Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.

John Lubbock

Last year when I published our "get ready for summer" newsletter in May, I got a few gentle notes from subscribers in the south letting me know I was too late - school was already out or nearly out in their region. It's hard up here in Maine to imagine summer in April, when we still have a bit of snow on the ground. Yet it's already time to prepare students for their weeks away from us, especially if we want them to get in a mindset of looking forward to thoughtful reading and writing during those lazy, restful days ahead. While the timing of the school year close may vary from May to nearly July in the U.S. (with year-round schools having no extended break at all), we all share the goal of finding creative ways of helping students get hooked on books and writing while they are away.

This week, we've got a booklist of read-alouds for the last weeks of school to get everyone in the mood for summer fun. Plus summer web resources for parents, colleagues, and kids. Enjoy!

Brenda Power

Editor, Choice Literacy

www.choiceliteracy.com

Free for All

Franki Sibberson finds after a long winter she is eager for summer, and to celebrate the fun routines of the season with her students. Her booklist of read-alouds with summer themes includes favorite characters, a couple new titles hot off the press, and some picture books with gorgeous illustrations:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/597.cfm

Reading Rockets never disappoints with their resource compilations - their weblinks for summer reading preparation include tips, booklists, and research summaries:

http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/summer#booklists

Join us in Oregon, Ohio, or Maine for this summer's Choice Literacy Workshops. Featured presenters include Aimee Buckner, Karen Szymusiak, "The Sisters," Franki Sibberson, Jennifer Allen, Ruth Shagoury, and Andie Cunningham. All participants receive DVDs to use in study groups or staff meetings back home:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/department22.cfm

For Members Only

From the Choice Literacy Archives, "Jumpstarting Students' Summer Reading" includes a series of spring activities for classroom teachers and libraries to prepare students for sustained independent reading all summer long. The feature includes a downloadable student planning template:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/345.cfm

Last Words and Next Steps are two very simple activities for closure at final study groups, grade-level team gatherings, and mentor meetings. These quick ice-breakers or closing moments can also give literacy leaders insight into professional development needs for planning purposes:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/349.cfm

Finally, Andie Cunningham's "Honor Books" are a wonderful closure activity for linking home and school before the end of the year gets too cramped with activities. Families contribute thoughts on what they love best about their children, and teachers compile the books with their own happy remembrances of literacy learning from each child:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/149.cfm

That's all for this week!