Not long ago, "summer reading" meant settling under a shady tree with a hefty book. Shady trees are still around, but books with pages can seem as out-of-date as vinyl records to many kids, especially older ones. Today, they scroll through content online, swipe pages on tablets, and manage a near-constant stream of media. Teachers can take…

In his third book, "Ready or Not, Here Life Comes" (Simon & Shuster, 2005), pediatrician and brain researcher Dr. Mel Levine talks about the rising number of "start-up adults"--students who emerge from high school or college to find themselves woefully unprepared for the realities of a career. This article presents an interview with Dr. Levine…