“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read.  One does not love breathing.”  -Harper Lee

It’s the end of school, which can only mean one thing: SUMMER! And, I know for me as a mom, the onset of summer means FUN. But, I have three sons, ages 12, 10, and 8 1/2, and each of their teachers turned them loose for the summer with the main instruction: READ. So the question always is how to combine the fun with reading, and to make reading fun?

Since our kids were very small, my husband and I have enjoyed reading to them each night, beginning with Dr. Seuss’s ONE FISH, TWO FISH. I think we all enjoy good stories, and sharing a book together. But, as our boys have grown, they’ve become their own kind of readers. Though now they all devour books, we’ve struggled through years of them not wanting to crack a book, as well.

I think there are two keys to getting our kids to enjoy reading:

1) Select GREAT stories with good and enjoyable writing.

2) Show them how we enjoy reading, also … by reading books, too.

But how do we find good books? Well, the internet has made selecting a good book easier, and harder. Bookstores have book people who love to read and recommend good books. The internet opens up a muddled range of books to read, but has helpful sites like GoodReads. com and others to help find books we enjoy. Regardless of how your find the books for your summer reading list, the number one way to find a good book is still word of mouth.

So last week at dinner, I brought up the idea for posting a blog about books boys would like to read.  And my boys were enthusiastic about helping me make a list of all of their favorite books.

Here, the top 10 books my boys choose to read again and again:

1) the Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling

2) the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

3) the Eragon series by Christopher Paolini

4) The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

5) the Tunnels series by Roderick Gordon

6) Diary of a Wimpy Kid and series by Jeff Kinney

7) the Wolf Brother series by Michelle Paver

8) the Star Wars series

9) the Erec Rex series by Kaza Kingsley

10) the Artemis Fowl series byEoin Colfer

And, if you have younger sons, try Roald Dahl’s books (which are hilarious!), the Mr. Gum books (also hysterical), Beast Quest, the Secrets of Droon, Animorphs, Scooby Doo books, and the Magic Tree House series.

One final note, of my personal favorite book for girls and boys age 6 to 12 is Kate Dicamillo’s The Tale os Despereaux, an endearing and captivating tale of a sweet mouse and his escapades regarding a princess he loves and a dungeon of darkness.

Please, leave a comment and share the favorite middle grade books you and your kids enjoy … (we need more ideas for reading!). Thanks, and enjoy the summer with your kids!