It's easy to forget about reading during the summer and fall. It's beautiful out. There's cross country and soccer. In the summer, we live at the pool and run around outside as much as possible.
You read at bedtime, mostly, or when you're waiting for something else to begin.
And then the days start getting shorter. The gorgeous leaves drop and...and... the pool closes. Books become more appealing. But if your child has "read everything already" and has different tastes from his older brothers and sisters, you may find yourself at a loss. Rather than list books here, though, I'll show you some places to look for endless suggestions.
Amazon.com I know, it's not rocket science. But did you know that Amazon will suggest books by age, genre, and has a listing of children's books that were National Book Award finalists? That Amazon link will take you directly to the children's recommendation page. You can look by age, by season (down farther on the page), or by award winners. Remember, Caldecott is for picture books (usually read aloud to a child), and the Newbery is for juvenile and children's books, more from fourth grade through junior high.
I found it really tricky to find Amazon's list of related children's books, created by a feature they call "Listmania". It's as if there's this secret, hidden feature that you have to know exists. It lurks, it lingers, you think you have it...and then... Nope. You're on some Kindle thing and or ordering some garden implement you don't need.
Back to the home page. But fear not. It's not easy - I spent 13 whole minutes with Amazon.com's wonderful help people but we found it.
Catchy, isn't it? Ok. It's not that bad. First, go to the home page of www.Amazon.com, and sign in. Then click on Your Recommendations, at the upper right. Then go waaaay down to the bottom right, and you'll see a column that says Your Participation:
Your Participation
Click on "Your Listmania Lists" But wait! you say. I have not made any lists yet. Yes. And you'll be reminded of that. But meanwhile, you can search in the little box next to the word LISTMANIA for any topic that your child might currently be obsessing on, such as dinosaurs or trucks. And most likely, a parent out there has made a list of child-friendly books on this topic. This was a wonderful resource when my nephew was fascinated by trains.
Goodreads.com You need to make an account for this, but it's free. I review books I have read, and connect with friends to learn what they're reading, but for now I posted a request for recommendations for my nine year old nephew. I am always looking for new books for boys, in particular. There's a link there for "Ask for Recommendations", and you are given space to describe exactly what type of book you are looking for. Here's what I put:
Amy Lesemann wants to read: I need books for my nine year old nephew. He loved the Genius files, by Dan Gutman, and is working his way through the Baseball card series. Despite this - he usually prefers realistic fiction (I know, I know- baseball card = fantasy. So he's not consistent!) :) Amy
Goodreads, like Amazon, has a "listopia" feature that is fun for us adults to browse, as well. There are all manner of lists, goofy and serious. Goodreads features what it considers to be its best, or at least, most interesting lists:
...always good for that moody middle schooler/early teen in your life....
Books That Should Be Made Into Movies
Thanksgiving at the Plimouth Plantation....
...and then there's the list of Books That Were Better Than The Movies. As in, All Of Them.
Scholastic, though, is also useful for online and hard copy activities for teachers and homeschoolers. If you're interested in doing a little research with your child about what the voyage over was REALLY like for the Pilgrims, or what the clothing looked like, visit the Scholastic Thanksgiving website over the next month or so. There are slide shows, videos, letters to and from settlers.... an amazing amount of material to look at, watch, and interact with.
So - start now to help your child find books he or she will love, not just tolerate. Teachers, homeschoolers, and parent, there's a lot to learn about on the Scholastic Thanksgiving site. And it's fun, too.
And learning + fun is the best possible combination.
Thanksgiving at the Plimouth Plantation....
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