School's out, but along with that final report card, most kids brought home an assignment: Do a little reading this summer. Some, like Libby Green, a rising fourth grader at St. Philip's School in Coral Gables, don't need a reminder.

''During the school year I read The Mysterious Benedict Society (by Trent Lee Stewart), and the sequel just came out, so I'm going to read that first,'' said Libby, who had already surveyed her school's suggestions and picked Polly Horvath's Everything On a Waffle, just for the title. ``My brother eats chocolate chip waffles, so I'm wondering what it would be like to eat a waffle that had everything on it.''

Not every summer reader is as eager as Libby. The charms of school-assigned summer reading often seem to decline in inverse relation to age: the older a student, the less appealing the selections.

''Most of the books I haven't ever heard of,'' Bethany Ingham said of her reading list. The rising freshmen at the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart had heard of one -- Dead Man Walking by Helen Prejean. ''I know there was a film made of it, but I like to read the book before I see the film, so I'll read that one first,'' she said. After that? ``I've literally got a stack on my bedside table that I'm going to try to get through this summer.''

While many students face reading lists, we also believe in having fun with books. Here are some selections my kids and I have enjoyed this year. Think of these as the yin to go with the yang of the reading you're required to do.

BEST SERIES FOR BOYS

WHO THINK BOOKS

ARE BORING

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (Hyperion, $17.99, ages 10-up). Percy Jackson's fourth summer at Camp Half-Blood is a lot like his first three -- high-octane clashes with dark forces, laced with hip humor and high drama. (And the zippy review of Greek mythology makes these books summer reading a teacher can love.) This time, the Olympians find themselves lost inside Daedalus' maze.

Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks (Harcourt, $17, ages 12-up). This follow-up to last year's Evil Genius , starring computer prodigy Cadel Piggot, is as tough to put down as the original.

Whirlwind by David Klass (Farrar Straus and Giroux, $17.95, ages 10-up). This nonstop action-adventure story picks up where last year's cliffhanger Firestorm left off. After saving the world's oceans, 17-year-old Jack Danielson must now save his girlfriend -- and the world's rain forests. Truly intelligent storytelling for teens.

FAIRY TALES RETOLD

Ever by Gail Carson Levine (HarperCollins, $16.99, ages 10-up). The only daughter of a wealthy, devout family in an ancient (vaguely) Middle Eastern city is willing to become a sacrifice to her family's god, Admat, until she falls in love with Olus, another god, and one she doesn't believe in. Levine's mythological tale works as a romance and a discussion starter on religion and faith.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (Viking, $18.99, ages 12-up). The heroine of Dessen's eighth young-adult novel is a modern Cinderella stand-in who gets the prince, the castle and a sparkling new wardrobe -- and isn't remotely interested in any of them.

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Houghton Mifflin, $16, ages 12-up). Ben, (short for Benevolence) is orphaned when the king (her uncle) and her parents are slain by unknown assassins. Suddenly heir to the throne of Montagne, she's now directly under the thumb of Queen Sophia, who expects Ben to comport herself as a future monarch with dance lessons, embroidery and dieting. Lots of friction, followed by a fairy-tale ending.

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@