Kids all over the country are back in school, bringing back homework, parent meetings and after-school activities. My kids fall into bed exhausted at night but we still make sure there’s time for reading.
My 4th grader is required to read 20 minutes per night and some nights that’s easier than others. I’m hoping this year he’ll get out of his comfort zone and tackle some longer books. Mr. Kindergartener is still favoring Magic Tree House, the picture books I get him from the library and occasionally plucks one off his own shelf to read. Click over to my (Nancy’s) blog below to see what they’ve been enjoying.
I know life is busy right now, but we’d love to know what your kids have been reading. Do they have required school reading that pushes pleasure reading to the side? Leave a comment or link up below and fill us in. Please link directly to your blog post, and include your children’s ages for ease in visiting.
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My 5th grader has required reading and her problem is she usually reads much longer than her 20 minutes, giving her more to summarize for her reading log. 🙂 One of her favorites recently has been The Lemonade War by Davies which is compelling, brief, and even has some math and economics skillfully woven in. Another new favorite is School of Fear by Daneshvari. It must not be scary, because this is my reader who was really upset/scared last year by reading the required book, Summer of the Monkeys. However, when her sister had it read aloud by the teacher in class at the same age it didn’t scare her. Different kids have different reactions; I just wish more teachers were sympathetic to kids not liking the same books they do.
Both my middle schooler and high schooler are *big* readers, read all the time in the summer, but they’re struggling with time and *not* liking their assigned books. (Although I am thrilled that later in the year the 7th grader will be reading The Lightning Thief – which she hasn’t read.)
I’m a big believer in kids reading books they love – for my son that meant that in 1st grade he mostly brought home Garfield from the library. I *so* didn’t get it, but he thought a cat eating lasagna was *hilarious.* The last book he read, and loved, was The Hobbit, which some adults can’t make it though. I’ve never pushed them to read a harder books. I still wanted pictures in my books in 2nd grade so I understand. I think the more they read what they love, the more they read, and they naturally progress up.
My 7th grader is reading one of the “Mysterious Benedict Society” books (can’t remember which one — maybe volume 2?), and my 11th grader is reading “Catch Me If You Can.” He loves it, can’t put it down.