Summer offers a conundrum for parents. While they definitely want to make sure the kids get a break from school stress, taking time to rest and recharge, they're warned over and over again about the dreaded "summer slide," where kids get so relaxed that they forget what they learned over the school year. Where should conscientious caregivers draw the line?
Luckily Barnes & Noble is offering an easy way to encourage kids to keep up their reading, at least. The bookstore is offering a free book for any child in grades 1 through 6 who completes its Summer Reading Program. That seems like a win-win: Parents can feel good knowing that their kids are keeping their brains sharp, and kids know that they get a prize for their efforts.
The requirements of the reading program aren't too strenuous, either. First, kids have to read eight books in order to claim the free one. The good news: It can be any eight books. They don't come from a pre-determined summer reading list. They don't have to be books from Barnes & Noble. It can be books that they've read already and have on their bookshelves, or books that come from the library. Anything is fair game.
In addition, little readers have to complete a summer reading log, which they will turn in to claim their prize. But again, this requirement isn't too strenuous. They just have to fill out the title and author of the book, and write one sentence about their favorite part. That way, maybe their handwriting will get a little bit of a workout, too. The reading log form is available to download at the Barnes & Noble website.
Once the reading log is complete, kids can bring it to a Barnes & Noble store and turn it in throughout the months of July and August — the program ends on August 31. Unfortunately, they can't turn it in for any book they desire. There's a pre-set list of giveaway books, but it's pretty extensive. There are about a dozen books offered in three different reading levels (one for first and second-graders, one for third and fourth graders and one for fifth and sixth graders). Giveaway books include Stella & Marigold — a Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Award winner — classics like The Twits and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, newer favorites like Pizza & Taco or Smile and fun books like Try Not to LOL: Jokes for Kids.
For more information on the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program, check out the store's website. Or, get the family started on their eight books with some of the Good Housekeeping Institute's favorite kids' books.
Get Your Summer Reading Started
Buffalo Fluffalo
Lightfall: The Dark Times
Aladdin The Sherlock Society
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
