The Summer Reading Program at CHESS will take place from June 10 - July 31 (although we won't stop you from reading before or after!). Reading Challenges for each grade level will be available in person in the library and on this site, and we encourage our students and their families to use them in guiding enthusiastic reading of fun and excellent stories from a variety of genres. The opportunity for personal preference is still quite open, as these reading challenges simply detail the types and genres we're encouraging, rather than specific books. Because CHESS is a partnership of parents and teachers, home and school, we're strongly urging our families to be intentional and diligent about having their children and teens read this summer, whether they participate in a summer reading program or not!

• Learning never stops, and reading is a life skill that contributes significantly to the quality of our learning. Reading this summer shouldn't be considered "school" - it's just life!

• Reading should be enjoyable and summer should still be fun! There is no reason to force our children to read books this summer that we think are educational but that they find dry and boring - there are countless excellent books in every genre and for every type of reader that are also fun and interesting. There's also no reason at all to recreate "school" activities just to keep them busy. Play and rest is important in this time! Adding just 20 minutes of reading (or listening to books) in these summer weeks adds up to over children 16 hours of brain-fueling reading and still allows for enjoying the freedom of summer.

• What they read DOES matter. It doesn't have to be boring, and it doesn't have to take up great quantities of time, but books that are "fluff" or "twaddle" (as known in classical education circles) should be kept to a minimum. These are books that don't do anything to enrich the reader or stretch their reading skills, and a steady diet of them can actually hinder a child's ability to access books with more complex text and storylines. What constitutes "fluff"? This doesn't have an exact answer, and there are many conflicting opinions- but you probably know what it is in your own house.

• Better than forbidding certain books, however, is encouraging good ones! Look for books with engaging stories, books that promote truth, beauty, and goodness, and those that spark curiosity and critical thinking. Need help with that? See below!

• Here are a few places to get you started with finding good books for summer reading, keeping in mind that there is still a wide range of preference in regard to what makes a "good" book - and that's okay! Use your own judgement.

  • • • • • • CHESS Christian Library Book Lists - we'll start here, because these have been arranged by general grade level and category to help with the reading challenges!

            • CHESS Christian Library Reader's Advisory - this is included in the previous link. Use this form to receive personalized recommendations.

            • Read-Aloud Revival - these lists are geared for family read-alouds but of course can be used just to find great books!

            • Epic Books - this is a cool collection of tons of digital books, including ebooks and audiobooks. Students who register for the Summer Reading Program will receive the library class code and can read and listen for free during daytime hours!

            • 52 Books in 52 Weeks - for older readers who really want to educate themselves in challenging ways.

            • InfOhio - for every grade level, find numerous databases with useful information and activities. Explora and Explora for Kids include access to hundreds of periodicals (for magazine and newspaper articles). It takes some practice to learn how to use a database, but this is a skill our CHESS students are learning! Summer is a great time to try it out.

            • CHESS Christian Library Online Catalog - you can search what we have in the CHESS library collection, and even place holds! Email Mrs. Meester at ameester@chesschristian.com with any questions.

• Check your local library for Summer Reading Programs. These will offer more frequent incentives and programs and kids can easily use the CHESS Reading Challenges in conjuction with just about any program, if they like. You can also find book recommendations for every reading level and genre...but keep in mind that the landscape of Children's and Young Adult literature has changed dramatically in recent years. Be alert and aware!