Jennifer Donovan here to share some thoughts about getting your kids hooked on books this summer. This post is in partnership with Disney-Hyperion.
Both of my kids enjoyed reading when they were growing up, but something happens when they hit their tween years. For my kids, it was a combination of busier extra-curricular schedules, harder schoolwork, and many other distractions of the electronic variety. My son is five years younger than my daughter and it’s been even tougher to encourage him to use his free time to read, especially in the summer, which he sees as “his time.”
The key to getting him to read is finding a book that he loves, something that doesn’t take long to get into and is written to hold his interest. Two summers ago he started a series that his sister had enjoyed when she was his age, and all of a sudden, he couldn’t stop reading! The reason I love a good series for summer reading is because as soon as they finish a book, they know exactly where to go for more, and they just keep reading.
It actually worked for my college daughter as well. She started book one in a series I thought she’d like, that I’ve been meaning to read myself, and she loved it, and promptly asked if I had book two.
Book three in the Serafina series is out on July 3, for those of you who are already fans. For those who aren’t familiar with the series, hand it over to a kid in your life now. It’s just the kind of fast-paced exciting story that keeps kids interested.
About the series
Set in the magical Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Robert Beatty’s #1 New York Times best-selling series stars the fierce, resilient character of Serafina, a wild girl longing for kinship and struggling to understand her place in the world. This timeless story of finding one’s true family and best self chronicles an epic battle between good and evil and rewrites the rules of who can be a hero.
Book 1: Serafina and the Black Cloak
Book 2: Serafina and the Twisted Staff
Book 3: Serafina and the Splintered Heart
About Serafina and the Splintered Heart (Serafina #3), out July 3
By Robert Beatty
The storms are coming….
Something has happened to Serafina. She has awoken into a darkness she does not understand, scarred from a terrible battle, only to find that life at Biltmore Estate has changed in unimaginable ways. Old friends do unthinkable things and enemies seem all around.
A mysterious threat moves towards Biltmore, a force without a name, bringing with it violent storms and flooding that stands to uproot everything in its path. Serafina must uncover the truth about what has happened to her and find a way to harness her strange new powers before it’s too late.
With only days to achieve the impossible, Serafina fights to reclaim herself as the Guardian of Biltmore, friend of Braeden, daughter of her Pa, and heroine of the Blue Ridge Mountains and all the folk and creatures that call it home.
In the epic third installment of Robert Beatty’s #1 bestselling series, Serafina takes her rightful place among literary champions as she battles fiercely to defend all she loves and become everything that she is meant to be.
About the author
Robert Beatty lives in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife and three daughters. He writes full-time now, but in his past lives he was one of the pioneers of cloud computing, the founder/CEO of Plex Systems, the co-founder of Beatty Robotics, and the CTO and chairman of Narrative magazine. Visit him online at www.robert-beatty.com.
More Ideas to Get Your Kids Reading
Here are some more ways to encourage your children to read and enjoy learning.
- 7 Tips For Raising Kids Who Love Learning
- Reading Eggs
- Books for Middle School Girls
- Books for Middle School Boys
This would be great for my son. Thanks!
I think my daughter might enjoy these books.
I would share with all my nieces they are avid readers
My daughter would love this series!
These would be for my youngest granddaughter who loves to read.
My young niece would love these books (and the other goodies in the prize pack, too!)
My oldest granddaughter would love this series.
My daughter would love to read these wonderful books.
i would be sharing these with my daughter! she loves reading!
My daughter would love these books.
My oldest daughter would enjoy these books.
I would share these with my niece.
I would share with mu niece
I would share these with my niece.
I would share them with my niece.
I would share them with my beautiful grand daughter.
I would share these with my daughter.
I’d read them with my boy.
I would share this with my older two daughters who love to read.
My daughter would love to read this series.
I’d love to read this aloud to my daughter, let my older son read independently. And also be a great read for me to read w my summer school tutor students.
I would share these books with my kids! We would all read the books and have great conversations about them!
I’d share these with my 12 year old daughter, sounds like she’d love this series!
i would share with my son.
I would share these with my daughter! I think she would enjoy them
I would share these with my daughter.
I volunteer at a local library and I’m often reading, even to preteens.
my daughter loves reading and these look like her type of book
I would share these books with my cousins.
I would share these with my granddaughter
These sound like something all of my kids will enjoy.
I would give this to my friend’s daughter.
I would share this with my daughter.
I would share these with my 11 year old granddaughter. I would really like to see her read more and she does seem to like series. Thanks!
I would share these books with my daughter.
I would share these with my niece.
I would like to gift this to my middle child.
I’d love this for my kids.
I’d share with my cousin!
We’d like to continue building my nephews bookshelf!
I would share with my 4 year old niece, Samantha.
I would read this to my daughter!
I would give these to my daughter, she wants to read this series!
My cousin.
I would like to share with my bookworm granddaughter.
I think these books are perfect for my niece.
I work at a school, so I would share these books with my students.
I would give them to my daughter.
My daughter would enjoy these books,thank you
I’d love them for my son
my niece. She’s just starting to enjoy reading and I want to encourage her as much as possible. 🙂
I am not sure which child i will share it with…. Such hard decisions!
my little niece is just learning to read these would be great for her
my niece.
I would actually have my husband read the first one to his 5th grade class, then put them all on the shelves for all the kids to enjoy.
I would share this with my oldest son
I would share these with my niece.
I would share these with my best friends daughter, she would love to read them!
I would share these with my daughter.
I’d love to share these books with my niece, Imani. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
My youngest daughter would love this! She loves to read!
My niece loves to read. I think she’d be into these!
My son would enjoy them, he lives to read.
I would share these with my daughters!
I would share these with my step daughter, she needs to read more and I think she would actually enjoy these.
My daughter Erika would love this!
I would share these with my granddaughter — she loves to read.
would be for my niece!
My three daughters!
I’d share these with both my kids!
I have a tween granddaughter that would really enjoy these
I would share these with my daughter.
Would share them with my twins
I would share these with my niece!
I would read these with my daughter although it sounds like my son would be interested in listening in with us.
I would share these with my 11 year old and 14 year old daughter.
My daughter Lacey. She would enjoy us reading together.
My grandson loves reading and would enjoy the books greatly.
My children would love to read these books!
My oldest granddaughter is a reader. She would get these books.
I would share these with my daughter, she’s really good about talking about books when they’re good!