When summer vacation rolls around, parents are often at a loss as to what to suggest to their kids to read. On a recent visit to a sixth-grade class, the kids were more than happy to tell me all of the books that they had read and loved. As a result, I had a list of over 75 titles! I will not post them all here, but here are the top books that were recommended over and over:

The Chronicles of Nick by Sherillyn Kenyon
The first book in the series is Infinity. Nick Gautier is a regular kid starting high school, only to find out that his world is not what it seems. The captain of the football team is really a werewolf and his crush is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer type. Yikes! Before he knows what is happening, he is pulled into the world of the Dark Hunters and finds himself trying to save humanity from evil. For lovers of the vampires and reruns of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv show, this series is funny, fast-moving and captures readers from the first page.

Maximum Ride by James Patterson
The first book in this series is Maximum Ride, The Angel Experiment.
Known as "Max" to her friends, Maximum Ride can fly. This makes her a target for the wolf-humans whose favorite meal is flying humans. This fast-moving adventure series is a favorite with boys especially. James Patterson does not disappoint. His writing is as gripping as the adult novels that he creates.

Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Mia has a very unique ability to see colors attached to sounds, numbers and letters. She has successfully hidden this ability from everyone until now. Revealing it makes her feel like an outcast. Trying to figure out who she is takes her on a trip inside herself and perhaps will cause her to lose something very special in order to figure out who she is. Recommended for girls in transition from childhood to tween/teen, a beautiful story, well-written and thoughtful.

Warriors Series by Erin Hunter
In this series, cats rule the page. Wild cat clans have shared the forest until now. One of the clans has become stronger and more evil, leaving the rest to begin to worry about their safety. In an action-packed adventure series, kids love to imagine what their family cat might be up to when not watched!

Enjoy!