By
Melissa Powell
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Summer reading has been shown to play a vital role in maintaining literacy skills, supporting academic growth, and fostering engagement, imagination, and curiosity among children and adolescents. The break from the academic calendar provides an opportunity for students to explore new interests through literature, build confidence as readers, and learn about themselves by discovering what they most enjoy reading.

That said, motivating children and teens to read during the summer months can be challenging. To help families create meaningful and enjoyable reading experiences at home, Dr. Blake Tenore, Associate Clinical Professor and Coordinator of English Education in the FSU School of Teacher Education, has compiled a list of practical strategies for encouraging reading beyond the classroom. His tips are designed to help caregivers support their children’s reading habits in a way that feels natural, low-pressure, and rewarding:

  • Let children choose what they read (with appropriate parental oversight, of course). Help them find their niche; take them to the library; join a blog or website like Goodreads together; make a trip to a local bookstore a reward. Sometimes it's hard for children to identify "what they like," so follow their other interests, like sports, music, cars, dance, etc., into the world of literature. There are young adult books for everyone on every topic of interest. Sometimes it's the case that kids who don't like to read haven't found the right book for them...yet! Keep trying. 
  • Everyone reads. Let your children see you reading something you enjoy. Read a common book and talk about it, set aside a time to read together, or talk with them about what they're reading. Talking is different than making them feel like they're being tested; just be curious.
  • Help children identify a reason to read. Are they trying to learn a new skill? Accomplish a goal? Solve a problem? There's something to read that will help them. YouTube may have some answers, but reading is also an important avenue to knowledge. 
  • Tap into a book series. If children can find a series they love, the familiarity of settings, characters, and narrative style may be motivating. Readers take comfort and stay invested in the series because they already know a lot about the world they're jumping into again and again and again. 
  • Make reading multimodal. Many books spark conversations, inspire art, or lead to book clubs and discussion groups—whether at school, the library, or even through videos and podcasts. "Reading" extends beyond physical books or magazines, and being a part of a community of people who enjoy what they enjoy may be motivating. 
  • Help children find books they can read successfully on their own. Don't get too hung up on reading levels or suggested grade levels. Allow children to feel successful and grow their confidence as readers with the "right" books. Your ninth grader won't be entertained by Diary of Wimpy Kid forever, but if that's where they are now, encourage it as reading. 
  • Gamify reading. Some children love competition, especially if there are siblings in the house. Create a game of reading the most, the longest, etc. (A note about duration: if your child is only comfortable reading for five or 10 minutes at a time, don't force them to read longer. Reading endurance is practiced and builds over time. Another note, if you're feeling like you're "forcing" your child to read, see Suggestion #1).
     
Teen reading in the grass next to stacks of books
Key Takeaways
  • Let choice drive engagement – Allowing children to select books based on their interests helps foster motivation and increases the likelihood that they’ll stick with reading.
  • Model and talk about reading – When caregivers read and engage in casual, curious conversations about books, it normalizes reading as a fun, shared activity rather than a chore.
  • Support reading in diverse ways – Whether through graphic novels, audiobooks, series, or related activities like art or discussion groups, embracing a flexible, multimodal approach helps make reading more accessible and enjoyable for all learners.
Summer Reading Recommendations for Grades 6-12

The following books were suggested by some of FSU’s cooperating teachers as well as faculty and students in the School of Teacher Education. Books are grouped by grade level for convenience, but the groupings are not rules. If a book looks good and looks like a good fit, families are encouraged to grab it and enjoy.

Parents are encouraged to seek out summaries and reviews of books their readers are considering to be sure they are comfortable with the content of each book. Information about each book listed may be found with a Google search, or through reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, for example. Young Adult literature can take on topics and issues that are challenging, and not every book is right for every child or family.

Middle Grades, 6-8

Author Title
Jennifer Lynn Barnes The Inheritance Games (series)
Kwame Alexander The Crossover (series)
Holly Jackson A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (series)
Alice Oseman Heartstopper
Angeline Boulley Firekeeper’s Daughter
Leigh Bardugo Six of Crows
Jerry Craft The New Kid (series)
RJ Palacio Wonder
Jerry Spinelli Stargirl
Sharon Draper Out of My Mind
Edward Bloor Tangerine
Phil Knight Shoe Dog: Young Readers’ Edition
Nancy Farmer House of the Scorpion
Carl Hiaasen Hoot
Carl Hiaasen Flush
Carl Hiaasen Chomp


High School Grades, 9-12

Author Title
Neal Shusterman Unwind (series)
  Scythe (series)
  Challenger Deep
Elizabeth Acevedo With the Fire on High
  The Poet X
  Clap When You Land
Jason Reynolds Track Series: Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu (series)
  All American Boys
  Long Way Down
Nic Stone Dear Martin
  Dear Justyce
Nicola Yoon Everything, Everything
  The Sun is Also a Star
Adib Khorram Darius the Great Is Not Okay (series)
Octavia Butler Parable of the Sower
Alan Gratz Ground Zero (and several other non-fiction books)

 

Person pulling a red book off a shelf
Visit Midtown Reader in Tallahassee

Anne's College also partnered with local Tallahassee bookstore Midtown Reader to make it easier for families to dive into summer reading. Mention the Anne’s College summer reading list at checkout to receive a 10% discount on any of the recommended titles, and a free Anne’s College sticker sheet. The discount is valid until August 31, 2025.

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