KID SUMMER READING

Most of the children's books that I read are young adult books. For young children, especially boys, I think comic books like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a good idea. Let the kid pick the comic, with you only checking for sex and violence. ANY reading is better than NO reading.

Here are some others.

The Harry Potter books, which I think are a must read for both children and adults. The later books get very heavy emotionally, with some favorite characters dying.

Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey (some discussion of lesbian relationship). Other books by Lackey may be too grown up for preteens.

Wrede's the Seven Towers

For all books that are also Disney movies, one should read the book by the original author. Warn the child about old books being weird about women.

Try the colored fairy tale books. Any good book seller will know these. But the stories are dryly told and some kids will not read them.

The Little House on the Prairie by Wilder. 8 or 9 books in this series.

The Black Cauldron by Alexander

The Last Unicorn by Beagle. Also buy the Last Unicorn cartoon on DVD.

The Rolling Stones and Podkayne of Mars, by Hienlien

The Just So Stories by Kipling

The Most Dangerous Book for Boys (Two ways to temp kids to read this, danger for boys, and 'not for you' for girls. I LOVED this book. It is still in my bathroom.)

The Spiderwick Chronicles

The Percy Jackson Olympian books.

Warrior Heir by Chima.

I will go to a bookstore to look for more. MY books are in a mess, and I can not find anything.

I HAVE ALWAYS READ A BOOK BEFORE I RECOMMEND IT.