Summer Reading: Tips & Tricks Fran O'Neill Rainy Day Paperback

To most adults the words "summer reading" indicate it's time for the light and frothy, the candy of the book world. But to parents of Middle and High School students, it signifies the mad search for out-of-print titles that are on their School District's Summer Reading List and are now being sought by masses of students in a small area. They don't consider availability when making their lists, so many of the titles may only be available as used books.

Procrastination is the enemy, so make your life a little less frantic and save some money by following the suggestions below:

• To be ahead of the game, check with your School District to see if they send copies of their lists to your local bookstores. If they do, those stores will probably be doing their best to have available copies. Check for your nearest Biblio dealer who operates an open store.

• Your child, who is going to be doing the reading, needs to be involved in the process. Convince your child to discuss the list with you and make their "first choice" selections. You know your child's interests, so give them a hand in looking for a book they will actually enjoy. Make the experience pleasurable. The shorter the book list, the more important it is to do it now! This is the first step in teaching them a skill that may save big bucks when they have to deal with buying college textbooks.

Sometimes the shortest books are the ones that require the most contemplation while the longer ones are written by storytellers that entice them to keep reading.

• If you've already found the local stores, check their web sites (if they have one), to see if they have the titles in stock. If they do, call or e-mail them to ask them to hold the book(s) for you and take the reading list and the child to the store with you to pick them up as soon as possible.

• Since, the child may take one look at the book and say "Yuck!" you want them with you to make another choice. And don't let them choose based on the fact that it's the shortest book. Sometimes the shortest books are the ones that require the most contemplation while the longer ones are written by storytellers that entice them to keep reading.

• If you can't find reasonably priced copies locally, start your search on Biblio with the first title and author. Review the listings for price (including shipping) and condition that is acceptable to you. You don't need a shiny new copy; used, older copies can save you money. Once you have found the best choice, search that Bookseller's listings for the other titles you need to save on shipping.

When you get them, be sure to put them somewhere you can find them when summer arrives!

Fran O'Neill is the owner of Rainy Day Paperback Exchange, an open shop located in Bethel, Connecticut. They specialize in children's books, foreign language, humor and vintage paperback books. You can visit their store on Biblio.com here.