Reading tips

As a lifelong educator, I'm inspired by the renewed enthusiasm for reading generated by last week's release of the final Harry Potter book. Reading ability is a prime predictor of success not only in school, but also in adults' vocational and professional lives. As we move into a more technology-driven economy, reading remains key in enabling children and adults to succeed. Other books which also excite children are:
• "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White. "Charlotte's Web" spins the tale of a pig named Wilbur who is befriended and saved by Charlotte, a media-savvy spider.
• "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl. The importance of family -- and chocolate -- are emphasized for a poor young boy named Charlie Bucket, whose dreams come true when he visits the chocolate factory of the eccentric Willy Wonka.
• "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis. This series of seven fantasy books borrows religious, mythological and fairy tale themes and sets them against the backdrop of a magic land of talking animals called Narnia. The series' first book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," tells the tale of four siblings who are transported to Narnia and are called on to help fulfill an ancient prophecy.
• "Holes" by Louis Sachar. In this book, which won the 1999 Newbery Medal for children's literature, the adventures of wrongly accused juvenile criminal Stanley Yelnats lead him to learn that hard work and accepting other people pay off in the end.
• "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson. This 1978 Newbery winner recounts a friendship between two lonely children whose combined imaginations create a magical land in the forest near their Virginia homes.
For more mature readers, books like "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien offer the same movie and book combination to help with reading motivation.