We started with #1 Make It Fun. Then we shared #2 Change It Up. We finish with #3 Finding and Sharing Your Next Great Read…the final segment of Easy Ways to Get Kids Reading This Summer.
There are numerous ways to get that next read without out breaking the budget. The most obvious is a trip to the library, where you can borrow Large Print books, e-Books, audio books, fiction books such as mystery, fantasy, adventure or non-fiction books that inform and teach. These are free with a valid membership. Even the membership is free, in your municipality.
Some libraries have a book sale where you can find a favorite book to keep. Most libraries have access to online materials that you can borrow with your membership. A visit to the library has changed a bit due to the pandemic. Give library staff a call or find them online and they can help you get the books, into your hands, in a short amount of time. If you budget permits, book sales are available in many locations. Thrift/recycle shops, books stores, yard sales, school fund-raisers – watch for availability on posters in your Community Events postings.
Once you have found your stash of books to chose from it is time to make a choice. Again, there are lots of options to help with making your decision. There are numerous sites online that make book suggestions, based on the criteria that you provide to them. Check out book reviews, but remember, these are based on someone’s opinion or sometimes they are paid advertisement, so it doesn’t hurt to check more than one source. Newspapers publish lists occasionally of top sellers. Library or book store staff know their collections. Be sure to ask them what they might suggest. Besides Best Sellers, there are other lists available that might help you to choose. Award winners (all ages), banned books, and Canada Reads are some examples. Libraries and book sellers often have a Readers’ Advisory. They often start with “If you like Goosebumps, then try…”
So, you have picked your book. You have read your book. Now what? One of the best ways to finding your Next Great Read, is sharing what you have just read. Tell a friend and ask them if they have read anything good. Consider swapping your books, on your personal book shelves. Join a book club, or if you don’t know of one, start your own book club. You do not have to read what everyone else is reading, to belong. Many book clubs have a Show and Tell where you share what you are reading, which may be different altogether from other members. Another option is to tell your librarian and book store staff. Regardless of who you tell, make sure you are honest. If it wasn’t what you wanted to read, say so. It makes it easier for that person to suggest something else to you. Reading – preparing for your Next Great Read is almost as much fun as the book itself!
Submitted by Paige Turner
