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Reading Suggestions for the Summer "Reading helps your seeds of knowledge grow"

A recent study by Stanford researchers found that, "Reading fluency among second-and-third-graders is roughly 30% behind what would be expected in a typical year" (Spector, 2021). Click below to learn more.....

Why is reading SO important?

Reading Expands the Mind: For starters, reading helps to expand the mind and gives us more ideas. Reading has been proven to keep our minds young, healthy and sharp. Reading also develops the imagination and allows us to dream and think in ways that we would have never been able to before (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

Reading Allows for Creative Thinking: Another one of the many reasons why reading is important is that it allows for creative thinking. Reading can inspire you when you are feeling bored, down or in a rut. It can help give you that very needed pick-me-up without having to search too far for it. Reading helps get the creative side of your brain thinking, unlike television that really does not use much creative brain power (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

Reading Helps Improve Concentration: Reading can train our mind how to focus properly, which is invaluable in nearly everything we do on a daily basis — whether it be as we study or even in our careers and in our personal relationships. We could all benefit from practicing our concentration skills (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

Reading Can Give You A Greater Perspective: Reading can take us outside of our closed-off bubble, allowing us to see a different view on the world, one outside of our own. Reading is a chance to live through the lives of others without stepping outside of our comfort zone or even traveling anywhere else. It’s a chance to live another life without even leaving your home. It will transport our imagination to places we’ve never been before, and perhaps never even knew existed (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

Reading Can Help You Destress: Sometimes, there’s no need to spend lots of money on professionals and programs to achieve a sense of calm, and a simple book can solve everything. Reading is the ideal way to relax and calm those anxious nerves that are constantly at work. In fact, a recent study found that a mere six minutes of reading was shown to reduce muscle tension, and slowed down the heart rates of readers as well. Overall, it reduced stress levels by an impressive 68 percent. If this isn’t enough to convince you of the importance of reading, then we don’t know what will! (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

Reading Can Provide A Sense Of Belonging: If you are ever feeling a little lonely or lost, a book can also be your best friend. It may sound kind of silly, but it couldn’t be more true, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all been there, and we could all use a good read and some comfort. Reading gives us a sense of hope during tough times, reminding us that we are not alone. Reading about others who also went through a hard time and managed to face their challenges can serve as a real inspiration. If they can get through it, then so can you! Sometimes, a good book is exactly what we need to keep on going (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

Reading Is A Great Conversation Starter: Reading provides you with a great deal of new information, and can connect people from all over the world. Regardless of where two people may be from, if they’ve read the same book, it will always connect these two people together. You never really know when a book that you read will come in handy in conversation (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

Reading Can Help Increase Your Vocabulary: Saying new words out loud helps you better recall them and pick them up, making these new words part of your own daily vocabulary. Those with a higher vocabulary are considered to be more intelligent, and are often taken more seriously in a work setting, which can open up better career opportunities (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

Reading Improves Writing Skills: Reading a well-written book affects your ability to become a better writer. Just like artists influence others, so do writers. Many successful authors gained their expertise by reading the works of others. Kids who learn to read also tend to develop better writing skills (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

It’s safe to say that reading can change your life for the better, and the importance of reading is undeniable. If you think that you hate reading books, then perhaps you just have yet to find the genre for your own personal style — but keep trying, and keep searching for what’s right for you. A book is one of the most powerful things in the world, offering you new opportunities to learn, grow and be inspired! (All the reasons to read: It’s important, 2019).

E-Books and Audio Books

  1. Install the Sora app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or go to soraapp.com.
  2. In Sora, find Homewood Middle School, then sign in using your HMS Google credentials.
  3. Browse the Explore tab to borrow a book. Your book will open, and you can start reading right away.
  4. Close the book to go to your Shelf to see all your books. From there, you can tap "Open Book" or "Open Audio book" to read or listen to the book. Tap "Options" to return or renew the book, get to your notes and highlights, and more.

Tips!

  • Tip #1: Add the Jefferson County Library Cooperative as your public library for access to the Homewood Public Library's collection, using your HMS Google credentials--no library card needed!
  • Tip #2: Set your Preferences to search by audience if you want to filter out elementary books and only see Juvenile/Young Adult books.

**These videos were made by Ms. Upton at the HHS Library. Be sure that when you are following along, you click on "Homewood Middle School."

Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything. —Tomie dePaola

Summer Reading~Book Suggestions!

Click the box below for 33 of the top middle grade books from Goodreads!
Click the box below for some great summer reading suggestions!
Click the boxes below for more summer reading suggestions!
This is a great website to help you find books like the ones you've read before! Give it a try!

Join in the fun with the "Teen Summer Series" + the "Virtual Reading Challenge" brought to you by the Homewood Public Library

(2 GRAND PRIZEs of $150.00!!)

Reading is our thing!

Have a very happy and safe summer! Keep reading! We can't wait to hear all the places you've gone through the books you've read :) Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Happy Reading! ~ Ms. Thrash (cthrash@homewood.k12.al.us)

Cited Sources

ala - Google Search. [photograph]. (2011). Retrieved May 21, 2020, from Google.com website: https://www.google.com/search?

All the reasons to read: It’s important. (2019, September 8). Why Is Reading Important and the Reasons to Become a Bookworm. Retrieved from https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/why-its- important-to-read/

Importance of reading | Young Readers Foundation. (2018). Retrieved from https://youngreadersfoundation.org/importance-of-reading/

New Stanford study sheds light on how much learning young students have lost during stages of the pandemic. (2021, March 10). Stanford Graduate School of Education. https://ed.stanford.edu/news/new-stanford-study-sheds-light-how-much-learning-young-students-have-lost-during-stages#:~:text=and%20Literacy%20%7C%20Teaching-,New%20Stanford%20study%20sheds%20light%20on%20how%20much%20learning%20young,expected%20in%20a%20typical%20year.&text=Second%2D%20and%20third%2Dgraders%20were,most%20affected%2C%20the%20study%20found.

Read right now: Great books to hunker down with in 2018 | The Takeaway | WNYC Studios. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/read-right-now-great-books- hunker-down-january

Recent updates | Goodreads. (2020). Retrieved May 21, 2020, from Goodreads.com website: https://www.goodreads.com/

Silvana Reyes Lopez. (2020, January 14). 33 of the Top Middle Grade Books on Goodreads | Book Riot. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from BOOK RIOT website: https://bookriot.com/2020/01/14/top-middle-grade-books/

What should I read next? Book recommendations from readers like you. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

Created By
Casey Thrash
Appreciate

Credits:

goodreads - Google Search. (2011). Retrieved May 21, 2020, from Google.com website: https://www.google.com/search? book riot - Google Search. (2011). Retrieved May 21, 2020, from Google.com website: https://www.google.com/search? homewood public library - Google Search. (2011). Retrieved May 21, 2020, from Google.com website: https://www.google.com/search? (“good reads - Google Search,” 2011)