We’re all familiar with the phrase, Summer Reading. You probably became acquainted with it while you were in school. The school semester would come to an end as the Summer season began, and you knew you had a few blissful weeks until the Fall semester began. But, you were expected to read. Maybe there was a list of specific books, or maybe you just needed to read something during your Summer break, and be prepared to write a book report about it when school started again. Either way, you knew you needed to read something.

Summer Reading can go one of two ways: either students look forward to it, or they can’t stand it. I have always enjoyes reading, even since childhood, so Summer Reading didn’t bother me. But there are some students who would rather do ANYTHING than spend any part of their Summer vacay reading a book.

I think part of this relates to what students are being asked to read. My generation had The Scarlet Letter and As I Lay Dying. Don’t get me wrong: the classics are still good books. Students shouldn’t be limited to only reading the classics. Nowadays, students need something they can relate to. I’m happy to see books like Wonder and The Fault in Our Stars make the lists. Even books from the Percy Jackson series have been considered.

Summer Reading shouldn’t end when Summer ends. Its already difficult to grab a student’s attention, let alone maintain it. My opinion: we need to keep students interested in reading throughout the year, and not just during the Summer. While I’m all-for teachers choosing books for their class to read during the semester, I think it may help to include the students in the decision. Ask them what they’re interested in reading. Maybe, mix it up a little” use some of the classics along with the modern books. This way, they’ll see that reading doesn’t have to be painful and boring.

Of course, if you’re looking for new titles to add to your reading list, you can always check out Woolaston Entertainment