These books and programs should help maintain and improve literacy levels

Summer is just around the corner and it’s easy to let that pernicious “summer slide” anxiety creep in, especially after an unconventional school year. Whether children lose learning during the summer months is still debated among academics, but parents can keep their reading skills honed by giving kids engaging, accessible and relevant books and classes to keep them busy.

With platforms like Outschool, parents can now tailor reading programs to fit their child’s interest, led by fully vetted instructors, with options for live or pre-recorded lessons. The Outschool Summer Reading Programs and Novel Studies include:

Dav Pilkey’s “Ultimate Dogman” Book Club (age 6-10): A beginner novel study for lovers of Dav Pilkey’s zany Dogman series. This class introduces students to the concept of novel studies and discusses theme, vocabulary, and strategies to sound out multisyllabic words.

“Wings of Fire” Fanfiction (age 8-12): Discuss the “Wings of Fire” book series, create new tribe histories and dragons, and write your own story inspired by the popular book series and its characters.

Percy Jackson Novel Study (age 11-14): Middle grade readers will undertake a guided reading of the beloved first Percy Jackson novel while utilizing comprehension strategies, discussions, virtual field trips and much more.

Pokemon Paragraphs (age 8-13): Practice with graphic organizers and pre-selected writing prompts to engage your child in the writing process using Pokemon.

Frozen Frenzy (age 5-8): Analyze characters, setting and plot to practice literacy strategies in the world of Arendelle.

Summer Reading Phonics Camp (age 6-8): Geared towards emerging readers, this class will introduce digraphs with songs, stories and games.

“Amulet 1: The Stonekeeper” Graphic Novel Book Club (age 8-12): Dig into the popular Amulet series with comprehension exercises, vocabulary and in-depth discussions.

If, however, your family is looking to unplug this summer, look no further than a good book. Keeping a basket of books readily available and ever changing helps keep interest high when temperatures become too hot to play outside. Graphic novels are a fantastic way to build reading stamina in young children who are hesitant to tackle traditional chapter books. Its also important to keep in mind that younger children can access above-grade level books when you read aloud to them. This may also instill a blossoming vocabulary! Here’s a suggested summer book list for a range of ages:

Pre-Readers

“Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury” by Arnold Lobel. A beloved classic that helps instill social emotional learning with two very different friends.

“King Baby” by Kate Beaton. A laugh-out-loud newcomer with a very bossy baby as the main character.

“Penguin Problems” by Jory John. Children learn to look on the bright side with a very grumpy penguin.

Beginner Chapter Books

“Mercy Watson” by Kate Dicamillo. Beginner readers follow the hijinks of a pig interspersed with bright pictures and large, accessible font.

“Zoo Patrol Squad” by Brett Bean. An engaging graphic novel for young readers with animals, mystery and adventure.

“Magic Tree House, The Graphic Novel” by Mary Pope Osborne. A beloved classic now loaded with pictures and dialogue.

Elementary

“Pax” by Sara Pennypacker. A boy and a fox form a bond, but a wrench was thrown in the machine after his father forces him to return Pax to the wild.

“Warriors: The Prophecy Begins” by Erin Hunt. Feral cats roam the countryside as warring clans in this series full of twists and turns.

“Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Waterson. Your little one will devour this classic comic series and learn to ponder life’s biggest questions through the eyes of a pesky child.

Middle Grades

“Remarkables” by Margaret Peterson. Intrigue, secrets and mystery plague a small town.

“City Spies” by James Ponti. From the author’s website: “Sara Martinez is a hacker facing years in juvenile detention, until she meets Mother, a spy who gets her out of jail and into MI6, British Secret Intelligence.”

“Homerooms and Hallpasses” by Tom O’Donnell. From the author’s website: “In the mystical realm of Bríandalör, every day the brave and the bold delve into hidden temples or forgotten dungeons, battling vile monsters and evil wizards to loot their treasure hoards for sweet, sweet magic items.”

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Alex Hobbs, based in Irrigon, is a former educator turned full-time homeschooling mother of two boys, age 8 and 10.