One of the very best things about summer is that there’s more time to read for fun. You can read lying on a hammock or in a lounge chair beside the pool. You can read on a sunny day at the beach or when you have to stay inside on a rainy day. You can read on the plane that whisks you away to a fabulous vacation.

Schools and public libraries often have special programs to encourage kids to read. Sometimes these programs involve grades in the new school year. Other times, they offer prizes or other incentives. But parent example is the best incentive. You can read to your kids or let them read to you. Or you can just have family reading time when everyone reads the book of their choice.

There are lots of ways to foster summer reading:

• Set aside specific reading time at least weekly. (If you have school-age kids, try to plan at least 30 minutes of reading a day.)
• Plan regular trips to the library. Depending on how fast you read, the visits could be weekly, biweekly, or whenever books are due.
• Participate in reading and story-telling events sponsored by schools, public libraries, or bookstores.
• Set up a summer reading shelf for each member of the family. You can fill it with books you have that you’ve been meaning to read or with your library books. If, unlike me, you don’t have a house full of books (seriously, I have an informal lending library here), look for used bookstores, yard sales, and flea market tables at summer festivals. You can get lots of fun books in good shape for a fraction of the usual cost. (I’ve been able to buy grocery bags of books for less than $10.)

I have 10-12 books set aside to read this summer — about 1 book a week. That’s my average reading pace. Some books go faster, while others take more time. I have a mix of light fiction, more serious literary fiction, and non-fiction (mostly biography and social history). Several of the books will come from my “to be read” shelf and I’ll be making regular visits to the library.

Time to read for fun is one of my favorite summer treats. What are you reading this summer?