When rising juniors start their test prep journey with me, the large majority of them struggle with reading comprehension. That section often is a student’s lowest sub score, and more frequently than not, my students exhibit a lack of confidence in reading. My first question to these students is “What is the last book that you read for pleasure?” Many of them will skirt my qualification and reply with a classic that I know they read in school. The others will look at me dumbfounded, a look that conveys both “When would I have time to do that?” and “Why would I choose to do that?”.
Inevitably, I draw an analogy, reminding the students that they will never get better at soccer/piano/art – pick your child’s interest – without practicing. Realization dawns on the students’ faces: They know that, of course, I am right. The key to higher reading comprehension scores is to start reading every day!
Most high school students read very little, at least up until their junior year of high school. They may have read in grammar school but abandoned that pursuit during middle school. Public school English teachers generally do not assign much reading, especially during the first two years of high school. Reading books aloud in the classroom is a fun adventure popular in freshman reading classes but not a replacement for a child cozying up with a book alone at home. As these students become juniors, though, because many of them enroll in AP U.S. History, a course that requires significant reading, their reading comprehension scores respond and start to improve. Usually, this bump is too little, too late.
If they are not reading independently, then students often do not know themselves. Specifically, they cannot identify their own interests and are more detached. When asked what they love to do in their free time or what their interests are, most of our children respond that they enjoy “hanging out with friends” and love their sport. In short, they lack the depth that we want them to cultivate. In our digital world, I believe that nothing replaces the self-exploration that comes from reading a book. Readers gain a much better understanding of their own curiosities and of their personal journeys.
Whatever your child has planned for this summer, I suggest that you insist that they read a few books. When trying to get your child into reading – or back into reading – the reading selection does matter. I usually say that what your child reads matters less to me than the fact that they are reading, and that is true. However, you have limited opportunities to capture their attention with a book, so help them choose a book that fits their interests and that has over a 4-star rating on Amazon and Goodreads.
I developed a summer reading list for you again this year. I know today’s children, and I have tried to select titles that will resonate with them, depending on their interests. Most of the following are backlist books, but there are a few new titles among them. Let me know what you think, and happy reading!
· For the dystopian reader or budding political scientist: Sunrise of the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (2025) – If your child already loves The Hunger Games (either the movie or the book), pick up this latest dystopian prequel, released this year with a lot of buzz. It packs a punch and can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. It also provides enlightening insights to propaganda and political corruption.
· For the student who loves forensics: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (2019) – High School Senior Pip Fitz-Amobi takes on a local murder investigation as a school project in an effort to exonerate Sal Singh, the alleged murderer, who graduated just five years earlier from Pip’s high school. Accused of killing his girlfriend and classmate, Sal then kills himself. Pip, though, shakes up the investigation – along with her town – with her theories about the murder. Twists abound.
· For the student who loves religion and family: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger (2013). In this beautiful but tragic literary coming-of-age novel, Frank recounts his family’s story forty years earlier, a story that involves a murder in a rural Minesota town. Although riddled with grief, the novel carries with it a message of hope, faith and love, by the grace of God.
· For the Greek mythologist or adventure seeker: The Lightning Thief by Percy Jackson (2005) – A classic, fantasy novel series that brings Greek mythology into modern times. If your child has already read this one, there are a total of seven books in the series, and they are beloved!
· For the old soul: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) – With the recent re-release of this movie from 2005, reading the classic novel on which it is based would be a timely choice. A fairytale romance with humor and obvious staying power (and no murder).
· For the scientist or dinosaur lover: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (1990) – If your child is science-y, then this cult classic could be a good pick, where dinosaurs run amok at a theme park in their honor, but where things also go horribly wrong.
· For the trivia collector or budding doctor: Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green (2025) – Your child likely already knows John Green because he wrote The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, and he is a creator of Crash Course. Here, though, with a just-released nonfiction story, Green shares how tuberculosis has become a disease of poverty through healthcare inequities. Sounds dry, but it’s not! This book is a powerful read told through a compelling narrative with a young child Henry from Sierra Leone at its center. A great choice for a student who might be interested in medicine.
· For the nonconformist: Dead Poet’s Society by NH Kleinbaum (1989) – In this case, the movie preceded the book, but your child may not have seen it yet, and this story is worth the read! A secret club at a boarding school where boys strive to follow their own individuality . . . we have a whole generation of students right now who could feed off of this inspiration!
· For the hopeless romantic: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez (2024) – Abby Jimenez is a great romance writer and a Food Network Cupcake Wars champion! This particular not-too-spicy title need not be read within its series (Part of Your World Series). Jimenez’s modern-day romances are smart, funny, and relationship-focused, so they always entertain.
· For the sports enthusiast or horse lover: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand (1999) – If your child loved Unbroken, I think this is Hillenbrand’s better nonfiction title! A biography about the thoroughbred racehorse, this true story of Seabiscuit’s unlikely success beating the then-Triple Crown winner will win your heart.