  • Understood helps the millions of parents whose children, ages 3–20, are struggling with learning.
Celebrate a nation of diverse readers with these recommended books, authors, and teaching resources.

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