Don’t lose those grade-level gains you worked so hard to make all year long! Reading over the summer prevents the traditional summer loss of reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. And it’s so easy—a virtually stress-free, fun way of learning. Just pick out a few good books and get started. I’ve put together a great list of summer books using recommendations from the best sources. I plan on reading and reviewing these books all summer long.
Join me! As you read, feel free to make comments on any of the books by clicking the comment link on the review. All of the books I’ve picked out are available in multiple copies from the Ontario City Library at both the Colony and Ovitt branches. And don’t forget—any that you read will count toward the Ontario City Library’s summer reading program, so you can pick up some prizes as you go. If the title of the book is hyperlinked, I’ve already reviewed it, and you can make comments now. For the titles that are not—I’m reading! Check back soon!
This summer’s theme:
Compassion and Camaraderie
(Life is full of bullies—let’s understand each other)
Laurie Halse Anderson
Catalyst
(Don’t miss Anderson’s moving poem/tribute to the readers of Speak. She reads it here.)
John Green
(He’s a video blogger, too—see him here.)
Jay Asher
Sarah Dessen
What Happened to Goodbye?
Lock and Key
Just Listen
Gayle Forman
. . .
Genre Fiction for Fun:
Fantasy
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher (sequel to Incarceron)
Fire by Kristin Cashore (This is the sequel to Graceling)
Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman
Sword Fighting and Combat
Ranger’s Apprentice Series by John Flanagan
Horror for Guys
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer
Sports
Heat by Mike Lupica
(and if you like the book, Mike Lupica has a lot of good sports books)
Historical Fiction
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Try a Classic:
Frankenstein
Things I Just Want to Read for No Particular Reason:
Matched by Ally Condie (VOYA best Sci-Fi of the year)
Unwind by Neal Schusterman
Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender
School Library Lady 
Stop by the Colony High Branch Library in June to sign up for the teen Summer Reading Program! For every 250 pages you read of any book, you’ll get a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize on July 23. The public library has regular hours during the summer: Monday through Wednesday noon to 8 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Plus we’ll have special programs for teens: How to Spend & Save Money (Mon. June 13 at 6:30 p.m.); Art Techniques (Thurs. June 16 at 4 p.m.); Game On! (Fri. June 24 at 3 p.m.); Movie Zone (Fri. July 8 at 3 p.m.); and Make a Banana Split (Thurs. July 21 at 3 p.m.) Call (909) 395-2014 for more information.