Stop the "summer slide" with these ten tips from James Patterson:

Start today!

Summer's rolling…and your kid's reading should be, too. Check out our reading list, and get that first "can't-put-down" book into their hands today.

Find books your kids love.

Check out our summer reading list here for starters. Talk with your child about their interests. Kids read more if they read what they like. E-reader, paperbacks, hard covers, comic books are all fine. Reading is the goal!

Get a Library Card in your child's name.

Visit your library…the resources they have for the summer are usually terrific. And the Children's Librarian will usually bend over backwards to help your child find fun stuff to read.

    Break down the summer reading goal in smaller daily or weekly increments.

              Want to read 6 books? Divide the number of pages by the weeks or days available for
              summer reading, and set a reasonable goal. Or just allot 30 minutes a day.

Set aside a daily "no-electronics" time for summer reading.

Summer days are long—there's always time for reading, if we make it a priority.

"Buddy Read" together.

Model reading with your child. Read the same books together, and talk about them.

Create a Summer Reading Club with friends.

It's always more fun if you can share the experience.

Reward progress.

Set goals with your child, and track their achievements. Give them little "awards" for progress. Have a bigger end-of-summer reward.

Travel with your books wherever you go.

Take them to the beach, in the car, on vacations, and to the pool. Make the "in between" moments count. Put books everywhere your kids might be bored and want to turn on the TV, such as the breakfast table, the bedside table—wherever.

Remember: it's up to you to make it fun.

Don't turn it into a "summer chore" that must be done before you can have fun. Reading is fun! If it isn't, keep at it till they find books they can't put down. Then reward yourself, Mom and Dad, because you have just given your child the best present you could ever  
            have imagined: the gift of reading—for life.