Summer reading plan: Kid-Friendly Non-Fiction #GASummerRead

My daughter is a natural-born reader. She learned early and has always found true enjoyment in words. She reads brochures from travel stops, age-appropriate magazines, picture books, fiction chapter books, and non-fiction books. She reads to her baby brother and to us. She reads a lot on vacation too!

For some children, reading is more of a chore than a preferred leisure activity. Summer may mean prodding and pushing and steering the kids away from the TV or video game system. While some down time is important over the summer (we certainly watch our share of TV), it is also important for them to continue honing their reading skills, both for reading ability and comprehension of story structure and facts. 

Our summer reading plan focuses on kid-friendly non-fiction. Here is a sample plan if you are looking for ideas for your kids: 

2 Science + 2 Biography + 1 big book of fun facts

Science non-fiction books: 
Some of our favorite science non-fiction books are from Usborne Books. They have a "beginner" and a "discovery" selection of books like Cats, Dogs, Snakes, Bugs, Ocean Animals, Night Animals, Weather, and Trains. We will make sure we read at least two of these selections this summer. 

Biography books for children: 
We absolutely love the "Who Was" chapter book series for ages 7-9. My daughter can learn about famous contributors to society from all areas. The Who Was series includes books on politicians, religious figures, sports greats, beloved authors, brave leaders, inventors, and more.My daughter has read six or seven from this series over the past year, and we plan to go through at lest two more this summer. She reads the books and tells me all kinds of great facts about the person! (At this rate, she will know way more than I do soon!)

 

Giant book of fun facts:  
Non-fiction is a lot more fun when it is surprising, wacky, or even a little bit gross. Our non-fiction summer reading plan also includes one giant book of fun facts. National Geographic combines wacky and fascinating information with an eye-catching layout and their signature gorgeous photography into a couple really Awesome Fact Books. We are getting ready to tackle the second book this summer.

From our house to yours, we wish you a fun-filled and active summer with lots of smiles and laughter... and hopefully some reading and learning too. 

For more ideas on summer reading lists, follow along with these other Georgia moms. Or, do you have a list of your own? Link up!