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2024 Kid Summer Reading Programs

Brigette’s $134 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6!

Going to College Debt-Free: Our Best Tips & Strategies

2024 Kid Summer Reading Programs

If you’re looking for summer reading programs for kids, this is our comprehensive list of all the completely FREE programs!

{Looking for other fun summer deals? Kids can bowl for free and skate for free at many participating locations this summer!

The Best Summer Reading Programs

Believe it or not, it’s almost that time of year again — when school is out and summer reading programs abound. Yay!

Note: We recommend calling your local stores to verify that they’re participating in these programs this year.

Do your kids love to read, too? If so, this is our big list of all the FREE summer reading programs that are available nationally!

Reading Programs for Elementary Aged Kids

Barnes & Noble — Earn a free book through the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program for kids in grades 1-6.

Read any eight books this summer and record them in your Summer Reading Journal (PDF download). Explain which part of the book is your favorite, and why.
Bring your completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between July 1st and August 31st, 2024.
Receive a FREE BOOK of your choice from the selection on the Reading Journal list.

Chuck E. Cheese — Kids can fill out their Reading Rewards Calendar when they read every day for two weeks, and then trade it in for 10 FREE play points at your local Chuck E. Cheese location.

Summer Reading Programs for Older Kids

Half Price Books — Starting June 1st, Half Price Books is hosting Summer Reading Camp for kids 14 or younger. Kids are encouraged to read 15 minutes per day to reach a total of at least 300 minutes. After that, they can turn in their completed reading log to their local store to earn Bookworm Bucks to spend. Each week they will also offer fun new printable activity sheets of all kinds!

Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Program — Kids ages 18 and under can select a list from the grade level bands listed. Print the list and track each book you read by checking it off and recording the date it was read, along with a rating. Submit your list to receive a recognition certificate and T-shirt!

Pizza Hut Camp Book It — In addition to their annual school year program, Pizza Hut also has their summer reading program called Camp Book it! Simply track your child’s reading during June, July, and August. Once they reach their monthly reading goal, they can redeem for a free one-topping personal pizza at Pizza Hut!

Showcase Cinemas — Bookworm Wednesdays entitles kids to free movie admission to a select children’s film when they present a book report at a participating Cinema de Lux, Showcase, or Multiplex Cinemas box office.

SYNC — A summer reading program geared toward teens aged 13 and older, the program will run for 14 weeks and offer two thematically paired audiobooks for checkout each week, for free, to every registered listener.

Local Libraries — Above all, don’t forget about your local library! Most of them offer fun summer reading programs with prizes and more.

Bonus: Don’t forget about the Pizza Hut Book-It Program that runs each school year!

Why Do a Summer Reading Program?

Summer reading programs are a great opportunity for kids to keep reading (and learning) even when they’re not in school.

Summer reading programs are free and something your children can do anywhere and at any time.

With the added incentives and prizes offered, it’s a win-win for kids and their families!

Why are Summer Reading Programs Important?

It’s good for their brain development and can help them to retain more of what they learned during the school year.

Reading is also a great way to pass the time — time they might otherwise spend zoning out to screens!

How to Encourage Kids with a Summer Reading Program

The best way to encourage your children to do anything is by modeling the behavior you want for them — so start reading!

Ask them what types of books interest them and then ask your librarian to suggest similar books at the child’s reading level. Or, select books you can read aloud to them.

Make reading time fun with special snacks, by reading outside, or by letting them “stay up late” to read one more chapter.

FAQs for Kid Summer Reading Programs

What is the best reading program?

It depends on your child’s reading level and what would be the “best” motivator for him or her. Look through the list of online reading programs above and check out your local library offerings and then just pick one!

How do you organize a summer reading program?

Save time and let your local library organize it for you — or search online for a free summer reading program. Most libraries and dozens of online websites offer reading programs for free.
Once you’ve selected the summer reading program you want to do, then have a set time each day where you and/or your children will read for at least 15-20 minutes. Make sure to record your reading time and follow up with the appropriate challenges, and of course, don’t forget to redeem any prizes or rewards!

Download our FREE Kid’s Summer Reading Printable Pack!
Looking for a fun way to encourage and motivate your kids to read more? Or need a creative way for your kids to keep track of all the books they read through summer reading programs this year?
Be sure to download our FREE Kid’s Summer Reading Printable Pack! It comes with a reading challenge, reading time tracker, and fill-in-the-blank summer reading list.

Do you know of any other Summer Reading Programs we should add to this list? Let us know in the comments!

Brigette’s $134 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6!

Aldi

1 pkg 73/27 fresh Ground Beef ($3.29/lb) – $18.54

1 pkg boneless Chicken Breasts ($2.29/lb) – $11.89

1 pkg Chicken Drumsticks ($0.99/lb) – $5.43

1 bag Sliced Pepperoni – $2.49

2 16-oz pkgs Deli Meat – $7.98

1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $4.49

1 bag Green Onions – $0.85

1 Cauliflower – $2.75

1 bag Spinach – $1.49

1 bag Mini Avocados – $3.19

1 3-ct bag Multi-Colored Peppers – $2.69

1 carton Mushrooms – $1.29

1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $4.89

1 Pineapple – $1.79

1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.85

1 16-oz bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.89

1 bag Ever Crisp Apples (3.67lbs @ $1.39/lb) – $5.10

2 16-oz bags Shredded Cheese – $6.98

1 5-lb bag All-Purpose Flour – $2.35

1 4-lb bag Sugar – $2.95

1 32-oz carton Egg Whites – $3.79

1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $2.79

2 gallons Whole Milk- $4.30

1 54-oz carton Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk – $3.19

2 jars Pasta Sauce – $3.18

1 box Butter Quarters – $3.69

1 bag Nacho Chips – $2.39

1 bag Blue Multigrain Tortilla Chips – $2.29

1 bag Semi-Sweet Morsels – $2.25

1 32-oz pkg Spaghetti Noodles – $1.88

2 pkgs Hot Dog Buns – $2.58

2 loaves Sandwich Bread – $2.58

1 dozen Eggs – $2.05

Total: $128.84

Publix

3 boxes Dave’s Killer Bread Snack Bars (B1G1) – $8.59, used (2) $2/1 printables, plus received $2 Shopmium rebate, plus received (3) $1.25 Ibotta Rebates – $1.16 Money Maker after Coupons and Rebates!

3 bags Lays Potato Chips (B1G1) – $7.40 – used $2/3 Publix digital coupon – $5.40 for 3 after coupon

1 Mush Overnight Oats – $2, used $1/1 Publix Digital Coupon, plus received $2 rebate – $1 Money Maker after Coupon and Rebate

3 boxes Fudgsicles (B1G1) – $9.09, used $5/$15 Unilever Publix digital coupon, plus $2/2 Publix digital coupon – $2.09 for 3 boxes after Coupons

Total after Coupons and Rebates – $5.33

Grocery Total for the Week: $134.17

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Smoothies, Zucchini Muffins, Eggs, Snack Bars

Lunches

Leftovers x 3

Deli Meat/Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Cucumbers/Peppers, Applesauce x 4

Dinners

Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, Creamy Milk Rice, Roasted Cauliflower

Chicken Gravy over Rice, Tossed Salad, Broccoli

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, Tossed Salad

Spaghetti, Homemade French Bread, Sliced Peppers

Chicken Pot Pie, Sliced Apples

Meatloaf (using half venison), Baked Potatoes, Biscuits, Green Beans

Leftovers

Did you do any grocery shopping this week? I’d love to hear what great deals you scored!

Going to College Debt-Free: Our Best Tips & Strategies

I recently shared a blog post on How to Graduate College Debt-Free. This post sparked so many discussions via comments and messages on my blog and through social media that I wanted to explore the topic more in-depth with Jesse on a podcast.

This is not a podcast saying that every single person should go to college with zero debt, nor is the purpose to heap shame and guilt on anyone who has college debt. Instead, our hope is just to challenge you to think outside the box a little and to share some strategies and inspiration for ways to save money on college.

In this episode, we not only share personal experience from Jesse going to college and law school debt-free, but also from recent things we’ve learned from our girls. We discuss how it begins with mindset. If you don’t believe you can do something or think something is not possible, there’s a good chance you’re not going to be very motivated to try.

We then get really practical and dig into tips and ideas for spending less on college, how to plan ahead for college expenses, how to leverage scholarships, and ways that you can significantly lower college costs just by going a nontraditional route.

I hope this episode inspires you with ideas, insights, and inspiration — whether you are thinking of going back to college, have a child who will be starting college in the not-too-distant future, or you are just curious how it might be possible to get a college degree without debt. As always, we’d love to hear your feedback, ideas, and thoughts after you listen to the episode!

In This Episode

[0:35] – Today’s topic – getting a debt-free college education, was inspired by a blog post of mine.
[2:27] – Belief in possibility is the initial step towards accomplishing anything.
[7:33] – Debt relies on uncertain futures; prioritize your current affordability.
[10:24] – Choosing in-state education and state scholarships drastically reduces college expenses.
[13:21] – Community colleges offer more affordable Gen Ed credits, which can really help save money.
[15:13] – Plan strategically and explore dual enrollment in high school + look into alternatives to living on campus.
[18:48] – Many students transfer schools after the first year, indicating initial choices may not be your final choices.
[21:45] – Challenge your own students to actively seek scholarships. Numerous opportunities exist, even for niche interests.
[24:12] – Treat scholarship hunting as a part-time job, maximizing financial aid opportunities.
[25:47] – Explore job opportunities offering tuition reimbursement or discounts, including college roles such as being an RA.
[29:53] – A mindset shift with creative solutions helps pave the way for generational financial freedom.