There's no Austen, Baldwin or Hemingway on the recommended summer reading list that the Pittsburgh Public Schools released this week.

Instead, the district-wide list -- the first in at least three years -- is heavy with popular works, such as "Marley & Me," John Grogan's story about the adventures of a dog and his owners.

Officials said they want to encourage students to read, period, during the summer break and would worry about literature another time.

"We're worried about giving them the classics. But they don't want to pick up any book," Samuel Jackendoff, curriculum supervisor for library and information sciences, said of some students.

The lighter-is-better approach is common among districts that recommend summer reading selections, and it's a strategy endorsed by Carol Jago, incoming president of the National Council of Teachers of English. Ms. Jago, who taught in Santa Monica, Calif., schools for 32 years, said she's an ardent proponent of literature but believes many students are better off when there's classroom support for complex works.

Rich Long, director of government relations for the Delaware-based International Reading Association, a membership group for literacy professionals, said the goal of reading lists is to get students to "practice, practice, practice" and minimize skill loss associated with the summer recess. To add meaning to summer reading, he said, a district should kick off the new school year by asking students about books they read during the break.

Linda Lane, Pittsburgh's deputy superintendent for instruction, assessment and accountability, unveiled the new list Tuesday at Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5 on the North Side. The list is part of the district's literacy push, which may include the use of federal stimulus money to fund special reading initiatives, including summer school, for middle-grade students.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh representatives were on hand to say that many of the summer selections may be found at their branches. The district also announced that it received a $477,000 federal grant to purchase about 17,500 books -- all science-related -- for school libraries.

Growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, Dr. Lane said, she and her sister visited the mobile library one day a week and checked out the maximum number of books allowed -- seven.

"We read a book a day all summer," she said, acknowledging there weren't video games and computers then to compete for her time.

The list is on the district Web site at www.pps.k12.pa.us. Under the "students" tab, click "educational resources and links." Scroll down the page about halfway, and the lists are sorted by age group.

Besides "Marley & Me," high-school selections include "Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man and Life's Greatest Lesson," Mitch Albom's account of a mentor's terminal illness; Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" fantasy series; and "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them."

Recommendations for elementary students include "The Tale of Despereaux," Kate DiCamillo's story of a mouse's exploits; Todd Parr's "Reading Makes You Feel Good;" and E.B. White's "Charlotte's Web."

School and community librarians in the Sewickley area annually develop a summer reading list of works that are popular, touch on student interests or relate to course material. "I know parents are always looking for the list," Rich Hollein, teacher-librarian at Quaker Valley High School, said.

For some, summer reading isn't optional. Mr. Hollein said Quaker Valley English teachers give Advanced Placement and honors students required reading, including classic literature, in preparation for fall classes.

The English teachers council last week circulated a report in which Ms. Jago calls on her colleagues to rededicate themselves to teaching literature, saying it promotes critical thinking and gives students insight into adversity.

For summer, however, she prefers getting students to explore a single popular work, such as "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," Mark Haddon's book about a boy with Asperger's syndrome. A Santa Monica school selected that book about four years ago, and students enjoyed it so much, she said, that the school organized assemblies the next school year to provide more information about special education.

A new group of Santa Monica students is being encouraged to read the book this summer. It's on Pittsburgh's list for high school students, too.