During one summer during high school I read through the novels of William Faulkner with afternoon breaks to watch Cinema 13 and have my first exposure to the films of Bergman, Anonioni, Fellini, Clair, Prevert, etc.
Summer homework is not a bad thing. It is mrerely a bad thing for those who are not of a geeky/scholarly bent. For someone like me, the rigor and discipline I developed that summer has served me well throughout my life.
Some young people will do the same with their bodies or in pursuits that require manual dexterity (I can neither throw a ball, draw a stick figure, nor build a birdhouse).
My father used to lament the decline of trade schools, and being a total geek, I never understood how anyone could not want to spend a day with her nose in a book. (Interestingly, Terrance often makes the same comment -- I guess I married my father).
I was lucky since I did not have parents who pushed me to be someone other than I was. They let each of their children rise (or sink in my case) to their own level, and never tried to live through us or our accomplishments.
Brian