Integrating Reading: Fun reads ages 8-12

No matter how old you get, there is nothing better than a good picture book. Here are a few more authors you will fall in love with.

In 1932, James Banning was the first African American to complete a 21 day transcontinental flight.


This book of poems blows my mind. I love them and you will see this again during poetry month. The poems read both up and down, with a different meaning each direction.


Twelve-year old "brother" helps his grandparents keep the family ranch in Oregon when his brothers are away and his father is deployed to Iraq. Such an honest book.


Can chicken pox burst the ninth-grade football team's dream of winning the state championship?

Integrating Math: Avoid the summer slump

Reading is the focus of many summer programs in libraries, schools, and other news media. Let's not forget about math that is equally important. We don't want students to loose those multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, and other mathematic skills other than counting.

"Suggestions for students entering sixth grade, for example, include playing card games, finding the best buy at the grocery store, and calculating the tip at a restaurant. Even a long car ride can provide fodder for math games; just think of all those numbers on license plates" (Article, Summer of 4 + 2, July 31, 2011|By Lisa Kocian, Boston Globe Staff).

Here are some books to get the children out of that slump.








Of course, I tried to involve the snacks the children are eating this summer so you can combine snack time with math time. Enjoy!