Big Book Summer

Summer 2026 was Big Book Summer for our children, aged 9 and 12. I’m firmly convinced that reading complex material with a high degree of understanding constitutes a superpower. (Especially in the workplace, but also for fun. There’s almost nothing I can’t teach myself from a book.) So I was thrilled when my youngest made the leap from mostly graphic novels to mostly chapter books, and from chapter books to really LONG chapter books.

What caught her attention, you ask? It all started with Millicent Quibb’s School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science. She read that one on my e-reader, without realizing how long it was (she tricked herself into not being intimidated by its length). Once she realized how long it was, she picked up the Front Desk series by Kelly Yang (recommended by the school librarian). She solidified her leap into big books with the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger.

Now, my tween started reading adult novels. I’ve been the one handing him these books, starting with (controversially, I’m sure) the Dungeon Crawler Carl books. I bet that A) most of the crude humor would go right over his head, B) he would love the action-packed nature of it, C) he would love Princess Donut with all his heart and that D) I wanted him to encounter some of the swear words it contains under my tutelage (when you can use them, when you can’t — and you can’t, ever, use words that are derogatory towards another person). If you’ve ever picked up a DCC hardback, you know. These books are BIG.

He did love the action-packed nature of them and asks me just about every week when the 9th book will be published. Reading them simultaneously was a great way to bond and spend time together. I’ll treasure those memories for the rest of my life, I think.

I hope I’ll always remember the summer my kids took the leap into really, really big books.