I love summer reading programs! Maybe I’m just competitive, but I get excited when my kids finish their reading logs and are ready for their reward!
My oldest is a voracious reader and will finish our library’s reading contest in the first week! If you have a kid like mine, this list will keep them busy–at least for a few weeks! 😉
I hope you enjoy this list of summer reading programs and resources!
- 95% of libraries have summer reading programs according to the American Library Association. Our library awards children with a new book to keep (they have a cart of books to choose from). They even allow babies to participate (being read to counts!).
- Barnes and Noble’s Barnes and Noble’s Summer Reading Program is for kids grades 1 – 6. Kids keep a log of 8 books read, along with their recommendation, to receive a book for free. The free book must be one of the preselected books (though they will usually let you select a book on the list for a different grade level). I recommend you check the list and some book reviews before deciding if this contest is right for your child.
- Half Price Book’s Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program: Kids have a chance to earn a $5 coupon to be used in the store. They can earn a total of two coupons during the summer by logging 300 minutes in June and again in July. Younger kids can participate too as being read aloud to counts.
- Chuck E. Cheese is more than happy to reward kids for reading any time of the year. Just fill in this form and bring it in for 10 tokens. In fact, they have reward forms for just about anything!
- Pizza Hut–The Summer Reading Challenge motto is Read Your Heart Out, but with the reward of a pizza, it could certainly be Eat Your Heart Out. Keep reading alive during the school year with Book It! Kids can earn a personal pizza as a reading reward. Teachers (including homeschool) register their class here.
- Six Flags Read to Succeed is actually a program for reading during the school year. Registration should open in the fall.
- If you live in Texas, HEB grocery store has a Rocking Summer Reading Club. Kids earn a t-shirt for reading 10 books.
- Scholastic’s Power Up and Read program offers kids virtual rewards and chances to win prizes for logging minutes.
- Traveling Through the Pages offers a printable Reading Passport and other resources when you sign up. To fill out the reading passport, kids must read books from different genres (like biography or a new series) or read a book and do an activity (book with a movie version and compare, or a science book and an experiment). I’ve looked a many summer reading bingos, and this is by far the best. Create your own awards or use it in conjunction with your library’s program. (You’ll have to scroll to the bottom of the page and leave your info to get the pack).
- The Resourceful Mama has a printable Summer Bingo that would be great for reluctant readers. The reading goals are very achievable, and earning a bingo prize each week should be motivating.
- Reading Rewards is a program where parents or teachers provide rewards when kids log reading hours at any time of the year. Kids can also share their own book reviews within the system.
- The Read Up app helps kids track minutes read (and which books they are reading). This is a great way to keep track of minutes for contests that require logging time instead of books.
- And don’t forget about reading aloud to your kids this summer! Why not join the Read Aloud Revival community for resources and encouragement?
- Finally, I’ve created some free printable bookmarks for you and your kids to enjoy.
What are your favorite summer reading programs or resources?
Hey thanks so much for sharing our summer reading program.
Of course! Seems like a great resource! Thanks for creating it! 🙂
Thanks!! And…do you make your kids read different books for each of the different programs or fill them out simultaneously? Just wondering! 😉
Sarah, I do make them read different books for the programs that track books, but we might do a timed program simultaneously (honestly, my oldest would finish the first week otherwise!). I also don’t let the advanced readers count things like picture books or chapter books. That’s just me 🙂
That is great that the Half Price Book’s Reading Program can be used with reading aloud. I’ll sign my girl up today!
Yes! And I love that you can turn in a reading sheet monthly (to get more than one summer prize!). Thanks for stopping by!
Carolyn,
This is a fabulous resource. I didn’t know about the Read Up App. Thanks for sharing.
I plan to share this post. I love summer reading programs and the library programs. 🙂
#kidlitbloghop
Pamela- Literate For Life
Pamela, thank you for sharing it! I’m hoping the Read Up App will help my kids keep track of their reading times for the Half Priced Books contest this year! It’s so much easier to keep track of books than actual minutes! 🙂
Thanks for that list and all the ideas! I had no idea there was such a thing. We were going to do a creative writing workshop and a book club with my daughter and her friends, but these resources are fabulous! Visiting from the Kid Lit Blog Hop.
That sounds neat! Are the creative writing workshop and book club connected or separate activities? My daughter loves writing, but I’m curious how she would respond to doing it with friends. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
This is a “must share” list of summer reading programs! I love that Traveling through the Pages one especially. Thanks for sharing at the Kid Lit Blog Hop.
Thanks! Love the chance to share 🙂