I’ve been there. I’ve heard all the statistics about “summer slide,” been anxious for my kids to love reading, gotten caught up in all the reading contest prizes.
Look, kids, free books!
But as a mom with older teens now, I’ve realized sometimes those reading contests can feel more like a burden than a gift to our children. If we really want our kids to love books, maybe finding a way to go deep, to create an experience they can cherish, will be better in the long run than the excitement of a contest with a prize they don’t really want.
Slow Down to Go Deep
Going deep with a book is easier than you think. When you go deep, you take your time with a book. You talk about it, not just formally, but in normal moments where it connects to your every-day life. You may even seek out purposeful ways to add to the experience. The key is that you are focusing on savoring a single book for a period of time, rather than trying to cram in as many as possible.
And one of the best ways to go deep with a book with your kids is to create a family book club!
A book club doesn’t have to be anything fancy or formal. The main piece is that you’re all reading the same book. It could be a read-aloud ritual on hot summer afternoons. Or maybe it’s an audiobook in the car on certain weekly drives. If you have older kids with busy schedules, it could even be a book you’re each reading on your own time and coming together to talk about.
Pump Up the Fun Factor to Make Memories
Just reading a book together can make a lasting memory your family will cherish. But we’re diving deep, so let’s add some tangible connections that will bring the story out of their heads and into their hands and hearts.
- Snacks—these don’t have to be book-themed, but your kids won’t likely forget them if they are!
- Activities—Do something, and do it together! Create an art project or cook a food mentioned in the book. Here are a few ideas how you can make it book specific.
- The Secret Garden—plant some flowers
- Alice in Wonderland—learn a new card game
- The Hobbit—create a diorama of the Shire or Mirkwood Forest
- Field trip—Take a slow summer afternoon and get out of the house! Here are a few more ideas:
- The Green Ember—Visit a pet store and ask to hold the rabbits
- Beneath the Swirling Sky—Go to an art museum and pose like your favorite portraits
- Added connections:
- Watch the show/movie version if there is one
- See if the author has recorded a YouTube video or podcast episode about the book
- Watch a documentary on a related topic.
When your kids fall in love with story, you won’t have to worry if they’re reading enough. They’ll naturally gravitate toward books. But even better, when you fall in love with a story together, you create lasting connections and memories as a family. And that’s a better prize than any summer reading contest has to offer.
Join me for a book club?
If you’re reading this post in the summer of 2024, I’d love to invite your family to join me in a summer reading club for my book Beneath the Swirling Sky. It’s absolutely free, and from July 11 – August 8 we’ll be doing a lot of the things I talked about above!
It’s a four-week family book club where we’ve done all the hard work of planning for you. Each week you’ll be provided with resources like:
- discussion questions
- an art activity
- a guide to visiting art museums with your kids
- two live virtual events with me, the author!
To learn more, visit therestorationists.com and choose “Free Summer Book Club” from the menu.
I hope you can join me!
Featured image by freepik
When she’s not writing, Carolyn can be found homeschooling her four wildly-creative kids in her house full of bookworms, which also happens to be the name of her blog.
You can find her at http://www.housefullofbookworms.com, and on Instagram.
- How to Read Less This Summer - July 1, 2024
- Midsummer’s Mayhem: Shakespeare, Baking, Magic - April 17, 2024
- Review: God Speaks to Me - February 28, 2024
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