hello june! …it’s time for summer reading contests

It’s time for summer adventures, summer breaks from routines, and hopefully some terrific summer reading!

Once again I’m posting info about free Summer Reading Incentive Programs because — who does not want to win prizes?!?! My kids loved participating in their library programs over the summer and winning free stuff by doing what they loved anyhow, reading. Such a deal!

If I’ve missed a great program you know of, please tell us about it in the comments.

1. Your local library — Libraries around the Twin Cities offer great prizes for reading, plus all the books you could ever want free for the taking with that magical library card. I’ll bet your library has something great cooking for summer, so head on down to your local library first.

2. Read any 8 books and complete a simple reading journal to receive a free book from Barnes and Noble.  Download a journal and  locate a store near you at the link here (you have to scroll down the page a bit.) You can also see which books are being offered as prizes by downloading the journal.

3. Read books, take short online quizzes, and earn prizes from Sylvan Learning. Find out all about their Book Adventure program here. 

4. The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge always features a lollapalooza of a website crackling with exciting whatsits. Read and log minutes, unlock activities, earn rewards, and enter for a chance at a Klutz book (always so fun!) Find out more here. 

5. Half Price Books’ Feed Your Brain program (love that title) has kids logging their reading time to earn Bookworm Bucks. Find our more here. 

6. Read every day for two weeks and win tokens for games at Chuck E Cheese. The English reading chart is here and the Spanish version is here. You do have to order food to redeem those tokens.

7. If you’ve got a Books a Million store near you (Twin Citians, we don’t) you can read to win a Maze Runner water bottle. Geared for middle graders and up. That program is here.

8. Teens can download a free audio book — actually two free audiobooks! — each week with the Sync program from Audiofile. Learn all about the program here.

9. Those of you in the Twin Cities, march yourselves down to the Red Balloon Bookshop on Grand Avenue and pick up a bingo card for their Summer of Reading Without Walls program. Read books about folks different from yourself, fill in the bingo board, and bring the card in for a prize. 

I’ll be blogging all summer. I’ve got a tour of the world cooked up for you, plus gobs of great picture books, fascinating nonfiction, some excellent titles for World Refugee Day, and if I get time enough I’ll let you know what chapter books tickle my fancy. If you don’t want to miss a post, just Follow the Blog and you’ll be notified via e-mail.