While we don't pretend that these young readers represent a cross-section of American youth, they are a diverse group. They range in age from 7 to 17, they live in communities scattered from the southwest to the country's midsection, and their interests wide ranging, from sports to creative writing. They don't like to be pressured to read during the summer. Contrary to what many parents and educators believe, young readers say they retain their skills over the summer vacation-and gain even more literacy skills when they spend time with books.
Summer reading can bridge the end of one school year and the beginning of the next.