First, I love this blogging idea!  It will be a great resource for book ideas for the whole family.  I loved the 5th grade post about where they like to read.  For my family, we all do most of our reading in bed at the end of each day.  So, when I saw the post about the bookshelves, I decided to take pictures of all of the nightstands in our house.

My 12  year old son also reads on his Kindle.  Currently he is reading “Al Capone Does my Shirts” by Gennifer Choldenko.  This is a story of a boy whose father’s new job as a prison guard at Alcatraz means a move to a new place.  The main character, Moose, has to take care of his autistic sister, make new friends and deal with a girl named Piper who lures him into a scheme that involves collecting laundry from classmates for Al Capone to launder at the prison!

My 10 year old daughter is reading Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell.  We are reading this aloud together and it is a great story about a young girl left by her tribe on an island.  She has to learn to survive on her own.  Great adventure for girls or boys!  She also reads a magazine she got from the Easter Bunny and keeps a journal in which  to write her own stories.

My 8 year old is in the top bunk.  He is reading the Guardians of Ga’hoole series.  I love a good series to get through the summer.  This one involves a community of owls that are kidnapped and enslaved by an evil owl for some reason.  Too complicated for me to follow, but my kids really got INTO this series, so it must be good for them!

The bottom bunk belongs to the 2 ½ year old who sneaks out of it as fast as possible as soon as I leave the room after tucking him in.  Before that, though, our bedtime routine includes reading some books together.  Currently, his go-to bedtime story is Grover Sleeps Over.  He furrows his brow every time the part about Grover’s mommy leaving him comes up and he snuggles a little closer.  I guess he is not ready for sleepovers!

Lastly, The dresser next to my bed always holds my kindle.  Currently, I’m reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.  It is a WWII era story set in New York City.  Joseph,  young cousin of 18 year old Sam arrives in the middle of the night having seemingly escaped Nazi occupied Prague.  The story of both young men unfolds as they get to know each other while pursuing the publishing of their comic book.  Honestly, it has been a challenge to get into this book but it is an interesting story.  You’ll also notice other distractions on my bedside table:  a current events magazine, a book I’m planning to read with the kids (Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet) and my ipad.

Looking forward to hearing about what other families are reading this summer!  Thanks for setting up the blog.

- Shelley Titzer