By Kevin Clayton, Kaitlyn Lagattuta, Angie Goth, Vivian Au and Mandy Zheng
Picture this: your kids using the summer months to enrich their minds by reading award-winning novels instead of passing the hours by throwing dirt at each other.
Kids may be reluctant to read when it’s required, but when presented with the array of novels at the public library and the opportunity to make their own selections, they just may find something that engages their interest.
Most studies indicate that students who read recreationally out-perform those who don’t. Not reading over the summer has the potential to stunt your child’s intellectual growth, despite how studious they are during the school year.
According to reading experts, “Summer reading loss is cumulative. Children don’t ‘catch up’ in fall because the other children are moving ahead with their skills. By the end of sixth grade, children who lose reading skills over the summer are two years behind their classmates.”
In a town where education is so valued, it is a costly mistake to allow your child to mindlessly watch television and rewind his academic progress. Recreational reading is the perfect way for your child to keep her brain active and have fun at the same time.
The Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St., is one of the most immediate resources for summer reading. Not only does it offer a wide selection of books for all ages, but it also has community-oriented reading programs such as the Teen Summer Reading Program and Tales for Tails.
For more information about Yolo County Library summer programs for all ages, visit http://www.yolocountylibrary.org or call (530) 757-5593, ext. 4. Summer programs at Davis branch libraries are sponsored by the Friends of the Davis Branch Library and the Yolo County Library.
Here are some book recommendations from Davis schools for summer reading:
* From Montgomery Elementary School: “Beasts” by Stewart Ross; “Shark vs. Train” by Chris Barton; “Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse” by Rebecca Janni; “Art & Max” by David Weisner; “Gingerbread Baby” by Jan Brett; “Dinotrux” by Chris Gall; “Monsters Eat Whiny Children” by Bruce Eric Kaplan; “Hate that Cat” by Sharon Creech; “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” by Richard Atwater; “Wonderstruck” by Brian Selznick; and, of course, all “Calvin and Hobbes,” “Star Wars,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Captain Underpants”
* From Pioneer Elementary School: “Ripley’s Believe it or Not!”; “Guinness World Records”; “The Ultimate LEGO book”; “The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book”; “Star Wars, Attack of the Clones”; “I Spy Fly Guy” by Tedd Arnold; “Bink & Gollie” by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee; “The Pirate of Kindergarten” by George Ella Lyon; “Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!” by Vicki Myron; “If You Take a Mouse to School” by Laura Numeroff; “The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza” by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans; “We Are in a Book!” by Mo Willems
* From North Davis Elementary School: “Rainbow Fairies”; “Star Wars”; “Geronimo Stilton”; “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series; “Meanwhile” by Jason Shiga; “Warriors” series; “Percy Jackson” series; origami books; drawing books; “Wonderstruck” by Brian Selznick
* From Korematsu Elementary School: “Artemis Fowl” series; “Garfield” books; “Calvin and Hobbes” books; origami books; drawing books; “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series; “Big Nate” series; “Where’s Waldo”; fairy books; “City of Ember” series
* From Fairfield Elementary School: “Breyer Stablemates” by various authors; “Buzz Boy and Fly Guy” series by Tedd Arnold; “Can You See What I See: Once Upon a Time” and series by Walter Wick; “On Meadowview Street” by Henry Cole; “I Need My Monster” by Amanda Noll; “Quackenstein Hatches a Family” by Supdita Bardhan-Quallen; “Igraine the Brave” by Cornelia Funke
* From Birch Lane Elementary School: “Shark vs. Train” by Chris Barton; “The Monster Who Ate My Peas” by Donny Schnitzlein; “13 Gifts” by Wendy Mass; “Beyonders” series by Brandon Mull; “Cosmic” by Frank Cottrell Boyce; “Extra Credit” by Andrew Clements; “Finally” by Wendy Mass; “Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life” by James Patterson; “Out of My Mind” by Sharon Draper; “Standing Small: a Celebration of 30 Years of the LEGO Minifigure” by Nevin Martell
* From Patwin Elementary School: “A-Z Mysteries” by Rob Roy; “Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket; “Big Nate” by Lincoln Peirce; “The Missing Series” by Margaret Haddix; “Guardian of Ga’Hoole” series; “Wolves of the Beyond”
* From Harper and Emerson junior high schools: “Legend” by Marie Lu; “Matched” by Ally Condie; “Bad Taste in Boys” by Carrie Harris; “This is Why You’re Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks” by Jessica Amason; “Sidekicks” by Jack D. Ferraiolo; “Rebel Fire” by Andy Lane; “Sweet Venom” by Tera Lyn Childs; “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green; “The Ghost and the Goth” by Stacey Kade; “Between Shades of Gray” by Ruta Sepetys (not to be confused with “50 Shades of Gray”!)
* From Holmes Junior High School: “The Hunger Games” trilogy by Suzanne Collins; “The Lost Hero” and “Son of Neptune” by Rick Riordan; “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series by Jeff Kinney; “Graceling” by Kristin Cashore; “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman; “The Maximum Ride” series by James Patterson; “Soul Surfer: a True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board” by Bethany Hamilton
* From Davis High School: “Game of Thrones” series by George RR Martin; “Sold” by Patricia McCormick; “Never Fall Down” by Patricia McCormick; “The Fault in our Stars” by John Green; “Heroes of Olympus” series by Rick Riordan; “Crimes and Mathdemeanors” by Leith Hathout; “Berlin Boxing Club” by Rob Sharenow; “Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children” by Ransom Riggs; “On Monsters” by Stephen Asma; “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson; “Homer’s Odyssey” by Gwen Cooper; “The Physics Book” by Clifford A. Pickover
For this year’s award winners:
— Kevin Clayton, Kaitlyn Lagattuta, Angie Goth, Vivian Au and Mandy Zheng are students at Davis High School.