Costco Connection - June 2009

book
beat

Playing with words

How to keep
kids reading
during the
summer and
beyond

By Jo Perry

KIDS CHEER WHEN THE last day of school arrives, but parents worry that reading skills kids have built over the academic year will be lost over the summer. Researchers report that

the loss is especially severe for kids for whom reading is difficult. They suggest that by the time a struggling reader reaches middle school, summer reading losses will have accu-

mulated to a two-year lag in reading achievement. The same research offers good news, too: If kids read four to six books during the summer, their reading skills will be retained and even strengthened.

But how do you get kids to read? A mother I know came up with a surefire way to discourage reading when she paid her daughter a few cents per page to finish a book. Connect reading to work and it becomes drudgery to be avoided. Connect reading to the freedom and fun of play and it becomes a pleasure.

MEDIA BAKERY

Ilene Abramson, children’s services coordinator for the Los Angeles Public Library system, has spent 35 years thinking up ways to get kids of all ages and backgrounds to read. Above all she urges parents to “equate books with entertainment.” Abramson urges parents of very young children to make books “a part of regular playtime” and suggests exploring the stories, themes or characters with craft activities and puppets.

Abramson observes that even unenthusiastic readers can enjoy books when parents bring reading into everyday life. She suggests asking children to help you cook so they can read the recipes, and reading and discussing

Patricia Cornwell

DEADLY FORCE IS
BEHIND THE FRONT.

In a follow-up to her riveting bestseller At

Risk, Patricia Cornwell unleashes one of the best crime thrillers

Paperback

of her career. D. A.

onsalenow

Monique Lamont sends

Massachusetts investigator Win Garano into a small town on a mission—but he comes up against a band of unruly police o cers in The Front (Berkley).

IN THE DEEP, NO ONE
CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM.

The heroes of NUMA return in Medusa (G.P. Putnam’s Sons). Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala must crack a global case that leads to the discovery of a deadly pathogen—a virus that could cause worldwide devastation and millions of deaths. There are those who will kill anyone who stands in their way in their quest to get the virus,

and only Austin and Zavala and the rest of the NUMA Special Assignments Team can stop them in time. Clive Cussler and Paul

Kemprecos have created the ultimate series ofnautical adventuresin their ongoing series, and

Medusa is their most captivating and intense thrill ride yet!

COULTER DELIVERS
A ONE T WO PUNCH.

A young, frightened girl reaches out to the only person she can trust—an

FBI agent she has seen only on TV. That man is Dillon

Savich, and along with his partner,

Lacey

Sherlock, he’ll race to protect H ardcover available June16

the girl from falling prey to a savage, brutal monster in Knock Out (G. P. Putnam’s Sons). Unfortunately, the monster in question will stop at nothing to get her before she reveals the evil crimes he has committed. Savich and Sherlock join forces with local sheri Ethan Merriweather to protect her—but even that may not be enough.