The end of the school year is in sight, but it's not too late to help lower-level readers catch up. Experts across the country were asked about the most common obstacles to reading success--and effective ways to over-come them. Their insights and tips can help a teacher make a real difference before summer begins.

When a colleague and friend gives you a new kids' book and says, "You have to read this," you pay attention. That's why the author asked a team of top teachers and librarians to share new favorites for summer. Here are their picks for every reader, each bearing a teachers' stamp of approval.

When teachers wave goodbye to their students as they head off for summer vacation, they might just be bidding farewell to some of their hard-won gains in reading skills. The "summer slide" is well-documented by research: Unless students read regularly during the break, they fall behind about three months in their reading achievement. This article…