Heading out with the kids for a two-week trip to the shore? Traveling with the family cross-country to view all-American landmarks such as the Grand Canyon or the Statue of Liberty? Relaxing at home with a sprinkler slowly fanning across the lawn, keeping your kids (and half the neighborhood) cool?

With a month left of summer, there are still many opportunities to infuse reading into your child's August, no matter what it entails. Lynne Madden, Children's Specialist at the Victor Free Library, suggests some books with summer themes to get kids reading.

“Author Vera Williams has written two of my favorite books about summer activities,” Madden says. “Stringbean’s Trip to the Shining Sea” is the story of Stringbean Coe and his brother Fred’s summer trip together. It’s told through postcards Stringbean sends home to his parents and grandfather, and pictures he takes along the way. The book is put together like a scrapbook. “I think it’s great to use with kids during the summer as an example of something they could do to record their own adventures.” (ages 5-9)

Or try “Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe,” also by Vera Williams. It’s the story of two cousins and their mothers’ canoeing and camping adventures over three days. The book is written in journal form with maps, instructions and illustrations of the trip. (ages 5-9)

In “Counting Our Way to Maine” by Maggie Smith, readers take part in getting ready for, traveling to and enjoying a family vacation in Maine. (ages 4-7)

For families spending a lot of time in the car traveling, singing and playing games can help pass the time. One of Madden’s favorite summer songbooks is “The Twelve Days of Summer” by Elizabeth Lee O'Donnell. This is the story of a little girl at the beach and her adventures over twelve days that can be sung to the familiar Christmas tune. (ages 4-8)

Alan Katz’s “Take Me Out of the Bathtub” and “I’m Still Here In the Bathtub” (ages 2-6) take familiar tunes and add crazy new lyrics, Madden says. And a really old favorite, Allan Sherman’s “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah: A Letter From Camp” has been put into book form with great illustrations. (ages 5-9)

Karen Reiss, Librarian at Paddy Hill Elementary School in the Greece Central School District, says enticing children to read during the summer is fun, and also is important for their future.

“Good readers become good writers and good writers develop into good readers,” Reiss says. “Reading to children expands their background knowledge of things in their world and increases their vocabulary, which helps them become confident speakers and writers. Reading to children also allows them to hear the fluency of language and how words fit together to make meaning, and it stimulates their imagination.”

Most important, she says, it provides children with the opportunity to snuggle up with someone they care about and travel to a world away from video games and television.

Using summer themes can spur interest in reading, Reiss adds. In “Froggy Learns to Swim” by Jonathan London, Froggy is afraid of the water until his mother, along with his flippers, snorkel, and mask, help him learn to swim. (ages 4-8)

In “Beachcombing: Exploring the Seashore” by Jim Arnosky, the author is inspired by visits to 26 beaches along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. He invites readers to take long walks along the beach and highlights some of the interesting things they might discover there. (ages 5-8)

Check out more ideas in the list below, suggested by Madden, Reiss and Ellen Xydias, Children's Librarian at the Henrietta Public Library, and see what kind of summer reading you can incorporate into your child’s summer fun.

“Liberty's Journey” by Kelly DiPucchio. In this story, Lady Liberty takes a stroll across America to see what the rest of the country has to offer. (ages 5-8)

“America the Beautiful: A Pop-Up Book” by Robert Sabuda. Beginning at the Golden Gate Bridge and ending with the regal Statue of Liberty, Sabuda uses the patriotic song to beautifully illustrate a piece of America’s history. Outstanding paper engineering. (ages 4-8)

“Lottie's New Beach Towel” by Petra Mathers. A great book if you’re traveling to the beach like Lottie and her friend, Herbie. (ages 4-8)

“Buildings in Disguise: Architecture That Looks Like Animals, Food, and Other Things” by Joan Marie Arbogast. It includes a map showing where the buildings are (many are in the northeastern U.S.) and excellent photographs. (ages 8-11, but of interest to the whole family)

“The Trolls” by Polly Horvath. Eccentric Aunt Sally comes from Canada to baby-sit the Anderson children while their parents are on a trip to Paris and every night the bedtime story adds another piece to a very suspect family history. (ages 8-12)

“The Time Bike” by Jane Langton. Eddy receives a mysterious gift from India, an old-fashioned bike that transports its rider through time. (ages 8-12)

“Bug Safari” by Bob Barner. This adventure tells how the author, as a young boy, followed a trail of ants and came across various other insects and small creatures. (ages 5-8)

The sports series by Brad Herzog, including “K is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet,” “T is for Touchdown: A Football Alphabet” and “H is for Homerun: A Baseball Alphabet.” (ages 7-9)

Especially for parents:

“Valerie and Walter’s Best Books for Children: A Lively, Opinionated Guide” by Valerie Lewis and Walter Mayes. It has titles for listeners and readers from birth to age 12. It’s fun to read, Valerie and Walter sometimes disagree about a title, and it includes many quotes from authors about books and reading.

“The Penny Whistle Traveling-With-Kids Book” by Meredith Brokaw is chock full of ideas for activities by boat, train, car or plane. Chapters include advice on family travel planning, packing, children’s games, exercise programs and road food, including recipes.

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Karin Gaffney is a children’s writer who lives in Rochester, NY.. Her work has been published in magazines such as Grit and Guideposts for Kids. Her children's book column is meant to provide reading ideas for kids, with suggestions by local public and school librarians.

To contact Karin, email her at karinwrites@hotmail.com.

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©Karin Gaffney, 2005
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