Photograph Credit: Simon Kidgits Club

Highlighting 14 summer reading programs in these two weeks, I hope you are finding ways to keep your reader learning and exploring this summer. These programs encourage life-long learners with rewards for meeting a goal.

Our summer reading series:

1. Barnes & Noble Imagination’s Destination
2. Chuck E. Cheese
3. Half Price Books Feed Your Brain
4. H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club
5. H-E-Buddy 321 for Summer Fun Challenge
6. iVillage Summer Reading Challenge
7. Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading
8. PBK Summer Reading Challenge
9. Public Library Summer Reading Programs
10. Scholastic Summer Challenge
11. Showcase Cinemas Bookworm Wednesdays
12. Simon Kidgits Club

Simon Kidgits Club

Participants

No age specifications given. We have seen upper elementary age children at these events, but the activities are geared toward younger children.

Program Length

Varies by location.

Goal

Encourage children to read this summer.

Requirements

Valid Simon Kidgits membership is mandatory with other possible requirements. A Kidgits annual membership is $5 per child and includes admission to all events, a t-shirt, birthday gift, and more.

Some Simon Kidgits Clubs may not participate in a summer reading program.  When I called guest services at our Kidgits location, I was informed that a program had not been arranged. After asking a few other friends to call and ask, our Kidgits Club is creating a summer reading program.

Redemption

Check your local Kidgits Club for details.

Reward

Prizes are chosen by each Kidgits Club.

Two years ago, our summer reading program consisted of reading 3 books, recording the titles on the supplied-form, turning in the form at guest services, and receiving a coupon for a FREE Chick-fil-A ice dream.

The Simon Kidgits Club has been a great resource for our family. The $5 membership per child is worth the cost. My children have received plates, books, games, musical instruments, and more. Though not every club participates in summer reading, a simple call might get the ball rolling. Happy summer reading!

Photograph Credit: Showcase Cinemas

Highlighting 14 summer reading programs in these two weeks, I hope you will find multiple ways to keep your reader learning and exploring this summer. These programs encourage life-long learners with rewards for meeting a goal.

Our summer reading series:

1. Barnes & Noble Imagination’s Destination
2. Chuck E. Cheese
3. Half Price Books Feed Your Brain
4. H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club
5. H-E-Buddy 321 for Summer Fun Challenge
6. iVillage Summer Reading Challenge
7. Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading
8. PBK Summer Reading Challenge
9. Public Library Summer Reading Programs
10. Scholastic Summer Challenge
11. Showcase Cinemas Bookworm Wednesdays

Showcase Cinemas Bookworm Wednesdays

Participants

No age specifications given, so this program is great for both big and small children.

Program Length

This program begins on July 10, 2013, and ends on August 7, 2013.

Goal

Encourage children to keep on reading and to explain in writing what they read.

Requirements

Read a book and record the title, author, description, and participant’s name on the Official Book Report Entry Form.

Redemption

Bring the completed Official Book Report Entry Form to a participating Showcase Cinemas on a morning of the movie.

Reward

Submit your Official Book Report Entry Form at a participating Showcase Cinemas for FREE admission into a select 10:00 a.m. movie showing.

The Scheduled Movies – all are rated PG

• July 10: Yogi Bear
• July 17: Ice Age – Continental Drift
• July 24: Madagascar 3
• July 31: The Lorax
• August 7: Hotel Transylvania

Each of these movies begins at 10:00 a.m. on the noted Wednesday morning. For adults and children ages 6 and younger, admission is FREE when accompanied by a Bookworm Wednesdays participant. Each participant can enter each of the five weeks with an official book report.

Showcase Cinemas are located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island. Check your local theater for participation.

The Showcase Cinemas Bookworm Wednesdays program offers children the opportunity to give back to parents. My children would love to know that they treated Mom and their 3-year-old sister to a movie.

Though we do not live near a Showcase Cinema, the book report form is simple and reasonable, even for my rising first grader. If you live in a tiny-town without access to many of these programs, consider using the printable resources to create your own reward program. Happy summer reading!

Photograph Credit: Public Library

Highlighting 14 summer reading programs in these two weeks, I hope you will find multiple ways to keep your reader learning and exploring this summer. These programs encourage life-long learners with rewards for meeting a goal.

Our summer reading series:

1. Barnes & Noble Imagination’s Destination
2. Chuck E. Cheese
3. Half Price Books Feed Your Brain
4. H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club
5. H-E-Buddy 321 for Summer Fun Challenge
6. iVillage Summer Reading Challenge
7. Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading
8. PBK Summer Reading Challenge
9. Public Library Summer Reading Programs

Public Library Summer Reading Programs

Participants

Possibly all readers – our local library has multiple programs: babies, children, teens, and adults. Something for everyone!

Program Length

Determined by each county – all four of our summer reading programs end on July 27, 2013.

Goal

Promote a love of learning by reading books.

Requirements

Varies from county to county, but our process is to register at our local branch, obtain a reading log, choose either set number of books or set number of hours, and log minutes read.

Redemption

Once the participant reaches a goal, bring the reading log to the branch where registered, and receive a reward.

Reward

Varies. The economy has definitely hit hard these last two years as we have seen a rapid decline in the prizes for summer reading through our public library. However, my children are challenged by the goals, and we press on to success.

Babies’ Rewards

This category is for children from birth to 35 months old with the following reward:

• Receive a FREE board book after completing 40 spaces on the early literacy activities log.

Children’s Rewards

The prizes for my children consist of the following:

• Safety light-up reflector when they read 40 books or 10 hours.
• Reading medal, minor league baseball ticket voucher, and entry into two drawings when they have read a total of 80 books or 20 hours.

Teen Rewards

The prizes for rising 6th graders to 12th graders consist of the following:

• Flashlight with pen and lanyard when they read or listen for 10 hours.
• Minor league baseball ticket voucher, waterpark discount coupon, and entry into a bike drawing when they have read or listened to a total of 20 hours.

Adult Rewards

The prizes for adult reading is as follows:

• Coupon for a FREE Starbucks beverage and entry into three drawings after reading 3 qualifying books.

Among the benefits for participating in our public library summer reading program, we gain admittance to fun performances throughout the summer. From puppet shows to best-selling authors to comedy acts, we enjoy FREE shows, practice our reading skills, and earn prizes.

Rather than comparing the prizes from year to year, we are grateful for the opportunity to win prizes including a trip to a baseball game. As you check your local library, you might find the prizes significantly down from previous years. Focus on the goal, encourage reading, and enjoy the FREE rewards. Happy summer reading!

Photograph Credit: Pizza Hut

Highlighting 14 summer reading programs in these two weeks, I hope you will find multiple ways to keep your reader learning and exploring this summer. These programs encourage life-long learners with rewards for meeting a goal.

Our summer reading series:

1. Barnes & Noble Imagination’s Destination
2. Chuck E. Cheese
3. Half Price Books Feed Your Brain
4. H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club
5. H-E-Buddy 321 for Summer Fun Challenge
6. iVillage Summer Reading Challenge
7. Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading

Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading

This program is another NEW summer reading opportunity. The site has not yet been launched. To get notification of who, what, where, when, and how, just register your e-mail address. Once the site is launched, you will receive an e-mail with the specifics.

The Book It program has been a favorite in our home for three years. My children enjoy earning pizzas for completing their reading goals. To learn more about Book It, read this post regarding our rewards and the deadline for signing up for the 2013-2014 school year.

While we wait for the Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading big reveal, we are continuing to read and record our progress as there are so many wonderful programs to encourage our readers. Happy summer reading!

Photograph Credit: iVillage

Highlighting 14 summer reading programs in these two weeks, I hope you will find multiple ways to keep your reader learning and exploring this summer. These programs encourage life-long learners with rewards for meeting a goal.

Our summer reading series:

1. Barnes & Noble Imagination’s Destination
2. Chuck E. Cheese
3. Half Price Books Feed Your Brain
4. H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club
5. H-E-Buddy 321 for Summer Fun Challenge
6. iVillage Summer Reading Challenge

iVillage Summer Reading Challenge

Participants

No age limit given.

Program Length

This program lasts for 4 weeks – June 17 – July 12, 2013.

Goal

Keep reading and learning all summer long.

Requirements

Read the daily e-mails with access to games, activities, printable sheets, and crafts.

Redemption

After completing the daily tasks, track your progress through your registered account.

Reward

Participates receive a daily opportunity to earn great prizes.

If you have a visual learner, then the iVillage Summer Reading Challenge may motivate your learner to complete the tasks and record his progress online. At my home, everything is better when the computer is involved.

In gearing up for the start date of June 17, register your e-mail address and wait for the first challenge coming in 10 days. Happy summer reading!