What Should My Child Read Next?

One thing that I have always loved about homeschooling is that it allows my kids the time to follow their reading passions.  The one thing that has always been a struggle is coming up with a list of books that matches their reading needs: similar author, similar theme, books in the same series, etc.

So in the event that other homeschoolers have experience similar situations, here are my suggestions for websites that will help you figure out - "What should my child read next?"

P.S.  And if your teen hasn't read The Hunger Games yet, they might want to hop on it before the movie debuts in March 2012.  In my opinion, there is nothing worse than trying to read a bestseller AFTER it has been turned into a major motion picture.   While there is alot of graphic content in this book (it's not for the feint-hearted) we read the series as a family read-aloud last winter.  My husband loved it.   My eldest son, who at the time was into a new computer game, opted out of our family reading and is now zipping through the series on his own.

                                                                                                                                                                  



The Book Seer
bookseer.com

Read a great book and wondering what to read next? Ask the famous bookseer for some advice.  I must confess that I like gimicky websites, so I guess that is why I found this one appealing.

Parental Book Review
http://sites.google.com/site/parentalbookreviews/about-us


This is a good website for parents that are looking to determine if a book is "kid-friendly".  While the reviewers do not support censorship, they do review books and rate the content with regards to: sex, violence, profanity, drugs, etc.  Of course the moral standards of each family are going to be different, so the reviewers caution you that their reviews should just be a starting point for book suggestions.  The goal of the website is to help people make informed decisions about what they are reading.

 

Common Sense Media
commonsensemedia.org

Good website for all ages.  I especially like that you can search for books according to the age (2-17) of the reader.  The folks on this websites strive to present ratings for each book with regards to:  educational value, positive message, violence, sex, bad language, etc.  They even provide suggested "talking points" to help you discuss the book with your child.  This feature would come in handy for any homeschoolers who participate in book groups.

In addition to books, the website can also be used to review: movies, televisions shows, games, music, and websites. 

whichbook
www.whichbook.net

This website allows you to customize reading needs by making four selections from content "sliders".  It uses the combinations you selected to suggest books that most closely match your needs.  You can even specify if you want books that are audio, ebooks, or in large print.

Kids Read
www.kidsreads.com
This is a good website for families with younger readers (elementary & middle school age).  The website provides parents with reading lists, series books, classic titles and the newest titles.  I especially like the specialty sections, like: Books for Boys, Books Into Movies, and New in Paperback.

 

Teen Reads
teenreads.com

An excellent site that will appeal to teenagers.  The website boasts book reviews, in-depth author profiles, and excerpts of the hottest new releases.