School may be out for summer, but don’t underestimate the fun of curling up in the warm weather with a good book. We’ve rounded up the best of the web to get you excited about summer reading!

1.     Joanne Meier blogs about the benefits of reading during the summer on Reading Rockets’ Sound It Out blog. According to a new study, simply giving kids books may actually be as effective as summer school. Summer reading also helps kids retain what they’ve learned throughout the school year.

2.     Many book stores are offering incentives to kids for reading. This summer, with through Barnes & Noble’s Passport to Summer Reading program, when kids read 8 books, they can earn a free book of their choice. The program also offers downloadable activity kits for parents and educators. At Borders, kids under 12 can earn a free book when they read 10 books through their ‘10 Summer Double Dog Dare reading program.

3.     Know of any good books? Now you can share your summer reading recommendations or search for the perfect title on Twitter by using the hashtag #sumread10.

4.     Participate in a summer reading program! Visit http://www.cslpreads.org for a list of reading resources (for children and adults) and find out if your local library is part of the Collaborative Summer Library Program.

5.     E-readers are great for tossing into your beach bag, but if you’re thinking about buying one, check out this article from The New York Times to find out which one best suits you.

If you know of any other great reading programs or summer reading recommendations you would like to share with other readers, let us know in the comment section. Happy reading!

-Jill Finkelstein