Moms Talk: Summer Reading

often have reading programs designed to inspire kids to read over the summer, usually including a colorful reading log to keep track of hours or books read. In my last visit to the I grabbed a table in the Teen Section where I found bookmark-sized cards with a lists of award-winning and otherwise recommended books. The titles were so enticing, I brought the list home.

But at my house parental encouragement (read strong-arming) is sometimes needed to get the reading started. We usually make sure our kids have at least one book they are "working on." To balance out electronic influences, I often resort to a requirement that a certain number of minutes of reading occur before the TV or Xbox can be turned on.

Getting the kids to open the cover of that first book can be a challenge, but once inside the right book, the book takes over. Sometimes it takes just one book in a good series to start a reading rampage. Remember the "Owl" books, Captain Underpants, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and the Cherub series? When kids get hooked on a series, there's the bonus of not having to wonder which book will be next.

Libraries have on-line reservation systems that make "on-line shopping" for books fun. And websites like Powells.com and Amazon.com provide all kinds of fun ways to search for books.