Summer Reading List 2011

A great book + sunshine = reading in the open air.

Now, if we can just convince the kids of that.

How do we get kids to put down their soakers long enough to crack a book?

First things first, we need titles that are fun, quick to read and if your kids are like ours, summery.

Our boys want books about stuff that happens when it's warm (or that they could imagine doing right now).

And, above all, they want books that are far off the topic of school. No workbooks, please.

For this year's list, I've selected books that are so good they're distracting and a few that even sneak in a lesson or two.

The goal here isn't to glue kids to loungers, but to get them to stay long enough in one spot to nibble away at a story.

(And if you can get them to do that before the neighbor kids climb the fence and wave them over, perfect.)

So what books read well as a warm breeze streams through the spaces between their toes?

Look below at the next 11 posts and see what you think!

This year's favorites are grouped under the following categories:

1. Fairytale Magic
2. Three Amazing Adventures
3. Books to Make Hearts Soar
4. Picture This!
5. Charming Animal Heroes
6. I Need the Next One!
7. Sneak in a Lesson
8. Stir Their Imagination
9. Just for Fun
10. Fun Things to Make
11. Books to Bring on a Trip