As the summer months continue on, the Florida Department of Education (DOE) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are teaming up and encouraging students to head outdoors and read. To further promote this initiative, the DOE created a 2010 recommended summer reading list, full of nature-based literature. The reading list is part of the DOE’s Just Read, Florida! mission.

“Reading outdoors is a great way to foster environmental stewardship in Florida’s students,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “By promoting literature focused on Florida’s diverse natural resources, we hope to harness students’ interest in academic success as well as environmental protection.”

Many of the books encourage travel as well, including Florida author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ Pulitzer prize-winning novel, The Yearling. After enjoying the book, families can visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park and enjoy the setting that inspired the book.

Other books on the list that encourage visits outside are:

Grades K-3: Pancakes for Breakfast by Tommie DePaola. Visit De Leon Springs State Park in De Leon Springs where you can make your own pancakes at the table.

Grades 4-5: The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. Visit Collier-Seminole State Park in Naples on the edge of the Everglades rich with Native American history.

Grades 6-8: Forever Forest by Kristin Joy-Pratt Serafini. Visit Homossassa Springs Wildlife State Park to learn about protection and conservation of Florida wildlife.

Grades 9-12: Southern Comforts: Rooted in a Florida Place by Sudye Cauthen. Visit Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida´s first state preserve and a National Natural Landmark.

Research shows that children who continue to read during the summer months are more likely to retain progress made throughout the school year. In addition to the summer reading list, DOE also recently partnered with the Department of State (DOS) and MetaMetrics, Inc. to launch ‘Find a Book,’ a search tool that identifies the appropriate books for each student’s reading level. This technology allows students and their families to personalize their book list according to preference and reading level.

Books are recommended for grades K through 12. In addition, for teens looking for something different to read, visit the ‘For Teens, by Teens: Teens Recommended Reading List’ to see books fellow students enjoy.

To ‘Find a Book,’ visit www.lexile.com/findabook
To download the summer reading list, visit www.justreadfamilies.org/summerreadinglist.pdf
To learn more about the program, visit www.justreadfamilies.org and www.justreadflorida.com