Summer Reading

Labor Day and Summer reading go hand in hand. This week-end in the United states is the last holiday week-end of the summer. Its origin was to celebrate labor and give everyone a day of rest. In some parts of the United States, where the weather turns cold, it was the last big holiday before school started. However, now with home schooling, year round schools, etc. its simply a holiday week-end. When I was a girl Labor Day meant back to school and summer and fun was really over. It meant no more swimming in the ocean and playing outside. What I loved most about summer was that I could read any book. There wasn’t  a teacher’s list to adhere to. The best part of about no list was that you could go to the library and choose any book or books you wanted. Now, I understand that children do receive lists to read specific books over the summer for the schools that are not year round. That is sad as children should be given the opportunity to read their choices and expand their interests by reading challenging books.  Summer reading should be about finding new interests and new ideas or even reading stories that will give you a different perspective of what life was during a specific period in history.  When I wrote the Good Gus Series, I wrote about the old west.  I chose Pecos, Texas as in the 1800’s it was a beautiful town with endless possibilities.  I did research so that when I wrote about events in history that boys and girls would learn about life in the old west.  I developed a variety of characters in the series, constantly adding new ones, so that the children by reading, would make new friends and keep the old ones.  When your children have a break from school or a holiday please consider introducing them to the Good Gus Series.