You know a new school year is gearing up when stores start stocking up with paper, pens, crayons, and backpacks. There's no better way to get your kids back in the routine of learning than reading a good book. There are plenty of "summer reading" programs to participate in (schools, libraries, etc.), or you can encourage your kids to read right from their own home.

My love for reading goes back to my childhood. I recall participating in the "summer reading" program at a small local library. There wasn't very many books to chose from, but I had a blast reading them.

Today, I'm teaming up with the Oriental Trading to feature a few fun products that I believe will encourage kids to read.



If you read a lot, then keeping track of each and every title you read might be a difficult task. Luckily, you can use the My Summer Reading Log booklet ($14.99 per dozen) to keep track of the titles of books you have read, minutes read, and whether you liked or disliked the book. Each 5" x 8" booklet has 27 pages featuring Summer Reading Log pages, as well as a "Draw a picture of something you've read about" page. The front cover has a spot where you put your name, and the back cover has a neat goal marker.



Not every kid is going to want to read a book, but there are was to encourage them to do so, such as giving them a Reading Reward Card (discontinued; 30 pieces per unit). The 4 1/2" x 3 1/2"card features a cute illustration of an owl reading a book. There are 20 small book illustrations on the card, which represents 20 books you have read. A parent or teacher can use a hole punch to punch a hole through each book illustration once a child/student has read one book. Once he or she gets a full card punched (aka - when you have read 20 books), you can reward the young reader with a gift (toy, book, candy, pizza, etc.).




There isn't a kid in the world who doesn't like stickers!  A fun way to reward a child/student for reading a book is to give them a nifty sticker. Oriental Trading has a wide variety of stickers to chose from, such as the Summer Reading Stickers ($2.49; 100 stickers per roll). The adorable stickers features summer-theme illustrations with cute sayings, such as "Chill Out And Read" and "Have A Ball With A Good Book!".

I'm sure by now that all my blog readers know that I'm somewhat of a bookworm, but you might be surprised that I'm not the biggest eBook reader. I prefer to have a physical book in my hands and be able to taken in the scent of the printed paper. Nevertheless, I do get several opportunities to review advanced copies of novels, which most are in eBook formats, which is one of the reasons why I own a Kindle.

Like I already said, I don't care for reading eBooks because I'm forced to sit in front of my computer to read a book. The good thing about a Kindle is that I can read the eBook anywhere I go. Now this is great for during the daytime hours, but the device is difficult to read late at night.

Earlier this summer, I was sent the Kandle Reading Light by Ozeri to test out and review. The device fits most Kindles as well as other eBook readers. The Kandle easily slips over the top of a Kindle. It features three small bright LED (lifetime) lights and an extended, adjustable & flexible neck. There are two different settings for the LED - soft light and ultra bright. It comes with 2 CR2032 batteries, a USB charging cable and a storage bag.

ISBN: 978-0-446-58377-0

When I saw the book titled the Reading Promise at the library in non-fiction section, I had to check it out. I can relate to the author and her father, as I love reading books. It was joy reading about “The Streak” and the life of Alice and her family. I recommend the book to all book lovers, you will not be disappointed.

Never overlook Salvation Army Family Thrift Stores, garage sales and flee markets. These are great places to get hard-to-find books. Sometimes the books are a little used, but they’re still readable. You can also find books that look brand new.

I have a particular Salvation Army that I go to frequently. Over the years I’ve found books by Eve Bunting, R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary and many other wonderful authors. Just last weekend, I found two Berenstain Bears books. I’m excited to find them because they take me back to my childhood years and they spark creativity in my writing. It’s a reminder of why I love writing in the first place - to create wonderful characters and stories that will be remembered by children.

I’m a writer who likes to keep books at hand. What do I mean by this? When I’m writing a children‘s story, I like to refresh my memory by reading a book that is at the age level that I’m writing for. If I’ve read several adult books in a row, my writing style seems to change a little when I go to write a children’s story. My words can become a little too big and a little too descriptive.