Books to Keep Kids Reading Over the Summer

Friday is here again and for Flashback Friday I have a book that I just loved when I first read it.  It was one of those stories that my son begged me to read because he couldn’t stop talking about it and frankly I felt the same way after I finished.  Despite being written in the 1980’s, it has stayed amazingly current and relevant for today.  To top it off the action is nonstop, making it a can’t put down read.

Now for my summer reading tip.  Books on Tape!  There I said it.  When you have road trips coming up, why not download something for the car ride?  My kids and I recently went to Disneyland and I downloaded Frindle by Andrew Clements on my phone.  They were actually visibly disappointed when it was over and had to go back to their video games!  Another favorite of my husband and myself from previous trips is The Twits by Roald Dahl.  I think we got just as caught up in the story as the kids.  Just make sure you get the full versions and not the abridged.

Don’t forget to Follow One Great Book on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or by email so that you don’t miss a single book from the past that will keep them reading in the present.

Title: Ender’s Game
Author: Orson Scott Card
 
Target: Grades 6 and up
 
Series: Yes
What this book is about:
Earth has defeated an attack from an alien species.  In an attempt to stop future attacks, they have sent ships across the galaxy to try and neutralize the threat.  However, they need to groom a great leader to defeat these aliens.  Ender Wiggins is the earth’s great hope.  He is strategic, brilliant, ruthless when he needs to be – and only six years old.  He is taken from his family and sent to battle school to be molded into the hero Earth desperately needs.  But will battle school train him or break him?
Why I love this book:
This is a great book.  Ok …. did you hear me?  Just in case you missed it, this is a great book!  I have no idea why it took me so long to read it, despite the pleas of my son.  I knew I needed to get it under my belt, but now I am just mad it took me so long!
The development of Ender as a leader is fascinating.  The battle games they play in zero gravity at battle school had me on the edge of my seat.  The reaction to Ender’s brilliance and the threats to his well being had me off balance throughout the story.  This is a can’t put down book in the best possible way.
Who this book is for:
Kids who like dystopian books, especially series such as Maze Runner will love this story.  I do have to warn parents that there is some bad language, although it isn’t rampant.  There are also some mature references, and some violence, so be warned if you have younger kids.  Grade six is the earliest I would recommend it based on these things.
Final thoughts:
Ender’s Game combines powerful messages about war and forgiveness with an incredibly engaging story.  Despite the fact that this book was first published in 1985, it remains current and relevant.
To purchase this book:
Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Ender’s Game. A portion of each purchase goes to support this blog at no cost to you.   Thank you for your support.

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