Parenting
The Summer Reading Journey by Sarah Thompson
Updated: Aug. 3, 2023
Originally Published: June 28, 2015
Last summer, I informed my two older children that we would visit a bookstore to select their first summer reading materials. Lily, who was 7 at the time, inquired about potential rewards. “Yes,” I replied, “if you consider books to be prizes.” She frowned. “But what if we read a lot? What do we get then?” “You’ll earn multiple trips to the library!” Poor girl was hoping for a toy store visit instead.
Jake, 9, was equally perplexed. “Is it a competition?” he asked. “Will we get money or something?” He felt the idea was unfair since the Harry Potter series he intended to read was significantly longer than whatever Lily might choose. I reassured him that there was no reading contest involved. “Read whatever you’d like,” I encouraged. “Tell me all about it. Choose another one.”
It’s important for me that my children maintain a reading habit, always engaged in a book or beginning a new one. However, I want them to have the freedom to make their own choices. During the school year, they often select their reading materials, but summer’s relaxed schedule allows for more exploration of various titles on the shelves.
I also try to keep my summer reading flexible. For most of the year, I adhere to my to-be-read lists—both the stack beside my bed and the digital lists on my Kindle and library queue. There’s a certain pressure to stick to those titles, particularly if I’ve invested money, waited for them at the library, or promised a review to an author or editor. However, during summer, I allow myself to choose books based on instinct, wander through a bookstore, or dive into a novel a friend insists I’ll love. My book club takes a hiatus every summer, giving me three months of chaotic reading choices.
I can recall many of my summer reading selections, even novels from two decades ago. Certain titles evoke vivid memories of the times and places I was in while reading them, much like songs that transport us back to specific moments.
For instance, after my junior year of high school, I spent a summer in Seville, Spain, during which I read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The title instantly conjures memories of my host family, who welcomed me into their home for six weeks. Their matriarch, Maria, often prepared traditional meals while I read and sometimes cried over letters from my boyfriend, Alex. “I’m worried it won’t be the same when I return,” I confided to her. “You’re young; love can be tricky,” she advised, though her words didn’t provide much comfort. She was right; Alex and I broke up shortly after I returned.
The Twilight series immediately takes me back to the summer I turned 15 and traveled to Vancouver with my aunt. I was reading the books during a particularly tense moment when my aunt, frustrated over something unrelated, accused me of being too absorbed in my reading. While her outburst was far from the dramatic moments in the novels, I can’t help but associate that experience with the series.
The novels I read during college while exploring Chile left a lasting impact. Arriving in Santiago in January, coinciding with summer break in that region, I found myself without classes until March. Instead of immersing myself in local literature, I opted for English novels from a used bookstore. I read The Grapes of Wrath, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Road, and The Catcher in the Rye. They captivated me so much that I remember the characters and their stories more vividly than the beautiful landscapes I encountered along my journey.
So, how will I choose my summer readings this year? I’ll start with my to-be-read lists, but as always, I will remain open to chance and curiosity. I hope my children embrace the same approach this summer, savoring their time to read before the school year’s hectic pace resumes.
This essay first appeared in Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers. For further engagement, you may want to check out this blog post we have on related topics.
In conclusion, summer reading is not just about books; it’s about memories, experiences, and the joy of exploration. By allowing ourselves and our children the freedom to choose, we make reading a cherished part of our lives.