In first grade, I was put into the “blue” reading group. My teacher cleverly labeled the groups by color, but I was not fooled: I knew that I was in the intermediate, not the advanced, group. A third child and a bit of a straggler, I had not had intensive reading exposure at home, and interestingly, I can recall the exact moment when I, at the age of four, made the “aha” connection between the pattern of the letters and the words that they formed. In other words, I was not a precocious reader. I was, though, unaware that I was in any way “behind” in my reading skills . . . that is, until I landed in the middle reading group. Competitive, I remember speeding my pace, though sadly not my comprehension, in an effort to impress my first grade teacher, which landed me not in the advanced group but in a manufactured independent study with a classmate. . . creative teaching! For years thereafter, I viewed myself as a subpar reader, and I worked hard to make up for my lack of significant exposure and competence.
Despite this dispirited beginning, just a few years later, my favorite day of the school week was decidedly “library day,” when the librarian would read us a story, and then we would be unleashed to select a book or two to check out for the week. My adventures in reading fiction in grade school helped to define who I am today, as they nurtured my emotional and academic intelligence. I remember sobbing when reading Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, laughing out loud at Ramona in Beverly Cleary novels, grasping the power of language when reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, and seeing art and adventure through a new lens after reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. Since those formative years, reading has been a nearly constant companion of mine and one of my favorite pastimes.
Enriching our lives through literature has never been more important, in my opinion, than it is today. Slowing down, stepping away from technology, with a book and a good story can help students develop reading fluency and comprehension. More than that, though, reading is a salve. It can distract teenagers in a meaningful way from loneliness, isolation, or anxiety, and it can help them manage their feelings and emotions.
No matter what else is on your children’s agenda this summer, in my opinion, reading should be prioritized. Reading provides students with a better sense of self and a better awareness of the world, and reading will improve academic performance and test scores. First and foremost, though, reading should be fun. I often say that I don’t care what your children are reading, as long as they read, and I mean that. To sustain a healthy lifelong reading habit, however, I try to guide students toward book selections that are surefire winners, either universally beloved five-star reads or books that target your children’s strongest interests.
Here are a few books that I have read in the past few years that are delightful in every way, at least in my humble opinion, and I read a lot! (You may want to check for trigger warnings if you are concerned about the presence of any particular topic for a sensitive reader; however, any book worth reading usually has plenty of triggers, so I personally would discourage over-monitoring your high school student’s reading habits unless your child’s health or safety demands it). If your child is not ready to tackle a book of these lengths, then get an audiobook for him or her and listen to the book as a family for discussion. Whatever you do, though, promote reading.
· Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (A total mindbender! Deep science reimagined in a page-turning adventure).
· Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb (A therapist shares real accounts of her patients and aspects of her own therapy to impart laugh-out-loud wit and wisdom and to give her readers insight to help find balance in this crazy world).
· Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (For STEM readers who love dogs and appreciate feminism. The main characters in this novel are tightly drawn, sharp, and beloved).
· The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Immensely quotable and thought-provoking. A time travel novel that is part romance, part science fiction, but 100% brilliant).
· Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (Navigating the world with underdeveloped social skills can lead to unexpected life lessons).
· Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Now a classic, this time-travel novel delivers timeless themes).
· Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Video games as art, infused with surprising creativity, and a love story of two endearing characters made this reader, who is not a videogame enthusiast, a huge fan).
· The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (A propulsive thriller where twists abound).
· Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (How can an octopus be one of my favorite characters ever? A surprising mystery, this tale of friendship between a late shift aquarium worker and an octopus will capture your heart).