Bookshare offers special summer reading lists for hours of enjoyment
The lazy days of summer are just around the corner, but before students trade backpacks and lunch boxes for swim suits and flip flops, make sure they have plenty of books to keep them reading throughout the summer.
Summer Road Trip Reading Lists are Here
The Bookshare team has hand-picked books for three special collections so members can take a virtual
voyage across the United States with Road Trip Reading Lists. Each collection has 102 titles containing two books for each state, plus Washington D.C., so you can read your way across the U.S. of A.
- Road Trip Books for Middle Grades – including The Danger Box set in Michigan or Dead End in Norvelt set in Pennsylvania
- Road Trip Books for Young Adults – including Skink–No Surrender set in Florida or Go Big or Go Home set in South Dakota
- Road Trip Books for Adults – including Pilgrim at Tinker Creek set in Virginia or Hidden in Plain View set in South Carolina
You can use the category filter to browse the collections by state. You can also subscribe to an entire list and access all of the books from your own Reading List.
And for young readers ages 5-10, Summer Fun for Young Readers features 20 books with gems like Steam Train, Dream Train and The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes.
Summer Reading Checklist for Teachers
Follow these steps to make sure your students can continue to use Bookshare on their own and build reading skills over the summer.
- Give students access at home (2 options)
- Student Login – students can log in and read books assigned by you
- Individual Membership – students can log in, find their own books, and read independently
- Set them up with a reading tool that works for them
- Assign books – choose books from the Summer Reading Lists or dozens of other lists
Tips to Encourage Summer Reading
Students who have reading barriers often need extra encouragement to read. Here are some
suggestions on ways to incorporate reading into everyday schedules:
- Listen to audiobooks in a hammock, blanket fort, or on a road trip
- Choose books from the summer reading lists about your state or a state you plan to visit this summer
- Encourage kids to read what their friends are reading with help from TTS and word highlighting
- Download all the books in a series by a favorite author to solve the problem of what to read next
- Try “popcorn” or apprentice reading with a friend or family member – take turns reading passages aloud
- Try side-by-side silent reading (adults: turn off the TV and model independent reading) – you might be surprised at the quality and depth of YA fiction
- Host an informal book club (with snacks!)
- Encourage “free-range” reading – kids have the freedom to choose what, where and when to read
- Read purely for enjoyment – no quizzes, book reports, or vocabulary tests
- Share favorite books on social media like @teenreads or #shelfies
Share Your Favorite Books
Tell us about your favorite books on Twitter or Facebook. Which states did you visit on your virtual road trip? Which books do you recommend and why?
Can a child with Down syndrome , qualify for membership to Bookshare?
Andrea:
The eligibility categories are defined by copyright law. Anyone with a disability that interferes with reading standard print material qualifies for Bookshare, as long as they provide proof of disability signed by a competent authority (teacher, doctor, etc.). That includes learning disabilities like dyslexia, visual impairments, and physical disabilities that prevent someone from holding a book. If the child with Down Syndrome has accompanying learning, visual, or physical disabilities, he or she would qualify. Here is more information: https://www.bookshare.org/cms/bookshare-me/who-qualifies. You can call Customer Support if you have additional questions: 650-352-0198 Hours: M-F 9-5 Pacific Time