Summer Reading Contest Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of our Summer Reading contests! Remember, there’s still time to enter in the Top Children’s Audiobooks contest as well, so get those lists in!

Joan Cansdale motivates her students by letting them pick great titles for the incoming class. This is a great way to involve kids in the process:

This year, I plan to have my eighth graders draw up the list of recommended books for summer reading for the seventh graders, and the seventh graders will create the list for the sixth graders. Having some choice encourages students to find something they like, and knowing that the titles were recommended by other students makes it more interesting and acceptable. Also, the required titles I’ll assign relate to our first unit of study, so I give them a little background about that to pique their interest.

Lisa Erickson keeps in touch with her students over the summer, getting updates on their summer reading list. She also lets former students reach out to new students by showing off their work:

At the end of the school year I give students a blank postcard, addressed to me and stamped. I ask them to tell me about any great books they read over the summer. They should tell me about the book and then draw an illustration for the book on the front of the card. In the Fall when students return I create a bulletin board that my ex students come back and visit and my new students are motivated by.

Congratulations! I’ll be contacting each you soon so you can claim your prizes.