by Katie Sanborn, Office Manager
Summer is here! Whether you or your gifted child are taking summer school courses, attending camp, traveling or enjoying activities with family and friends, summertime is a great opportunity to enjoy some extra reading. Do you have a long road trip coming up? Listen to an audiobook. Will you have time to kill at the airport? Reading a book will help pass the time. Are you and your friends on the hunt for a new endeavor? Start a book club to read and discuss novels together. In case you need some convincing to read beyond your assigned summer reading for school, here are six scientific reasons you should be reading more:
- Reading reduces stress.
- Reading, especially books, may add years to your life.
- Reading improves your language skills and knowledge of the world.
- Reading enhances empathy.
- Reading boosts creativity and flexibility.
- Reading can help you transform as a person.
I personally enjoy reading because it’s a gratifying and necessary way for me to unplug. I love the moment when I discover I’ve been reading for hours on end because I’ve been so enveloped in a story and lost track of time. Sometimes there’s nothing better than devouring a good book!
Here are a few summer reads I’ve compiled to help inspire your and your gifted child’s summer reading list:
- Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers (Gr K–3): A moving and conversational description of the history of the Statue of Liberty and how some of the smallest details contribute to her symbolism as a welcoming beacon to the world.
- Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly (Gr 3–7): Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery, being different and finding your inner bayani (hero).
- The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty (Gr 4–6): Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn’t remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills and, ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12-years-old, she’s technically ready for college. She just has to pass one more test—middle school!
- Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Gr 5–6): Ally struggles to hide her dyslexia by continually getting in trouble, until a substitute teacher discovers what she is really hiding.
- Boying Up: How to Be Brave, Bold and Brilliant by Mayim Bialik (Gr 7–9): Mayim Bialik, star of The Big Bang Theory and author of the #1 bestseller Girling Up, puts her Ph.D. to work to talk to teen boys about the science and pressures of growing up male in today’s world.
Happy reading!
Do you have a favorite novel or book you are looking forward to reading this summer? Share it with us in the comments below!
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