A few weeks ago, I posted the list of the 2013 Children’s Choice Book Award Winners to help readers find good books for long summer days.
That list has been very helpful to me, but my kids read fast. So I need more ideas! Help!
Fortunately, the Common Sense Media weekly email came to the rescue. It included a link to the site’s “Essential Book List“: 150 books for kids and teens chosen to encourage a lifelong love of reading. The folks at Common Sense Media consulted teachers, librarians, and book critics to find titles sure to appeal to a variety of readers.
The titles are grouped by age, 2-6, 7-12, and 13-18. Each age group also has a few categories. For example, the 2-6 age group has “Bedtime Books,” “Read Alouds,” and “Books for Early Readers.” The teen group includes “Coming of Age Books” and “English Class Classics.”
Since it’s the Common Sense Media site, an age recommendation accompanies each title. Which is a good thing, because the list includes some controversial novels for older readers, including Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
I was pleased to find some titles in this list that my kids haven’t devoured yet, such as Al Capone Does My Shirts and The Wednesday Wars. The 
Phantom Tollbooth appears on the list, reminding me again to get that book!
The site also includes tidbits to encourage life long reading habits at the bottom of each page of the Essential Book List. For example, it suggests visiting the library weekly and turning off electronic devices to set aside time for reading. I couldn’t agree more.
Soapbox interjection:
People often ask how my kids read so many books, and I think one big reason is that I limit the amount of time they spend on devices to one or two hours a day. This is a challenge and constant battle, especially with omniscient portable devices (read: iPods), but I know I must continue to fight.
Another reason is that I always try to find new, interesting books for them to read, and so I need resources like Common Sense Media, Goodreads, and book blogs to help me discover the good stuff. I also pull all the new books off of the display shelves at the library.
I hope that, even if your or your kids don’t have a voracious appetite for books, The Essential Book List will also help you find some great ideas for summer reading! I definitely found some YA to add to my TBR list! (including Looking for Alaska, King Dork, and Just Listen).
Where do you get ideas for new books to read? What is your favorite site for finding reading recommendations?
Thanks for adding to the discussion!
Julia
I’m so glad the world still holds parents like you who are encouring their children to read, and not zone out on media devices. Sure, I’m on one right now, and I do spend quite a lot of time on a computer if I’m at home. Most of that time is spent educating myself on some subject or another, though, so I would say it’s just as good as reading. Actually a large part of today and yesterday was spent educating myself further on items/words/techniques I found in a cookbook I’m reading through, so it’s almost like reading that book by extension. 😉
I used to *love* going to the library when I was little. I would sit there for at least an hour every school day afternoon and read what I could of a book (sometimes finishing the shorter ones!) and check out anything that caught my eye that I didn’t have time to read there. In the summer? Couldn’t get me away from that place. 🙂 I remember there being some sort of reading challenge for the summer months at my local library and I was always participating in it. I don’t recall many of the details but I believe there were little prizes that were given out depending on how many books each kid got through. (And everyone got something!)
I get a lot of ideas for new books to read from Goodreads. You know, where they have whatever shelves people have a book listed on to the side, or lists the book has been voted into underneath. I always check out those if I’m particularly interested in something I’ve read. I’ve also been getting a bunch of recommendations from YA book bloggers now that I’ve started a blog and started reading that genre. The community always has so many good books in their reviews or on their TBR list. I think my favorite source is secondhand bookstores. I just go in and browse around for an hour or so and take home whatever random things jump out at me. 🙂
Great suggestions Leanne. Yes, we spend a lot of time at the library. Ours runs a reading challenge too. Except my kids read so many books, that having to write them down in a log is more of a chore for them. The children’s librarian had a good idea this year- just keep the “receipt” of our books checked out and copy the titles from there at once. Much less cumbersome.
Welcome to the blog and thanks for sharing these great insights!
That does sound like a much better way to keep track of what they’ve read. If I find any other good sources I will be sure to let you know!
So my youngest is not so little any more, but the other day she said, “Mom, I miss those silly teen romances I used to read, like: Twilight or all those British teen books. What can I read now?” And I introduced her to absolute fluff of Katie Fford. I know, I know, but consider, she reads so much heavy, dry stuff all year long in her extremely intense uni semesters that she hardly has any time for pleasure reading, so fluff is such a nice way to zone out, don’t you think?
Fluff is definitely okay, Veronica. Especially after a semester of hard work! The important thing is, she’s still reading. Variety is the spice of life, and all that. I’ve never heard of Katie Fford and will have to check her out. Thanks, Veronica!
I just do not get the appeal of Good Night Moon and Where the Wild Things Are. Not even close to the top of my list! Anyways… my son is 6 and just finished Kindergarten, and he is reading at a pretty high level. We have really great children’s librarians at our local library. They help him find some stuff he likes. I also see things on blogs and grab them for him. What he’s been reading… Hardy Boys graphic novels (although in hindsight some of the material was too old for him), Captain Awesome, Frankie Pickle, Fangbone, Roscoe Riley Rules, Geronimo Stilton.
Jennifer, Great suggestions for early chapter books. I just recently discovered Roscoe Riley Rules. And thanks for mentioning librarians- our children’s librarian also does a wonderful job of getting new and interesting books on the shelves- even in this era of budget cuts. Thanks for commenting. Although, I have to admit, Where the Wild Things Are is one of my favorite picture books. I love it for the beautiful language (“Max sailed off through night and day and over a week to the place where the wild things are…) and the fact that Max stands up to the Wild Things. Hope that helps. 🙂
I get new ideas from YOU, Julia! And Goodreads has been a wonderful site to get recommendations.
btw — kudos to you for being the meanest mom on the planet and not letting your kids sit for hours huddled around a device. You ROCK 🙂
Thanks Susan, for both compliments (my kids wouldn’t say I rock, but we know that just means I’m doing my job :). I like Goodreads too.
Thanks for the great tip on book lists! I’m excited to check out the 2-6 list for my girls. I’ll jump right up on that soapbox with you! It drives me crazy to see toddlers playing with iPads and having complete meltdowns when it’s time to put them away. We really try to limit our girls’ screen time at home, and I’m proud to say my girls watch very little TV and my almost 4 y/o has never seen a full-length movie. When we do need some quiet time on a rainy day, we try to stick to programs like Dora the Explorer or Super Why that teach while entertaining. And my girls love storytime. It’s such a special time for us each evening before bedtime.