Only four weeks of school left until summer vacation! While teachers are marking days off their calendar waiting for a break, parents may see a countdown to longer days the dreaded “b” word: boredom. Worried about how to keep your child busy and engaged this summer without spending all day in front of a TV? Check out these great reading programs! Not only will they help your child avoid that dreaded summer reading slump, it will also keep them engaged without breaking the bank. 
San Antonio Public Library: SAPL’s summer reading program, Fizz Boom Read, has programs for readers of all ages. Beginning June 1, sign up online to gain access to reading logs and calendars for special programs. Last year kids who read at least eight books (or listened to fifteen) received a signed certificate from Mayor Castro and a free paperback book! SAPL’s Adult Summer Reading Program challenges grown-ups to read four books June 1-August 31. Turn in your reading list and enjoy an adult reading celebration in the month of September.
H.E.Buddy Summer Reading Club: Joining the H.E.Buddy Summer Reading Club is easy! Just read ten books, fill out and mail in a reading log by September 1, and receive a cool free T-shirt!
Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble for Imagination’s Destination! Read at least eight books and fill out a reading log. Return it to any B&N store and your child will get to choose a free book from the Imagination’s Destination selection! The summer reading guide provides tips for choosing great books as well as reading with your kids and talking with them about what they read.
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge: Scholastic is on a mission to set a new reading world record this summer! Join the fun by signing up for Reading Under the Stars. Keep track of minutes read on the website and earn great prizes. You’ll also find a great list of books and tips to encourage your kids to read. Scholastic also has a great subscription ebook collection called Storia; some of these ebooks are interactive too.
Chuck E. Cheese’s: Download this reading log and keep track of the minutes your child reads. Read for fifteen minutes every day for two weeks and redeem the reading log for 10 free tokens.
Sylvan Book Adventure: Although books and reading should not always be tied to test taking, some kids really enjoy taking quizzes on books they read. Sylvan has a reading program called Book Adventure where kids can earn points by taking quizzes, then redeem their points for prizes. Parents need to create a free account for their children.
Magic Tree House: The official Magic Tree House website has tons of great resources for kids who love Mary Pope Osborne’s books! Earn passport stamps for each book read by taking a three-question quiz. Create a free account to keep an online passport or print a paper copy without an account. Kids can also play games related to the books, complete missions with Merlin, and explore the Fact Trackers that accompany many of the books. Parents can find printable activities, recipes, and experiments to further engage readers with the stories.
Your school library: Many school libraries also have summer reading programs. Check with your child’s librarian to see what’s happening this summer! Northside parents: don’t forget you can access thousands of ebooks over the summer using Overdrive, the same ebook platform used by SAPL. Log in using your child’s student ID number on either your computer or mobile devices.
Need help deciding what to read? Check out these great awards lists, and ask your local librarian for recommendations!
Texas 2×2 (recommended for age two-grade two)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (recommended for grades 3-6)
Lone Star (recommended for grades 6-8)
Tayshas (recommended for high school)
Lariat (recommended for adults)
If it seems like a lot of work to do all of these programs…then don’t! Look at these programs as a way to show kids that reading is fun, not a chore. There are so many reading programs out there for kids and adults.
What are some of your favorites?
Katie, my son was able to do the library, H-E-B, and Barnes & Noble programs this summer. Thank you for the inspiration!
I love the summer reading clubs… I have to admit we are bad tho.. we start out strong at the start of summer and then go down hill and then I find myself BEGGING for my girls to read.
It’s okay to take a break now & then! Definitely don’t want to push reading till kids hate it. If they aren’t interested they just haven’t found the right book!