Suggested Summer Reading for Upper School Students
Want to read more this summer, but can't decide on a book? Looking for ideas? Look no further! Below are links to several resources that include lists and reviews for a variety of great books. And when you have to explain to your family or your boss exactly WHY you stayed up all night to read, see below for great tips.
Have a great summer and HAPPY READING!
Have a great summer and HAPPY READING!
The Good News about Reading
- Those who read a lot will enhance their verbal intelligence; that is, reading will make them smarter.
- Reading for pleasure correlates strongly with academic achievement.
- Free voluntary reading results in better reading comprehension, improved writing style, increased vocabulary, better spelling and more advanced grammatical development.
- Students who read the most, read the best, achieve the most, and stay in school the longest.
- Good readers generally have more financially-rewarding jobs.
- Good readers are more than twice as likely to volunteer or do charity work than non-readers.
- Good literary readers are more likely to visit museums, attend plays or concerts, play sports and create their own artwork.
The Bad News about NOT Reading
- Less than one-third of thirteen-year-olds are daily readers.
- The percentage of seventeen-year-olds who read nothing at all for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period.
- 65% of college freshman read for pleasure not at all or less than an hour per week.
- Nearly half of all Americans ages eighteen to twenty-four read no books for pleasure.
- As Americans read less, their reading skills worsen, especially among teenagers and young males.
- Employers now rank reading and writing as top deficiencies in new hires.
- Non-readers are more likely to drop out of school and also more likely to go to prison; only 3% of adult prisoners read at a proficient level.
What Should I Read?!
Try these resources for lists and reviews of great books:
Try these resources for lists and reviews of great books:
YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Book Lists
These are the "best of the best" book lists - the best fiction, audiobooks, graphic novels and paperbacks - selected annually.
Goodreads Listopia
User-created lists that include the top books on all manner of lists. Find a list that sounds good and take a look!
International Literacy Association Choice Reading Lists
Each year, thousands of children, young adults, and educators around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the Choices reading lists. These lists are used to help readers of all ages find books they will enjoy.
NPR's Book Concierge: Our Guide To Great Reads
Mix and match filters (including young adult, kids' books, and nonfiction) and years (2013 to current) to explore nearly 2,500 recommendations from NPR staff and trusted critics.
What Should I Read Next?
Type the name of a book you like in the search box, and this website will analyze a huge database of real readers' favorite books to provide suggestions for what to read next.
These are the "best of the best" book lists - the best fiction, audiobooks, graphic novels and paperbacks - selected annually.
Goodreads Listopia
User-created lists that include the top books on all manner of lists. Find a list that sounds good and take a look!
International Literacy Association Choice Reading Lists
Each year, thousands of children, young adults, and educators around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the Choices reading lists. These lists are used to help readers of all ages find books they will enjoy.
NPR's Book Concierge: Our Guide To Great Reads
Mix and match filters (including young adult, kids' books, and nonfiction) and years (2013 to current) to explore nearly 2,500 recommendations from NPR staff and trusted critics.
What Should I Read Next?
Type the name of a book you like in the search box, and this website will analyze a huge database of real readers' favorite books to provide suggestions for what to read next.