That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings

are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone.

You belong.

― F. Scott Fitzgerald

When I was growing up, my neighborhood library held the “Super Summer Reading Program.” I so fondly recall weekly trips to the library with my Mom to pick up my stack of books and return home to swing on the porch hammock with a gripping mystery in hand. After each book read, I would carefully record the title in my log to turn in at the end of the summer for the great satisfaction of a list of 55 books conquered and a free pizza from the local pizzeria. When summer breezes blow, I yearn for books to take me away and for that time when leisure was abundant. Summertime is now a good opportunity for me to read for both pleasure and substance. There are many incredible resources for parents now though some are weighty and make us feel a bit overwhelmed by our critical role. Others though empower us with tools, strategies and great ideas and it is these that I find enjoyable reads and also, as I try out the strategies, significant contributors to my family’s happiness. My editor (the very Mom who took me to the library so many times) and I worked together to compose a summer reading list that fits these helpful descriptors. Read full post.