Summer Reading Incentive Programs

If your home is anything like mine, the "I'm bored" and "There's nothing to do" statements start on the 2nd or 3rd day of summer vacation. I try to look for free things to keep my kids busy and summer reading programs have always proven helpful. Most programs offer incentives - ranging from free books and gift cards for the child to donations to the needy (which is a great way to get a lesson in about helping others). Books keep their minds sharp, teach them things and help alleviate boredom. There are so many benefits to summer reading - not counting the freebies! They can participate in all of the programs at the same time so when they read one book, they can record it for each program they are participating in.

Here are a few programs I've found for 2008:

Half Price Books
Feed Your Brain – Kids read 15 minutes per day and complete a reading log. Completed logs can be returned to either Half Price Book locations or CiCi's Pizza and redeemed for a $3 shopping card to Half-Price Books or a Free Kid's Buffet at CiCi's. You can do this every week from now until August 2! You can find more information at HalfPriceBooks.com.

Barnes & Noble
Kids read any eight books — library books, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble — write about their favorite part, and bring a completed tear page to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. They can then choose a free book from a list of paperback titles. Find out more at Barnes & Noble.

Book Adventure
Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. It works a little like the Accelerated Reader program if you're familiar with that. This one's not just for summer either. Check it out: Book Adventure

Scholastic Summer Reading Buzz
Read 4 books and Scholastic will donate a book to a child in need. You can also enter a sweepstakes to win a dream vacation. Reading logs, games, message boards and more are on the Scholastic website.

Public Libraries
Most public libraries have Summer Reading Programs as well. In my area, they not only reward kids with an incentive, they also have activities at the library like magicians and storytellers. They're great for when you just need to get out of the house for a while. Check with your local branch to see what they've got planned this summer.

I'm sure there are other programs around. Please leave us a comment and let us know of any others you've found!