The Wild Soccer Bunch & Summer Reading

Have I told you how much my girls read?  They are rabid readers.....no really, try to get a book from one of them and they probably would growl and nip and start foaming at the mouth.  In all seriousness, though, books are an important part of our children's lives from the time they are born.  I hope your kids enjoy books as much as the girls.  If getting them to read is worse than getting them to eat their veggies, here are a few tips that work for us.

1. Make Reading Come Alive-Schedule activities and dinners around what your children are reading.  Have a daughter that loves Fancy Nancy and Tea Parties?  Have a Fancy Nancy Tea Party.  Have a son who loves soccer?  Make soccer cupcakes together.  Help your children make the magical connection between what they are reading and their life.
2. Make Reading Normal-Make reading a part of life for your family.  Let your kids see you reading the newspaper, make books readily accessible to your children,  read to your children, have your children take a book with them where every they go...make reading a part of their everyday life.
3. Reward Reading-Summer reading programs are everywhere.  Children can earn free books at Barnes and Noble, Boarders, and maybe their local library.  
4. Use the library-The library can be a family's best friend.  Your family has access to free or cheap CD, DVD's, Video Games, and books...lots and lots of books.  As interests change, you child will be able to find a wealth of books and periodicals to appeal to their interests.  Our girls love to wander the shelves looking for new or exciting books to read.  Plus, they have lots of programs that appeal to families.  
5. Find your child's interests-It doesn't matter if your child is reading Shakespeare or Poe, it only matters that they are reading.  If you child is a video game buff-help him choose a video game magazine.  If you daughter is a girly girl find princess and tea party books.  Have a sports star, how about a sports book...I have a great recommendation below.  When you child finds something that is important to him or her, he will be much more likely to read it.  Don't pick out books for them, guide them and let them choose what appeals to them.

Need a suggestion to get your son or daughter started with summer reading?  Try The Wild Soccer Bunch by Joachim Masannek and Jan Brick.  The Wild Soccer Bunch is a world wide phenomenon with more than 9 million books in print.  Now, the Wild Soccer Bunch has come to the US!!

From The Publisher: When the last of snow has finally melted, soccer season starts! Kevin the Star Striker and The Wild Soccer Bunch rush to their field. They have found that Mickey the bulldozer and his gang, The Unbeatables, have taken over. Kevin and his friends challenge the Unbeatables to the biggest game of their lives. Can the Wild Bunch defeat the Unbeatables, or lose their field of dreams forever? Can they do what no team has done before? 

Our Families Take:  Both Hannah and Emily read the Wild Soccer Bunch and just loved it.  They loved the team work and perseverance the Wild Soccer Bunch showed as they faced adversity. They loved the story of come backs and doing what no other team had been able to do before.  It is a very nice story and really had both of them eager to get back on the field and try to do their best in the hopes of one day getting the opportunity to do what no other team had done.  This was a quick read, but all in all it is an excellent book that will appeal to both boys and girls in the 8-12 year old range.  We highly recommend it.  To hear the what the girls thought, visit the new Girl's Point of View page located here.


Disclaimer: This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of myself. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way. However, for review purposes we did receive a copy of the book.