Gift Guide 
Many kids are really into summer reading…the first week of summer vacation. Then their enthusiasm wanes. Here are some ways to keep them motivated all summer long:
- Keep lists of books that they’ve read during the summer. Display the lists on the kitchen bulletin board and offer incentives (can you say ice cream?) to encourage kids to keep reading.
- Encourage your older kids to organize a neighborhood reading swap. Set a date for the swap, establish a drop-off date and place for folks to drop off reading material, and then advertise throughout the neighborhood. As books and magazines come in, organize them by theme and age. On the day of the swap, display the books on tables in the yard, set a swap policy for attendees, and have fun. Not only is a reading swap a great way to save money, it’s also an environmentally friendly activity.
- Visit your local library and enroll your kids in the summer reading program. Many branches have fabulous programs like one that centers around a fun old-fashioned carnival wheel the kids spin to find out which genre they should read next. All summer long, the happy sound of the wheel spinning in the library means kids are reading…and reading…and reading!
- Urge your kids to break out of their reading comfort zone during the summer, and seek new and different authors and topics. Do your kids like nature? Encourage them to find a nature themed magazine to read. Into sports? Choose a biography of a famous player, or the person who founded their favorite game.
- And last but not least, be a good example and do some summer reading yourself. Remember, your kids are watching you – if you’re an avid reader, chances are your children will become enthusiastic readers, too.
