It's always a great feeling when you find a book that you can't put down, but it's even better when it's your child who gets lost in a book! While StrawberryGirl has been known to devour an entire Harry Potter book within a couple of days of its release, GreenGuy has a harder time finding books that he can't put down until they're finished.
That's why, this weekend, I was so happy that he found a book that:
- he read in its entirety in one day because he couldn't put it down!
- is part of a series of extremely high quality.
- he loved so much that he made me leave the beach early to get book #2 before the library closed!
- he considered staying home from camp to read (book #2).
What is this amazing series? You may have heard of it.
It's called Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan. The very first book that GreenGuy spent all day Saturday reading was The Lightning Thief. It was a gorgeous day, and he spent it out in the backyard lost in this book! Or, you could say that he was in a more divine world...
All I can say is that if your child likes fast-paced adventure and/or Greek mythology, he or she won't be able to get enough of this unique series. It's perfect for children between the ages of 9 and 12. Why not give it a try?
Rick Riordan also wrote the very first book in another fascinating series called The 39 Clues, which revolves around solving puzzles and discovering clues which will eventually lead to a treasure! Who can't resist a good treasure hunt?
Interestingly, these books are being written many different authors, so readers will never know what to expect! Book 2 of The 39 Clues series was written by Gordon Korman, author of the popular book, Swindle. There are already 4 books out (with 10 to be published in total), and book number 5 will be available on August 11th. You can find out more at The 39 Clues web site.
Boys are also likely to get lost in Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins. Gregor is thinking about his missing father, when his two year old sister finds her way into an air vent. The pair ends up getting sucked up into another world, where they will encounter things that are beyond their wildest imagination. Some of the strangest things do happen for a reason, though, right?
So, with books like these, any child could go from being a disinterested, reluctant reader to being an avid book seeker! There are books out there just waiting to be found, even for children who claim they hate to read.
Many children lose some of their reading skills during the summer months, but those who continue reading can actually significantly improve their skills by the time school starts again. Even if your child is past the read aloud stage, you can still share silent family reading time. After all, if everybody reads, everybody wins!
For more book suggestions, I'm happy to announce that I have added a customized Moms Inspire Learning Amazon store link to my sidebar. I have added books I've already recommended, as well as many others. I will be continuously updating the book lists, and will be adding more books and other products over the next week or two. I'll provide more details at a later date.
So, is there a special book that your son couldn't put down until it was finished?
