Ten Reason Your Kids Should Participate in a Summer Reading Program

by Rebecca J. Gomez When my kids were young, summer reading programs were a sure thing. For the most part, my children were avid readers, especially my girls. A summer reading program wasn't necessary to encourage them to read, but we participated because it was a fun addition to summer. And the free pizza, books, and water park tickets definitely didn't hurt! There are lots of reasons to participate in a summer reading program or challenge, and here are ten of them: 1. Many summer reading programs offer prizes. And while we all know that reading is its own reward, some kids haven't figured that out yet. For those kids, a prize is just the incentive they need to stick their noses in a book now and then over the summer. 2. It's a fun way to reward those kids who will be reading no matter what! 3. For some families, trips to the library may help break up summer monotony.  4. Summer reading programs promote reading together as a family, especially for those with very young

Summer Challenge Week Five: FIREWORKS!

 


We are into the second month of celebrating reading and fun with the Read, Discuss, Do Summer Challenge! If you are just joining us, feel free to catch up with previous challenges or dive right in starting with this week's theme: FIREWORKS!

We are continuing a celebration of the USA with today's theme, but even if you're not planning on doing any celebrating this week, you can still play along by reading a book that features fireworks and doing some kind of fireworks activity with your readers. Besides lighting or watching actual fireworks, you could write your own poems about fireworks or create a fireworks themed art project. Be creative and have fun! If you share about this on social media, please use the hashtag #RDDSummerChallenge on Instagram and Twitter. 

Recommended titles: 

Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Mercè López - A collection of haiku which is not specifically about fireworks, but look at that cover. And there is a haiku about fireworks in it. 

The Night Before the Fourth of July by Amy Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer - A charming story about a family's Fourth of July celebration written in the style of T'was the Night Before Christmas.

You're My Little Firecracker by Nicola Edwards, illustrated by Natalie Marshall - A cute and festive board book celebrating the love between parent and child.


Do you have a favorite fireworks book? Do you like to light your own or watch from a distance? 

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