This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Long days spent away from school this summer don't have to mean watching your child's brain melt like so much ice cream left in the sun.

The State Office of Education, in partnership with MetaMetrics, is offering a free tool to help parents keep their kids reading this summer.

As part of the "Utah Reads: Find a Book" initiative, parents can go online to find lists of books suited to their children's interests and abilities.

The website will present recommendations based on a child's Lexile score, or if that's not known, parents can answer a few questions to get the lists. Parents may then use the website to check the availability of the books at local stores, libraries and online.

Students are encouraged to spend 15 to 30 minutes a day reading during the summer to prevent summer learning loss. Students in grades K-2 should aim to read 10 books this summer; students in grades 3-5 are encouraged to read eight chapter books; and students in grades 6-12 are encouraged to read five fiction books and five nonfiction books.