2018 FREE Summer Reading Programs for Kids

One of my favorite lists to update each year! The 2018 2018 FREE Summer Reading Programs for Kids list is a good one and one thing that I love about signing up for all of these now is that it starts the summer off on the right foot. We make it a point to read a lot in the summer and these incentives and bonus programs really help.

Our favorite program started accepting applications yesterday.

The Barnes and Noble Summer Journal

The Barnes and Noble Summer Journal program is live now and they are accepting applications for kids grades 1-6. Go here to print off the application and then bring it into your local Barnes and Noble store. When kids read 8 books and fill out the their reading journal they will be allowed to select a free book!

Also! I highly recommend signing your kids up for the Barnes and Noble Kids Club. Membership is free and kids can earn rewards for book purchases PLUS a free cupcake for their birthday!

DOGObooks Summer Reading Program

Another of our favorites, the DOGObooks Summer Reading Program is a great one because they have so many great book suggestions for kids and kids can read and review books to earn free books! Kids can do the process over and over again (up to 20 books) and it’s a great way to encourage reading all summer long. Keep in mind, parents will need to give consent before reward books can be sent.

Half Price Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program

I love the name of this one! It’s the Half Price Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program and it’s so good and it’s for kids 14 and under. Download the summer reading log and then add up your minutes – having a parent or guardian initial each week. Once you’ve reached 300 minutes or more, bring your reading log into your local HPB store to claim your Bookworm Bucks! (one or before August 30, 2018.)

Chuck E. Cheese Reading Rewards Calendar

The Chuck E Cheese reading incentive is available all year long, but might be a great way to motivate kids to read with a trip to Chuck E. Cheese as the rewards! How about free tokens on their next visit to Chuck E. Cheese’s? Print out our free rewards calendar to get started.

Download and print out the calendar
Mark the days off with a pen or sticker as your child accomplishes their goals
Bring in the completed calendars to Chuck E. Cheese’s and receive 10 free tokens as a reward

Scholastic’s Summer Challenge

Scholastic’s Summer Challenge: is live now through September 7th, 2018. It’s a free summer reading program invites kids (ages 4-14) and each year includes a different theme! Harry Potter fans will love that this year the theme is “A Magical Summer of Reading,” which comes to life on the website with the beautiful Harry Potter illustrations by Jim Kay. Such a great way to encourage reading and celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. If you’ve done this challenge in the past, you’ll want to make note of quite a few changes this year.

At the end of the summer, Scholastic will recognize the top school in each state, and the top 10 libraries and top 10 community partners nationwide with the most minutes read. Click here for the full rules.

Showcase Cinemas Bookworm Wednesdays

Showcase Cinemas Bookworm Wednesdays (select locations): Each Wednesday, kids can bring in a book report and receive FREE movie admission! If you have this program in your area, you are SO lucky! I love that kids can read and earn the reward of a movie, what a fun incentive!

The Books-A-Million Summer Reading Adventure

The Books-A-Million Summer Reading Adventure allows kids to read 4 books from the Summer Reading Adventure section in-stores and online and when completed they will receive a pencil case with pencils! Kids can keep track of their progress by printing out and documenting their progress in the Summer Reading Adventures notebook.

Barefoot Books Summer Reading Club

The folks at Barefoot Books invite kids to become a reading hero with the Barefoot Books Summer Reading Club and adventure to the Kindness Kingdom!

When kids sign up for the Barefoot Books Summer Reading Club, they’ll get FREE access to the Summer Reading Clubhouse, where they will receive a kid-friendly reading log and special Kindness Kingdom Book Report to track summer adventures, a recommended reading list along with special activities and more. Club members will also receive emails with activity printables and expert tips for boosting literacy, empathy and kindness.

Pizza Hut Book It! Reading Program

This is a good one, especially if you have a kid that loves pizza! Pizza Hut BOOK IT! is a free program designed to encourage students in grades K-6 to read more by earning a Reading Award Certificate for a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza® from Pizza Hut. This program runs all year long but what a neat incentive for a summer pizza date!
Book It! also offers some great teacher resources to encourage summer reading and Shelf Help which is a resource for encouraging and starting book clubs!

It’s no secret that I love books! Make sure to check out my She Reads selection of favorite books and if you happen to be in organization mode (I am!) you might also want to checkout my article on How to Declutter and Organize Books.

Keep kids reading this summer! Make sure to check out my list of 2018 Good Grade Freebies for Kids along with my Free Summer Passport Printable to keep kids excited about reading all summer long!

Happy Reading!