60 reasons to love summer reading

Instructor, May-June, 2006 by Hannah Trierweiler, Dana Truby, Lynne Burke, Olinde Mandell, Jamie Hall

Is there any greater pleasure than sitting outside on a warm afternoon with a page-turner? Here at Instructor, we think it's hard to beat. That's why we're thrilled to bring you this special tribute to summer reading, covering the facts (summer reading is essential to kids' success), fiction (the latest from your favorite authors), and everything in between. Read on!

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4 Reasons We Love Pirates

1 THEY'RE POPULAR: Blame it on the movie Pirates of the Carribean (the sequel's coming out this summer): There are dozens of new pirate books on the shelves. One we love? Pirates, Ships, and Sailors, by Kathryn and Byron Jackson.

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2 THEY'RE LEGENDARY: There are at least four new kids' books on the mythical Blackbeard alone, including Eric Kimmel's Blackbeard's Last Fight and Blackbeard: The Pirate King, a take in verse by J. Patrick Lewis.

3 THEY TEACH THE ABCs: You don't want to miss the hilarious Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC, by June Sobel.

4 THEY'RE GIRLS, TOO: See Cornelia Funke's Pirate Girl, Peter Harris's Night Pirates, and Deborah Underwood's Pirate Mom.

Some Books For That Neglected "Science" Tub in Your Library

1 Move!, by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. From the author of Actual Size comes intricate cut-paper collages that show animals in action. (Readers get to guess how each critter gets around before seeing the collage.)

2 An Egg is Quiet, by Dianna Ashton. Ornithologists-in-training will treasure this beautiful book, whose stunning watercolors reveal a remarkable variety of eggs.

3 Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Other Sea Monsters, by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. The follow up to this team's popular (and breathtaking) dino pop-up goes underwater, and their fierce creatures literally jump off the page.

4 Egypt in Spectacular Cross-Section, by Stephen Biesty. Expansive scenes captured in painstaking miniature.

5 Excuses to Go to the Movies This Summer

1. Hoot (May 5) Carl Hiassen's funny conservation tale is coming to the big screen with songs by Jimmy Buffet.

2. Lady in the Water (July 21) M. Night Shyamalan's latest is based on a spooky bedtime story--and there's a picture book being released, too.

3. The Ant Bully (August 4) Nicolas Cage and Julia Roberts bring John Nickle's picture book to life.

4. Stormbreaker (August 18) The first movie installment of the popular Alex Rider series, by Anthony Horowitz.

5. How to Eat Fried Worms (August 25) The 1973 classic by Thomas Rockwell.

What the Research Says on Summer Reading (Pass These Facts On)

1. It's fundamental. Kids who don't read over the summer move in the wrong direction--they fall back to the reading level they were at as much as three months before.

2. It keeps kids on track. Don't scoff at reading for pizza or trinkets at the library. Kids who take part in summer reading programs are less likely to be held back.

3. It doesn't take much. Let these numbers be your mantra--just 4 or 5 books are enough to stave off losses.

4. The numbers aren't fair. The "summer slide" disproportionately affects low-income children. Get parents on board with our send-home Reproducible on page 66.

Let Out Your Breath! (These Books Are Here)

1 Lilly's Big Day, by Kevin Henkes. We love Kevin! We love Lilly! We know you do, too. 2 Good Boy, Fergus!, by David Shannon. A doggy tale from one of our favorites. 3 Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare, by Patricia Polacco. The sequel to the charming My Rotten Red-Headed Brother. 4 The Wright Three, by Blue Balliett. A thrilling sequel to Chasing Vermeer. Thank goodness for teacher-authors.

Non-Fiction Rocks!

(Kids Choose What They Like to Read)

What real students voted for as part of Children's Choices, a program sponsored by IRA:

1 Actual Size, by Steve Jenkins. How cool is a book that shows you the biggest earthworm ever?

2 Mister Seahorse, by Eric Carle. Kids flip for this underwater treat (or anything else by Carle).

3 Great White Sharks, by Sandra Markle. Not Little House on the Prairie. Maybe that's why they like it.

4 Hoop Kings, by Charles R. Smith Jr. The lowdown on kids' favorite court superstars.

5 Show; Don't Tell! Secrets of Writing, by Josephine Nobisso. A ho-hum topic comes to life with this guide.

6 Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable, by Nicola Davies. Really, need we say more?

--CHILDRENS CHOICES FOR 2005, IRA

Celebrities spill: "What's your all-time favorite children's book?"

JAY LENO -- Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel. "I sat in the neighbor's coal cellar and read it. Really. I'm not kidding."

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TYRA BANKS -- Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. "My mom read it to me to teach me that gossip leads to confusion and misunderstanding."

RYAN GOSLING -- The Hobbit. "My mom and I would take an hour every day and she'd read it to me."

JADA PINKETT-SMITH -- "My all-time favorite is Girls Hold Up This World. It's not just because I wrote it. It's very rare that we get to have books about empowering ourselves."