[blparent] 5 summer reading programs

[Brandy W]

Summer: watermelon, trips to the beach, grilling out, laying in the sun, and
don't forget reading! It is still a great time for great books, and here are
five summer reading programs for kids that will make it even more fun for
your children.

 <http://hpb.com/community/fyb/> Half Price Books

Dates: June 1, 2011 - July 31, 2011

Who It's For: Kids ages 14 and under

How It Works: Read together for at least 15 minutes per day and keep track
of your time on their Summer Reading Log. If you read at least 600 minutes
during the dates, you will get a $5 gift certificate. And 1 top reader in
each age group will win a $20 gift card too. They also have some great
reading tips on their website, as well as a list of stores.

 <http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_double-dog-dare> Borders
Books

Dates: June 1, 2011 - September 5, 2011

Who It's For: Kids 12 and under

How It Works: Fill out a summer reading log, read 10 books, and then get 1
free. They do still have last years' information for this up on their
website, so don't be confused. It took some hunting, and a phone call to
Borders, but it is for 12 and under (not 14), and the final date is in Sept.
not Aug. One thing to know is that the free book must be chosen from a
limited selection of books - only 20 books to choose from. Many of these
appear to be for older children too, so the selection for toddlers is even
more limited. None of the books on this list are ones that I have heard of,
other than "Danny the Dinosaur." It also was unclear from the website
whether you could turn in more than one filled out form. When I hear back
from Borders on this question I will make sure to update you all.

 <http://www.tdbank.com/summerreading/> TD Bank

Dates: May 4, 2011 - September 30, 2011

Who It's For: Anyone under 18. Note: You must go into a local TD Bank to
take advantage of this, so check their website to see if there is one near
you.

How It Works: Read 10 books, write them down on the Summer Reading List, and
turn in to your local TD Bank to get $10 for a Young Savers account (both
new and existing). Even if you find that you are not near a TD Bank, it is
worth checking out their website. They have some great tips for teaching
children about money, encouraging them to save money, and even books for
children about money. The website does state one coupon per customer, so you
might want to check with your local branch as to how they handle accounts
for multiple children in the same family (since the parent usually needs to
be on the account too, and may limit who is considered a customer).

 <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/index.asp> Barnes and Noble 

Dates: May 24, 2011 - September 6, 2011

Who It's For: Grades 1-6 (unfortunately not available for toddlers,
preschoolers, or kindegarteners)

How It Works: The information on the website is pretty lacking when it comes
to any details of the program. A call to Barnes and Noble (holding for some
time, and speaking to several customer service reps who apparently didn't
know either) yielded the information about dates and ages. The process is to
read 8 books, fill out their reading log, and then turn in to a local Barnes
and Noble. Like Borders Books, you can only select from a list, and with
even fewer titles than the Borders list. There are 5 choices for children's
books grades 1 and 2, 6 choices for grades 3 and 4, and 7 choices for grades
5 and 6.

I was excited to see a downloadable parents activity kit, but was a bit
dissapointed upon review. The majority of the 8 pages are just another copy
of the reading form (in English and Spanish) and the remaining three
activities are all "book-work" type fill-in-the-blank about different types
of literature and authors. Perhaps something you could have your older kids
do just to keep up on the school-type stuff, but not very engaging, and
certainly not useful for  younger children.

 <http://www.hebuddy.com/> H.E. Buddy

(This is a Flash site. Click on the "Clubs and Contests" link on the left to
view information about the reading program.)

Dates: Now - October 1

Who It's For: Any children who love books (no age limits listed, and
read-a-loud engouraged for young children).

How It Works: Download and fill out the summer reading list and mail it in
by October 1. Then wait 3-4 weeks to get your prizes sent back in the mail.
No dates, contact information, or other way to confirm this program were
listed in the website. Without a year, it was not even clear if this is
recent or not. However, for the price of a stamp it may be worth a try. Just
don't let your kids get their hopes up too high.

Tell Us About Your Success! 

We would love to hear how you were able to use these reading programs with
your kids to get everyone excited about books for the summer. And please
share if you know of other reading programs we missed here. Thanks!

Happy summer reading!

 

 

 

 

 

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll
smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future
worth living for."
-Author Unknown 

 

Brandy Wojcik  Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team leader

(512) 689-5045

www.playtoachieve.com

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