How to improve on SAT critical reading?

What books should one read to most efficiently improve mastery and understanding of the critical reading and writing section of the SAT?

• I am helping my little brother, who is a rising junior in high school,  in preparing for his upcoming SAT's. His is not very strong in the critical reading section, probably in large part because he was never an avid reader, or much of a reader at all, when he was growing up. He is doing a lot of practice tests, and I'm trying to get him to read more this summer so his grasp of English, for the test and in general, will improve. Any advice or recommendations will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

• Answer:

  I don't disagree with anything Claire said and I would underscore just how important vocabulary is. Most people are aware of how important vocab can be on the fill in questions but the fact is that about half of all questions from reading passages have at least one tricky vocab word in them. Vocab every day. As far as specific things to read serious but short articles are good but really whatever he will read is good. As long as he's challenging himself and reading regularly it could be a sci-fi novel or a piece of classic literature. The last piece of advice I always give when it comes to the critical reading on the SAT is that you should always spend more time looking for wrong answers than looking for right answers. The test writers are trying to write attractive wrong answers so if you're looking for correct answers you're more likely to fall for their tricks. Look for wrong aswers instead and cross them off. Whatever's left must be the right answer.