Summer Reading List for Dads and Middle School Children 2010

I am a sucker for historical biography, and my kids have loved reading inspiring stories from history with me. Bad News for Outlaws is the story of former slave Bass Reeves, who became the first black U.S. Marshall, and courageously defended territorial law in the American West.  This is an incredible story full of adventure and that effectively chronicles life in the early history of the United States.

A bit of a coming of age story, Double Eagle tells the tale of Mike, age 13, who is spending the summer of 1973 with his father on a small island off Alabama.  In the bay, a salvage ship is looking for treasure, and Mike's curiousity about their adventure gets the better of him.  Mike and his friend Kyle make a surprising discovery at a nearby old fort, and the salvagers are not happy.  This is a very entertaining story about a young teenage boy who gets into a bit of intrigue over his summer vacation.

Miri lives with her father and sister in a remote mountain area in their kingdom. When the prince's royal adviser prophesy that his bride will be from the mountain, the village elders create a school to train the local girls on everything they will need to know in order to be a princess. But does Miri really want to leave her family and mountain home and marry a prince who is a total stranger to her?  The tween girls in your family will love The Princess Academy.

Fablehaven is a sanctuary for mystical creatures and is one of the last places of true magic in a cynical world.  Fablehaven tells the story of Kendra and her brother Seth whose grandfather is the caretaker of Fablehaven.  They have adventure after adventure as they fight the forces of darkness that threaten to destroy Fablehaven.  One of the best of the current fantasy genre of books, this one teaches some remarkable values in an engaging way.  If your children are into fantasy books, this is one of the best around.

The Giver is the classic tale of Jonas, who lives in a perfect world with no poverty, crime, unemployment, or sickness.  His mother works for the Department of Justice and his father takes care of the family at home.  Jonas is assigned by his leaders to be the Receiver of Memories as his life's work, so he catalogs all the emotions and memories of all the people in the community that they gave up to retain the illusion of social order.  Jonas comes to realize that his people gave up their freedom and their ability to remember the past in order to have their "perfect world." A thought provoking book about the philosophical between order and freedom, this book will promot lots of discussion when read together.

I know this dates me, but I grew up as a big fan of the Dodgers and Sandy Koufax.  His story is really quite amazing and inspiring, and it is time for a current generation of baseball fans to have another look at the life and achievements of this remarkable baseball player. 

This is a great book if your tween is into marine biology and life beneath the ocean. The photography is amazing and the authors cover their experiences in the depths of see, learning about marine life. You and the kids will marvel at what you see in this beautiful book about the depths of the ocean.

An elementary science project gives Oliver the confidence to break free from his overprotective parents and his common life in this humorous, realistic school story.