Principal's Guide | Contact Us     Summer 2007 – In This Issue:   • A Letter to Literacy Leaders   • Make Reading a Hot Topic this Summer   • Foster a Love of Reading with Booktalks   • Book Buzz: Sizzling Summer Reads Thank you for supporting Scholastic Book Fairs. Getting children interested in books is important beyond words. As you know, more than any other single skill, the ability to read – and read well – is crucial to success in education, citizenship, and life. Studies show that during the summer months children can lose some of their reading achievement gained during the school year. The good news is Scholastic Book Fairs has plenty of books, activities, and ideas to help you keep your students turning the pages all year long. This eNewsletter is chocked full of ready-made resources to help you create a Summer Reading Buzz at your school. Together, we can prevent the summer reading slide and make a positive difference in the lives of all children. Alan Boyko President, Scholastic Book Fairs   Copy-and-Share Resources to Use in Your Own Newsletters. • Tips to Keep Kids Reading All Summer Long • Books for Fun in the Sun • Day Trips for Book Lovers • Get to Know an Author Summer Reading Buzz: 'BEE'hold the Power of Books Summer is the perfect time to enjoy reading. The benefits kids gain from reading over the summer can endure for years to come. However, kids don’t always make the connection. The Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report™ reveals that interest in reading drops significantly after age eight. The number one reason kids cite for not reading more? They can’t find books they like to read. This is where Scholastic can help! Our Summer Reading Buzz Web site offers resources for parents, plus a safe online community for kids, where they can share book recommendations, chat with fellow book lovers, and create eCard book reviews and other activities that are sure to get them buzzing about books. Foster a Love of Reading with Booktalks   As a school principal, you have the ability to rally your staff and students around a wonderful idea: that reading, and sharing what we read through booktalking, will foster the formation and perpetuation of a remarkable community of readers – readers who read for meaning, who read to learn, who read for satisfaction, solace, and joy. Booktalking is a great way to promote recreational reading this summer, and it’s something you can start doing immediately. Here are some templates and tips to inspire enthusiastic, meaningful, and successful booktalks at your school.   Book Buzz: Sizzling Summer Reads If your best friend is a 6-foot 3-inch Cyclops disguised as a human, and your father is a Greek god, then saving the world should be easy, right? Guess again, mortal. Rick Riordan discusses his newest book Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, where action-adventure meets dramatic fantasy. Check out his author video.