Summer brings lots of time for recreation and reading! Between these summer reading programs and free summer movies and free bowling, your kids will be filled with fun things to do this summer! You can start planning now to make this a summer of fun reading. Think your child needs a little incentive to read those books?
Below you’ll find a list of summer reading programs that will get your kids excited to read with offers like free books, money, prizes, events and more. You can also find Tampa Bay Area locations that are celebrating the summer with fun and exciting Reading Programs.
Disclosure: Affiliate links may be found throughout this post. We only add links that we believe adds value to our readers.
1. Free Audiobooks
Audiobooks are great for using at home or on the road traveling this summer.
- Free ebooks and audiobooks on the Overdrive app.
- Try out Hoopla.
2. Your Local Tampa Area Library
Libraries are a great way to spend the summer learning and reading books. You will find that your local library may also include fun science, cooking, sewing, crafts, or technology classes during the summer. Check out your local library system to see what they have planned.
- Hillsborough County Library Cooperative
- Pasco County Library System
- Pinellas County Library System
- Sarasota County Summer Reading Program
- Polk County
- Hernando County
3. 2023 Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program
Barnes and Noble is rewarding summer readers with a free book. Their Imagination’s Destination reading program, gives out a free book to each child who reads any 8 books and records it in their Reading Journal. Your children can choose to read book from the library, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble – write about their favorite part in our Reading Journal, and bring a completed Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Children then choose their free book from the books listed on the Reading Journal and collect their free book from a store near them.
Once completed, kids can bring their completed 2020 Reading Journal to their local B & N store to select their free book.
Eligible Grades/Ages: Grades 1-6
Reward: Free book
Program: Bring your completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between July 1st and August 31st, 2023.
See the full details and Barnes and Noble locations near you.
4. ABCmouse.com
ABCmouse you not only get reading programs, you also get an entire educational program through one source. No need to search the internet for a collection of resources. ABCmouse has more than 8,500 learning activities for Kids ages 2-8 years old. They also have over 7,000 digital books and you can try it our for free for the first month.
5. 2023 Reading with the Rays
Round the bases by reading a total of 24 hours this summer and receive Rays prizes! Get your official 2023 reading card by visiting the Reading with the Rays website.
As you read, track your hours by rounding the bases. When you read enough hours to get on first, second and third base ask your parent or guardian to initial your card.
Eligible Grades/Ages: Grades K-12
Reward: Earn free prizes from the Rays!
Program: Visit the Rays site for updated info.
How to redeem: Once you read a total of 24 hours email your completed game card to [email protected].
6. 2023 Hillsborough County MyOn Summer Reading Program
Hillsborough County students can participate in the Summer Reading weekly challenges through MyON and track your extra reading below to earn chances at these amazing Summer Reading Challenge experiences! Hillsborough County gives K-8 children free access to 7,000 thousand online books through MyOn.
Eligible Grades/Ages: Grades K-12th
Reward: Prizes will be given out weekly.
Program:The challenge runs from June 1, 2023 – July 31, 2023.
Learn more about the Hillsborough County MyOn Summer Program
7. 2023 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
From May 9 through August 19, kids can visit the summer zone in Scholastic Home Base, a completely free digital destination which offers stories, characters, games, and a community of readers. Home Base is moderated for safety 24/7.
Reward: Earn rewards. Visit kids.scholastic.com/kids/home/ to log the reading points & play games.
Find out more about the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
8. Sync Reading for Teens
Instead of blaring music, your teens can stay entertained with audiobooks through the summer. SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens 13+. SYNC will give away two complete audiobook downloads a week – pairs of high interest titles, based on weekly themes.
Each week there will be two young adult books that teens will be able to download for free through the OverDrive app.
Eligible Grades/Ages: 13+
Reward: Free audiobooks each week.
Program: See website for more information.
9. 2023 Chuck E. Cheese’s Reading Rewards
Chuck E. Cheese’s has their own summer reading program that goes on all year long. Children can mark off reading for two weeks and they can redeem their Reading Rewards Calendar for 10 free play points.
Only at participating locations. Food purchase is required.
Eligible Grades/Ages: Chuck E. Cheese’s did not set an age limit. Call for more information.
Reward: 10 free tokens. (Food purchase is required)
Program: Runs until Dec. 31, 2023.
10. 2023 Book It! Summer Reading
Parents, join us for Camp BOOK IT! and keep rewarding your kids all summer long. Track and reward your kids’ reading for June, July and August in our digital dashboard. When they meet their monthly reading goal, they’ll receive a free one-topping Personal Pan Pizza® from Pizza Hut! We’ll also share fun activities and book recommendations each week to keep the fun going throughout the summer! Enroll today!
Eligible Grades/Ages: Grades K-6
Reward: Free one-topping personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!
11. Sylvan’s Book Adventure Reading Program
Sylvan’s Book Adventure is a fun way for kids to get involved in reading this summer. Kids in grades K-8 can search for books, read them offline, come back and take a quiz on what they’ve read, and earn points.
These points can then be redeemed for prizes like books, magazine subscriptions, temporary tattoos, and candy.
Eligible Grades/Ages: Grades K-8
Reward: Earn points to redeem for prizes.
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