Students might not enrich their minds inside a classroom over summer break, but that doesn’t mean enrichment can’t be found in one of the original 24-7 tools for learning: books.
Be it on a Kindle, Nook, iPad, or the printed page, books keep students’ minds stimulated, encourage creativity and innovation, and allow for higher-order thinking.
The trick is to find books that not only provide educational value through themes such as self-discovery, culture, social mores, feminism, and political activism, but also to find books that inspire students to keep reading.
With the help of school library listings and literary awards, eSchool News compiled this list of 10 books (listed in alphabetical order) for high school summer reading.
1. Bluefish
Author: Pat Schmatz
Why it’s important: Focuses on the importantance of literacy, as well as having teachers as mentors and taking an interest in learning, all while overcoming personal obstacles.
Summary: Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of passing when he’s called on to read out loud. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take “pass” for an answer–a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own.
Awards/Notes: 2012 Notable Children’s Book
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