Summer Reading Books for Fathers and Teenagers 2010
Finding just the right books for your teens to read this summer is often a difficult task for a father. So many books are out there, but not all include things dads feel comfortable for their teens to read. This list will help you find some great books for teenagers to read this summer. And you might enjoy getting an extra copy for you to read along. Reading the same book as your teenager can stimulate some great conversations over the summer.
Some of my kids' favorite books have involved a new way to look at history. Thomas B. Allen is one of our favorite writers, and this book does not disappoint. Breaking new historical ground, Mr Lincoln's High-Tech War explores how Lincoln came to understand, value, and use the modern technology of the time to make a difference in the ability of the Union Forces to win the Civil War.More »
Another fascinating look into American History, Written in Bone uses current forensic technology to explore everyday life in Colonial Jamestown and to uncover mysteries associated with the rise and demise of this difficult chapter in American History. If your kids love C.S.I. and history, this book will captivate them.More »
A bit more modern look at history, Hurricane Song takes a look at the story of one family's experience with Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. In this story, Miles (16), his father and his uncle try to leave town after Katrina hits but their car breaks down. They end up in the Superdome with so many others who were stranded in the hurricane ravaged community. It is a realistic look at the challenges of the Superdome survivors, but with the realism comes some fairly explicit language not appropriate for younger or more sensitive children.More »
Malcolm Gladwell is one of the most popular business and leadership authors in America today, and has written books like Blink and The Tipping Point. In The Outliers, Gladwell relates the background of some extraordinarily successful people to see what traits and characteristics they developed as young people that led them to success. This is a great book to read with your teen and explore what needs to happen in their lives to achieve personal success.More »
A book your teen daughters will especially enjoy, God of Animals tells the story of Alice and her father as they try to keep the family's horse ranch out of foreclosure by boarding horses that are owned by wealthy neighbors. Alice learns the hard way about the pressures of adult life, but finds that hard work and determination can pay off. God of Animals teaches a lot about family values and how they apply in a real-world situation.More »
This is a book that was a bit disturbing but thought-provoking. Set some time in the future, Hunger Games tells about a time when the United States has collapsed and a people ravaged by war and natural disasters struggle to regroup and regain some semblance of order. Each year, two teenagers from each of the twelve districts of this new country are brought together for a televised reality show called the Hunger Games, in which they compete for their very lives. Reminiscent of the Christians and the Lions competitions of early Rome, the Hunger Games test the mettle of the protagonists Katniss and Peeta as they work to conquer their enemies.More »
One of our family's favorite books, Left to Tell relates the graphic story of Immacule Illibagiza who survives the Rwandan genocide as a teenage girl. The story is compelling and illustrates the power of faith and determination in the face of nearly impossible odds. We had the opportunity to meet Immacule a couple of years ago, and have read her story several times in different settings.More »
If your kids love baseball, then they will love The Girl Who Threw Butterflies. Six months after her father’s death in a car accident, Molly decides to try out for the boys’ baseball team. Her dad had taught her the fine art of pitching knuckleballs, so she makes the team and stands up for her gender, her father's memory and her love of the sport.More »
1. Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War
Some of my kids' favorite books have involved a new way to look at history. Thomas B. Allen is one of our favorite writers, and this book does not disappoint. Breaking new historical ground, Mr Lincoln's High-Tech War explores how Lincoln came to understand, value, and use the modern technology of the time to make a difference in the ability of the Union Forces to win the Civil War.More »
2. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland
Another fascinating look into American History, Written in Bone uses current forensic technology to explore everyday life in Colonial Jamestown and to uncover mysteries associated with the rise and demise of this difficult chapter in American History. If your kids love C.S.I. and history, this book will captivate them.More »
3. Hurricane Song
A bit more modern look at history, Hurricane Song takes a look at the story of one family's experience with Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. In this story, Miles (16), his father and his uncle try to leave town after Katrina hits but their car breaks down. They end up in the Superdome with so many others who were stranded in the hurricane ravaged community. It is a realistic look at the challenges of the Superdome survivors, but with the realism comes some fairly explicit language not appropriate for younger or more sensitive children.More »
4. The Outliers: the Story of Success
Malcolm Gladwell is one of the most popular business and leadership authors in America today, and has written books like Blink and The Tipping Point. In The Outliers, Gladwell relates the background of some extraordinarily successful people to see what traits and characteristics they developed as young people that led them to success. This is a great book to read with your teen and explore what needs to happen in their lives to achieve personal success.More »
5. God of Animals
A book your teen daughters will especially enjoy, God of Animals tells the story of Alice and her father as they try to keep the family's horse ranch out of foreclosure by boarding horses that are owned by wealthy neighbors. Alice learns the hard way about the pressures of adult life, but finds that hard work and determination can pay off. God of Animals teaches a lot about family values and how they apply in a real-world situation.More »
6. Hunger Games
This is a book that was a bit disturbing but thought-provoking. Set some time in the future, Hunger Games tells about a time when the United States has collapsed and a people ravaged by war and natural disasters struggle to regroup and regain some semblance of order. Each year, two teenagers from each of the twelve districts of this new country are brought together for a televised reality show called the Hunger Games, in which they compete for their very lives. Reminiscent of the Christians and the Lions competitions of early Rome, the Hunger Games test the mettle of the protagonists Katniss and Peeta as they work to conquer their enemies.More »
7. Left to Tell
One of our family's favorite books, Left to Tell relates the graphic story of Immacule Illibagiza who survives the Rwandan genocide as a teenage girl. The story is compelling and illustrates the power of faith and determination in the face of nearly impossible odds. We had the opportunity to meet Immacule a couple of years ago, and have read her story several times in different settings.More »
8. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies
If your kids love baseball, then they will love The Girl Who Threw Butterflies. Six months after her father’s death in a car accident, Molly decides to try out for the boys’ baseball team. Her dad had taught her the fine art of pitching knuckleballs, so she makes the team and stands up for her gender, her father's memory and her love of the sport.More »
9. If the Witness Lied
A tense but well written mystery thriller, If the Witness Lied tells the story of three teenage siblings left orphans by the "accidental" death of their father who uncover the plans of their new guardian to sell them out to a reality television program and also uncover clues that suggest that their father's death may have been no accident. A real page turner for your teenagers that will keep them enthralled in the story all the way to the climax.More »
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