Summer reading. Reading lists.

[SteveDallas]

I understood junior high school much better after reading The Lord of the Flies.

Our school gives out very long lists (I'm talking 4-5 pages worth) of recommended books and asks the kids to read 2 or 3 (depending on grade) over the summer. While I understand the impulse (to try to make sure everybody at least touches a book over the summer), I'm not sure there's a point. Maybe I'm too cynical, but it seems to me that parents who'd let their kid go three months without reading a book unless it was assigned by the school, probably wouldn't follow up that aggressively on the school assignment.

Having said that I don't have a problem with the lists themselves. In my opinion they have a variety of subjects, and my kids have never had trouble picking out books they enjoyed from the lists. The whole process is lame but it's far from my biggest educational concern.