Summer reading--the words that bring almost every teen to tears. Why waste your summer doing a project on a book that you never read and probably never will read because of the great invention of the Internet?

Well, I don’t see much use in trying to do the project without reading the book, but I do find a problem with not reading the book at all. Summer reading isn’t done to simply try to make our summers worse by having assignments hang over us. It isn’t done just to give us work to do. Teachers assign summer reading books for a reason. We’re supposed to actually read the book, and hopefully get something out of it.

Reading a summer reading book could teach you about a past event in history. Lots of historical fiction books are assigned as summer reading. And what if history isn’t your cup of tea? Try the book anyway. The book is probably a lot more interesting than the synopsis you’ll find online.

Summer reading books could also show you things from a different perspective. That book could show you a way to think of an event in a way you hadn’t ever thought of it before. Or, the book could show you a different side of a famous person. All kinds of interesting standpoints are brought up throughout works of literature.

Teachers usually assign classics as summer reading books. Many people think of the word classics and groan. When you think about it though, a classic just means it’s been around for a while and most likely will always be around and in print. Why would that be? It would be around so long if so many people liked it. Nobody will bother keeping a book in print that long if people stopped reading it. So why not give the classic a chance? Lots of other people have enjoyed it before you, and you just might, too.

Summer reading shouldn’t include reading a synopsis online—it should actually include reading the book. Reading summer reading books teach us valuable lessons, different perspectives, or give us the chance to enjoy a great work of literature.