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2014 Summer Reading: Pottery Barn Kids

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2014 Summer Reading: Pottery Barn Kids

Photograph Credit: Pottery Barn Kids

On the heels of summer camp, my children are participating in Vacation Bible School (VBS) this week. In our fourth week of summer, we are still on the move.

With entertaining guests from Pennsylvania our first week to Miss 6’s art camp the second week followed by Mr. 8’s camp in North Carolina last week, and now VBS, we’ve got to work on our summer reading.

The library books are due back next week, so my current deadline is reading through these books together by the time we return them.

It is a tall goal, but we are up for the challenge because new-to-us books from the library spur excitement in our house.

Speaking of new books, the reward for this next summer reading program offers a FREE book when the requirements are met and before supplies run out.

Pottery Barn Kids encourages reading all year long with their weekly story times. For the summer, they host the Pottery Barn Kids Summer Reading Challenge.

Pottery Barn Kids Summer Reading Challenge

Participants

No age limit given, but the reading lists might be too young for older readers. Check with your local Pottery Barn Kids for their age requirements.

Program Length

This program expires on July 31, 2014.

Goal

To instill a love of reading with books from designated reading lists.

Requirements

Read any 8 books from the Summer Reading Challenge Book Lists:

For Little Ones:

      • Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld
      • Heads by Matthew Van Fleet
      • Corduroy by Don Freeman
      • Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney
      • Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too by Anna Dewdney
      • Curious Baby Counting by H. A. Rey
      • Olivia by Ian Falconer
      • How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Mark Teague
      • What Sisters Do Best/What Brothers Do Best by Laura Numeroff and Lynn Munsinger

For Older Ones:

      • Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
      • The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
      • Big Brothers Don’t Take Naps by Louise Borden and Emma Dodd
      • Paddington Bear by Michael Bond and R. W. Alley
      • Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis
      • How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
      • Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin
      • Madeline and the Old House in Paris by John Bemelmans Marciano
      • Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise
      • Sniff by Matthew Van Fleet
      • Tallulah’s Toe Shoes by Marilyn Singer and Alexandra Boiger

Redemption

Participating Pottery Barn Kids locations provide Summer Reading Challenge bookmarks for each participating child. One would need to visit the store to pick one up as there is no printable version available.

On the back of the bookmark is a checklist of the books on the Summer Challenge Reading Book List. Have your child check off the books read, and then submit the finished bookmark to a PBK representative.

Reward

Once 8 check marks are confirmed, the PBK representative will congratulate the reader with a certificate and a FREE book, while supplies last.

Pottery Barn Kids Summer Reading Challenge Benefits

This program is great for the visual learner. Seeing a list of books and marking them off after reading them is helpful for those who need to see the big picture. Keeping them on task with a checklist and an on-going tally of their progress is beneficial to visual learners like Miss 6.

For those who struggle with finding a good book to read, this program guides readers directly to the book along with a checklist to keep track of what is left to do. Mr. 8 will comply with whatever task you ask of him, but he prefers that you tell him exactly what he needs to do.

Working with a number of personalities and learning-types, the Pottery Barn Kids Summer Reading Challenge offers some variety while encouraging life-long readers. Happy summer reading!

More 2014 summer reading programs:

2014 Summer Reading: Pizza Hut BOOK IT!

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2014 Summer Reading: Pizza Hut BOOK IT!

Photograph Credit: Pizza Hut BOOK IT!

Pizza is usually a nice reward. Participating throughout the school year, my children enjoy earning their BOOK IT! certificates for FREE personal pan pizzas.

If you are a homeschooling family and want to participate in BOOK IT! this coming school year, then sign up your children ages 5-12 before the deadline on September 1, 2014 or while supplies last.

For this summer, Pizza Hut BOOK IT! is offering a sweepstakes. All who qualify will be entered into a drawing with a total of 49 winners with one of those winners also receiving the grand prize.

The rules have changed since last year, but the details, including links for more information, are included below regarding the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Spark Your Greatness Sweepstakes.

Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Spark Your Greatness

Participants

Open to children ages 5-12.

Program Length

Submission must be sent or postmarked by August 15, 2014.

Goal

Read any 5 books.

Requirements

Fill out the official entry form including title and author of 5 books your children read. You may then submit on-line or via mail.

Redemption

If your child is one of the 49 winners, then a package will arrive via the mail to your doorstep.

Reward

Of those who submit the forms, a random drawing will produce 49 winners. Each winner will receive the following prize package worth approximately $88:

      • One (1) Tote Bag
      • One (1) $20 Pizza Hut Gift Card
      • One (1) Boxed Set of Diary of a Wimpy Kid Hardback Books, Books 1-7 and Do-It-Yourself Journal (8 books)
      • One (1) Diary of a Wimpy Kid Hard Luck Hardback Book
      • One (1) Diary of a Wimpy Kid Notebook

From the 49 winners, those who also play the Instagram scavenger hunt will be entered for the grand prize package worth approximately $127. This winner will receive both the grand prize and one of the 49 second prize packages. The grand prize includes the following:

      • One (1) Tote Bag
      • One (1) $50 Pizza Hut Gift Card
      • One (1) Autographed Diary of a Wimpy Kid Hardback Book, Book 1
      • One (1) Set of Diary of a Wimpy Kid Hardback Book, Books 2-8 (7 books)
      • One (1) Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Journal
      • One (1) Set of Your Best Ideas Notebook (3 notebooks)

Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Spark Your Greatness Benefits

In addition to the sweepstakes, BOOK IT also has the Instagram scavenger hunt. One completes the tass, takes a photograph, and correctly uploads to Instagram. All submissions must be entered by August 15, 2014.

This program has greatly improved since last year. Having multiple ways to participate is great. To win, all must submit an entry form and read 5 books. For a chance at the grand prize, one must also complete the Instagram hunt.

Though the winners are random, I am thankful for another summer reading program. My children will each read more than 5 books. If we win, then it will be a nice surprise. If not, then it was just a few moments of my time entering them into this sweepstakes.

In using time wisely, spending a few moments entering a sweepstakes is worth it for me. You may think differently, especially if your child is not interested in the prize package.

The book prize might not motivate, but the chance to win a $20 Pizza Hut gift card might be worth the few minutes to submit an entry form. Happy summer reading!

More 2014 summer reading programs:

2014 Summer Reading: Junie B. Jones

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2014 Summer Reading: Junie B. Jones

Photograph Credit: Random House Children’s Books

Welcome back from Father’s Day weekend and our short break from our summer reading series. Diving back into the many opportunities provided for summer reading, the Junie B. Jones program is next on the schedule.

Before outlining that program, I wanted to share about a change from last year. In this series, iVillage’s Summer Reading Challenge would have landed at this post. I was hoping they would reintroduce it, but they have chosen a different direction.

Instead of summer reading, iVillage will host the Back to School Community Challenge. I realize that many are just starting summer and thinking about the end of summer is just way.too.soon. I get that, and I’m not ready for summer to end either.

As the iVillage website does not indicate the dates of the challenge, I will just link to the page where you may enter your e-mail address for notifications. When the challenge begins, then iVillage will send you a daily e-mail for 4 weeks.

The first 2 weeks will focus on the transition from summer to school, and the last 2 weeks will offer organizational tips to get everyone out the door on time. If you are interested, you may sign up and then those e-mails will come when the challenge begins.

Without any waiting period, our next summer reading opportunity is new-to-me. In May, the Junie B. Jones series offered a FREE welcome kit which is scheduled to ship in July. Though the kit has reached its limit, the monthly newsletter and reading information is still available for the Junie B. Jones Kids Club.

Junie B. Jones Kids Club

Participants

The books are written for children ages 6-9, but all can participate in reading this series.

Program Length

The Junie B. Jones newsletter is distributed monthly.

Goal

Offer tips and activities for getting the most out of these books.

Requirements

Sign up with a valid e-mail account, read the newsletters when distributed, and enter any contests or sweepstakes.

Redemption

No prizes are offered from the publisher or author for reading this series. However, the printable activities, certificates, and reading log are available via the newsletter links.

Reward

If one signed up in May before the supplies ran out, then she would receive a FREE book and bookmark from Junie B. Jones books around July. I will watch more carefully for this offer next year and post when the offer is available.

Junie B. Jones Club Benefits

My girls like the series. As Miss 6 is developing her love of reading, the extra activities that enhance the reading are beneficial. Also, the monthly newsletter lets us know of offers, gives access to printable worksheets, and announces upcoming contests.

My son would not be interested in this series, and I’m not wild about it. As I read these books, I find myself correcting the character’s English which is a pet peeve of mine.

I really want my children reading books where the characters speak correctly. Within eight pages of Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed, I corrected three sentences as the following works are not in the English language – “fusstration,” “runned,” and “slided.”

The stories are geared toward Miss 6’s age group and even my 4-year-old likes listening to the books. Though I don’t mind the topics, I am not wild about the vocabulary, but we still read the books. I just make sure I correct the words when I read it whereas Miss 6 likes to read on her own.

I’m not trying to sway you one way or the other, but I mention it for those of you who are particular about the vocabulary. With that said, the Junie B. Jones reading opportunity is very well organized, and we are using it with slight adjustments.

As you continue your summer reading and encouraging others to do the same, I hope you are finding great opportunities for nudging those less enthusiastic readers. Happy summer reading!

Lakeshore Learning: Father’s Day Pencil Holder

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Lakeshore Learning: Father’s Day Pencil Holder

Photograph Credit: Lakeshore Learning

In preparation for Sunday, Lakeshore Learning stores chose a FREE Father’s Day Pencil Holder craft for Saturday, June 14, 2014.

Each Saturday, Lakeshore Learning Stores offer a FREE craft project from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at participating locations.

The Father’s Day pencil holder is a FREE project for children ages 3 and up with no reservations necessary.

In using time wisely, children will use the Lakeshore Learning supplies to create an organizer for Dad.

Happy creating!

2014 Summer Reading: H-E-Buddy

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2014 Summer Reading: H-E-Buddy

Photograph Credit: H-E-Buddy

My favorite summer reading program is the topic today with the H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club.

We have participated in this program for five years, and we have lots of “Buddy the Bag” t-shirts.

Our third year in this program, the rules limited the submissions to Texas residents. However, this wording was removed this year. Yay!

Last year, H-E-Buddy introduced a new program called H-E-B 321 for Summer Fun Challenge.

2014 Summer Reading: H-E-Buddy We participated and received a certificate along with a coupon for a FREE bag of ABC pretzels at an H-E-B grocery store.

Though we could not use the coupons, our friends were traveling to Texas, so we let them enjoy a snack on their trip.

This program has transitioned from reading, eating, and exercising to focusing on healthy eating and exercising. Called Eat Fresh-N-Fruity with Buddy and Bruce Challenge, this program began on April 1 with a postmark date of July 1.

To participate, print the entry form (see the second challenge), try 8 new fruits or vegetables and draw a picture of each one. Mail your form and wait to see if you receive a response. Stating that this program is open for Texas residents only, this program offers rewards of a certificate and a chef’s hat for those who complete the entry form and mail by the deadline.

While we do not live in Texas, the representative last year still sent us our prizes. However, they could end their kindness at any time. I am sharing this information because last year this program was launched with a summer reading section. Since they have separated their programs, I will not write a separate post in this summer reading series for this challenge.

However, the H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club program continues again this year, and all may participate which is a great change from the last two years. Woohoo!

H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club

2014 Summer Reading: H-E-Buddy

Photograph Credit: H-E-Buddy

Participants

Open to children of all ages with the largest t-shirt size of a youth extra large (18-20).

Program Length

The reading log is due by October 1, 2014.

Goal

Read any 10 books.

Requirements

Record the titles of the 10 books read and have a parent initial beside each title.

Redemption

Mail the completed reading log to H-E-Buddy 2014 Summer Reading Program, 10530 Sentinel, San Antonio, TX 78217 by October 1, 2014.

Reward

On some afternoon when you least expect it, you will receive a package of prizes including a t-shirt, certificate, and a pencil.

H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club Benefits

2014 Summer Reading: H-E-Buddy The best benefit is the FREE t-shirt prize. My children love to wear their shirts at the same time which makes it easy to spot them when we are out and about.

Another fantastic benefit is that the program has been reopened to the public.

Though the Texas-resident limitation did not deter us from submitting our reading logs, we never knew if those prizes would arrive. However, that day came in October, and my children celebrated by wearing them right away.

The last benefit is the ease of this program. Print a reading log for each child. Choose 10 of the many books they will read this summer and complete each form.

Mail all the forms in the same envelope and wait for the prizes to arrive. Thus far, all 3 of our prizes have arrived in the same envelope as H-E-B also ships the prizes together.

In using time wisely, this program has proved that the investment of time is worth the few minutes to complete the logs and the cost of the postage stamp. To encourage reading, the H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club remains at the top of our list as my children proudly wear their earned t-shirts. Happy summer reading!

More 2014 summer reading programs: