Being able to read well is more important than ever for young adults to achieve economic success. But more than 60 percent of middle and high school students score below "proficient" in reading achievement, according to a December 2011 report by the Alliance for Excellent Education.

"Teen literacy is a huge problem in the United States - its 15-year-olds rank 14th among developed nations in reading - behind Poland, Estonia and Iceland," says Rhiannon Paille, 27, an advocate for teen literacy whose new fantasy novel, Flame of Surrender (www.yafantasyauthor.com) targets young adults. (South Korea, Finland and Canada rank 1st, 2nd and 3rd.)

"Kids need strong reading skills if they hope to graduate from high school AND they really need to plan for college - 59 percent of U.S. jobs today require some postsecondary education, compared to 28 percent in 1973."

The best thing parents can do to help boost their 12- to 18-year-olds' literacy is to get them reading - anything.

She offers these suggestions:

• Buy them comic books. Boys persistently lag behind girls in reading, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, Paille says. If your son isn't a reader, try getting him hooked on comic books. "Stephen King started off reading comics, 'Tales from the Crypt.' Hey, if it was good enough for him ...!'' From comic books, they may move into graphic novels, a popular young adult genre. As long as they're reading, they're building comprehension skills and vocabulary, so it needn't be "War and Peace."

• Look for book-to-film novels. Chances are, if it was a great movie, they saw it, and that's often enough to get a non-reader curious. This is another especially good hook for boys, Paille says.

• Tune into what they're interested in. What kinds of video games do they play? Some popular games have spawned novels, including Halo, EverQuest, ElfQuest and Gears of War. Even gaming guides, which players read to unlock new clues to advancing in the game, can motivate a teen to crack a book.

• Read the same book your teen is reading. Book clubs are popular because people like talking to others who've read the same book. Your teen may not be ready for an evening of petit fours and grape juice while discussing the pacing of "Hunger Games," but it can make for some interesting conversation on the way to soccer practice. And you can always nudge them along with comments like, "Oh, you haven't gotten to that part yet? It's really good!"

"People tend to think their young adults aren't reading if they're not reading novels," Paille says. "But novels aren't for everyone, and whether it's a comic book or a gaming guide, all reading helps build comprehension skills and vocabulary."

Good magazines, with shorter articles suited for distractible adolescents, might include Sports Illustrated, People, Seventeen or Mad.

"When you're out shopping, think about what they're interested in and pick up something just for them. Sometimes, it's as simple as putting the right reading materials right into their hands."

About Rhiannon Paille

Rhiannon Paille is an active advocate for youth literacy and an avid reader of young adult novels. Her first book, the non-fiction Integrated Intuition: A Comprehensive Guide to Psychic Development, remains a popular seller on amazon.com. Paille is the founder of the Canadian Metaphysical Foundation. She's married and the mother of two children.

DES MOINES, IA (04/10/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald wants to encourage Iowans to make the most of their tax refunds this year by investing in College Savings Iowa. "Much like the April 17 deadline for taxes, the time to save for college is over before you know it," said Fitzgerald. "Put your refund to good use and start saving for a loved one's future educational needs today. By starting early, saving a little at a time and making smart investment choices, families can make their savings work for them."

College Savings Iowa is designed to provide families a tax-advantaged way to save money for their children's higher education. It only takes $25 to open an account, and anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest in College Savings Iowa on behalf of a child. Participants who are Iowa taxpayers can deduct contributions up to $2,975 per beneficiary from their 2012 adjusted gross income, and there are no income or residency restrictions.* Investors can withdraw their investment federally tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses including tuition, books, supplies and certain room and board costs at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad.**

Saving for a child's education is always a smart investment, and College Savings Iowa is there to help. To learn more about College Savings Iowa or to open an account, please visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com or call 1-888-672-9116.

*Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income.

**Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

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Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 888-672-9116 or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing.

DES MOINES, IA - Today, actor and former White House Associate Director of Public Engagement Kal Penn and Obama for America Battleground States Director Mitch Stewart will host a student summit at the University of Iowa. This event is the latest Greater Together event designed to engage and mobilize young Americans in the 2012 campaign. Students from across the state will join via webcast from Luther College, St. Ambrose University, Drake University, Iowa State University and Loras College.

The Greater Together Student Summit Tour brings together senior campaign officials, community leaders, student representatives and celebrities to discuss key policy issues impacting young Americans like President Obama's plan to make college more affordable, expanding access to quality health care and creating new job opportunities for graduates. This tour is a chance for students to weigh in on the issues that matter to them, and to learn about how they can start organizing on their campuses to ensure a victory in November 2012. Learn more at www.barackobama.com/young-americans.

WHERE: Downtown Sheraton Hotel

Amos Dean Ballroom

210 S Dubuque St

Iowa City, IA 52240

WHEN: Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Doors open at 5:00 PM CT

Event begins at 5:30 PM CT

SATELLITE LOCATIONS:

Luther College
700 College Dr Rm 206
Decorah

St. Ambrose University

Corner Of Gaines & Lombard W Rm 102
Davenport

Loras Collge

1450 Alta Vista St

Dubuque

Iowa State University

Memorial Union Room 3505

2229 Lincoln Way

Ames

Drake University

Mars Cafe

2318 University Avenue

Des Moines

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Kadyn Halverson, age 7, saw her school bus slow to a stop in front of her family's home near Northwood, Iowa, one morning last May.  She crossed the street to climb aboard.  Like my own three kids and many other Iowa children, she took the flashing red lights of the bus as an article of faith that it was safe to cross.

But that morning, it wasn't. A pickup truck driver traveling at 60 miles per hour ignored the warning signs and passed the stopped school bus, striking and killing Kadyn. The driver fled and later was convicted of vehicular homicide.

Since the tragedy, Kadyn's family has worked tirelessly to honor her legacy by pushing the Iowa Legislature to strengthen penalties for drivers who ignore warning lights and illegally pass school buses.

Last month, Gov. Terry Branstad signed "Kadyn's Law," which mandates fines of at least $250 and up to $675, plus the possibility of jail time, for first-time offenders of school bus traffic safety laws. For a second conviction within five years, repeat offenders face up to a year in jail and fines up to $1,875. These strong penalties tell drivers to take school bus warning lights seriously.

The obvious next step is to make Kadyn's Law the new national standard. Under a federal version of Kadyn's Law I've introduced in Congress, if a state doesn't pass a law that matches the standards set forth in Iowa this year, that state will face a 10 percent cut in federal highway funding.

Without this sort of motivation, the status quo is never going to change. Consider this: In North Dakota, the fine for passing a stopped school bus is $50 – less than some parking tickets!

Across the nation, drivers illegally pass stopped school buses 13 million times each year; in Iowa, 138,600 times every year.  If we cut that number, we'll reduce the number of children killed and injured by reckless drivers. The best way to do that is to eliminate a weak, ineffective patchwork of state laws and replace it with a strong national standard that provides a real incentive for drivers to follow the law.