One of my favorite parts of my job is putting together summer reading lists. At Kildonan, we ask each child's tutor to provide a list of books from which the student can choose. Most years, I prepare a separate list myself. I share the list with the tutors to help them find books for their students, but I also have it on hand (and post it on the website) so that when parents lose the summer reading lists, or the student doesn't like the suggestions, there are other options at the ready. If you haven't read a young adult novel lately, I highly recommend it. They're generally quick reads, and many of them are outstanding. The authors have to sell their stories very quickly to a discriminating audience that has no tolerance for hypocrisy, a bad story, unbelievable characters, or clunky language. Somehow, I think those constraints often encourage them to produce outstanding writing. So pick up a young adult novel today; you'll be glad you did.
(If you'd like a copy of my list, let me know. I'm happy to share.)
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