Skip to content
Pragmatic Mom
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Policies
    • Media Kit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • KidLit Blogroll
  • My Book Lists
    • My List of Lists
    • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
    • #OwnVoices
    • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids
    • Asian American Children’s Books
    • African American Children’s Books
    • Arab American Children’s Books
    • Latinx American Children’s Books
    • Native American Children’s Books
    • LGBTQIA+ Children’s Books
    • Diverse Books for Kids
    • Best Books for Kids
  • Education
    • STEM/STEAM
    • Math
    • Social Studies
    • Art Projects for Kids
    • Applying to Art School
    • Applying to College
    • Book Club for Kids
    • 70+ Free Educational Games
  • Controversial
    • Sexual Misconduct in Children’s Book Publishing #MeToo #TimesUp
    • Rethinking & Examining Dr. Seuss’ Racism
    • Blood Feud over YA #BloodHeir
    • Tulsa Race Massacre: What They Don’t Teach You in History Books
    • The Chinese Exclusion Act – What They Don’t Teach in History Books
    • Segregation in California Schools: What They Don’t Teach in History Books
    • SCBWI Minnesota Racist Illustration and Gaslighting Response
  • My Books
    • My Book Announcements
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Carter G. Woodson Book Award Honoree!
    • We Sing From the Heart makes Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco on Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco featured in Booklist
    • Origami French Fries: Activity for THE TRAVELING TACO
    • Book Announcement: A Place to Call Home! {and a new title …}
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE makes Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction!
    • Cover Reveal of my latest picture book … FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!
    • Picture Book Announcement! BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • Book Announcement! Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist
    • Kirkus Reviews My Newest Picture Book: THE TRAVELING TACO
    • We Sing From the Heart is a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner!
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART wins California Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
    • Dorktales Podcast: Simon Tam, Hidden Hero of History
    • Food for the Future Wins Nautilus Silver Book Award
    • Food for the Future makes Mass Book Award Long List!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE Makes Green Earth Book Award Long List!
    • Food for the Future is a finalist for 2023 INDIES Book of the Year!
    • New! Food for the Future Activity and Discussion Guide!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection!
    • ‘Food for the Future’ selected for Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best books
    • Scholastic Purchased CHANGING THE GAME!
    • Starred Review for FOOD FOR THE FUTURE from School Library Journal!
    • Sumo Joe makes Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year list!
    • How To Coach Girls wins Silver Award!
    • Posts on My Books
  • My Book Events
    • My Book Events
Menu
Summer Reading Programs & Free Books for Kids

Summer Reading Programs & Free Books for Kids

Posted on June 8, 2016May 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

I’ve rounded up FREE literacy resources for parents to get their kids reading. First, I found summer reading programs that your kids can enter to win prizes including free books. Next, I searched for free books — the good kind — and weeded out the weird sites with books that I’ve never heard of. Finally, I found fun literacy activities like book trailers, a site to make your own story book, and a contest to shoot your own 90 second Newbery book movie.

Happy reading this summer! What else do you need to get your kids reading?

p.s. Photos featured are from my Caught in the Act of Reading program. Parents sent me their photos of kids caught reading and I sent them a book.

kids reading

Summer Reading Programs

Scholastic Summer Reading Home Base for kids, educators, and parents.

The Scholastic Summer Reading program offers kids an exciting, free, and safe summer reading experience, while helping to provide books to kids with limited or no access over the summer, keeping every child reading.

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program.

Participation is a fun and easy way for kids to earn free books. They simply read a designated number of books – library books, 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 during July and August.

My son is reading to his grandma and the frog he caught.

Jennifer’s son is reading to his grandma and the frog he caught.

Baby Audrie loves to read already!

Baby Audrie loves to read already!

SYNC is a summer reading program for teens. SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens 13+. The program provides two thematically paired audiobooks for checkout each week, for free, to every registered listener, for 14 weeks. That equals out to 28 free books over the course of the program.

PBS Kids Summer Reading Chart. Super Why has a summer reading curriculum.

Pizza Hut CAMP BOOK IT! 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!

Chuck E. Cheese. Kids earn 10 points every time they read for two weeks in a row.

Six Flags Read to Succeed. Read to Succeed is a program that encourages students in grades K through 6 to read for fun. Students who complete six hours of recreational reading earn a free ticket to Six Flags! The program is available to teachers and schools at no cost to participate.

Learning Ally. A national not-for-profit organization serving students with learning and visual disabilities has kicked off its “Summer Reading Together” program –  a unique initiative designed specifically for students with reading disabilities, such as dyslexia and blindness or visual impairment.

Your professional sports teams. Many professional sports teams sponsor summer reading programs, including the Patriots, Denver Broncos, the Portland Trailblazers, Red Sox, and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Scholastic Summer Reading Program. From Monday, April 26 to Friday, September 3 kids can participate in the Scholastic Summer Reading Program where they will be encouraged to read, celebrate their achievements and help increase access to books for their peers.

H‑E‑Buddy Summer Reading Club. HEBuddy is ready for summer fun and summer jamming, so it’s time to kick off our H‑E‑Buddy Summer Reading Club. All you have to do is read ten books and record them on your reading log from the form linked below. And remember, one of the books must be a Read 3 Book (see choices below). Each time you log a book, have an adult initial by the title so you get credit for reading. Once the log is complete, mail the form to the address below, and you’ll be rewarded with a special prize. You have until October 1 to get in ten good reads. Texas summers are made for adventures, and some of the best adventures you find are in books, so find a stack of books and start exploring.*

Your Public Library. Check out your public library’s summer reading program.

FREE (good) Books for Kids

Storyline Online. Videos of really good picture books being read aloud.

Amazon’s Free Kids eBooks. The books listed on Amazon are the top 100 bestsellers, and they’re updated hourly.

UsTyme. 50 classic e-book fairytales like Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and hundreds more. Kids can read independently, side-by-side with a caring adult, or remotely in a live video call using the free ustyme app.

A to Z Kids Stuff. Free Kindle ebooks for children. The books are not well-known picture books but there’s a good assortment of books that will be new to the reader.

eReaderIQ. Free ebooks for kids. This has a good assortment of chapter books, nonfiction picture books, and poetry books. The book selection changes as this site capture popular freebies during the last 24 hours.

Read.gov. Free classic books. Old-timey classic chapter books from the Library of Congress like Jack in the Beanstalk, The Jungle Book, Peter Rabbit, and Robin Hood.

PJ Library. PJ Library sends free Jewish children’s books to families across the world every month. Families with kids ages 6 months through 8 years old with Judaism as part of their lives, are welcome to sign up, regardless of their Jewish background, knowledge, or observance.

Loyal Books. Free audiobooks for kids featuring timeless classics like Black Beauty, Little Women, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Railway Children.

We Give Books is a free website that enables anyone with internet access to put books in the hands of children who don’t have them, simply by reading online.

Reading is Fundamental. Free ebooks and reading lists.

Fun FREE Literacy Activities

Create Your Own Story. A fun and easy-to-use website to create your own storybook.

Children’s and YA Book Trailers: Random House Kids, Children’s Book Trailers, Scholastic, Children’s Book Guild, Harper Collins Children’s Videos, Book Trailers for Readers, Teaching Books,

90 Second Newbery. The 90–Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers create weird movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in about 90 seconds. Make one this summer and enter the 2017 contest in January.

Summer Reading Programs & Free Books for Kids

p.s. Related posts:

Summer Reading Lists

78+ Summer Reading Book Lists

20 Great Books For Kids of All Ages Set During the Summer

Best Middle School Books for Summer Reading

Read Aloud Book Lists By Grade

 

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.

 

My books:

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

 Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

  • Junior Library Guild Gold selection
  • Massachusetts Book Award Long List
  • Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
  • Starred review from School Library Journal
  • Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
  • 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
  • Green Earth Book Award Long List
  • Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

 Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

cover for Sumo JoeChanging the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia WenjenAmazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

How To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison FoleyAsian Pacific American Heroes

12 thoughts on “Summer Reading Programs & Free Books for Kids”

  1. Dee says:
    June 8, 2016 at 9:19 am

    Love this and sharing it widely!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 11, 2016 at 4:51 pm

      Thanks so much for sharing Dee!!!

      Reply
  2. Maria Gianferrari says:
    June 8, 2016 at 11:38 am

    This looks great, Mia!! I’ll post it on FB now!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 11, 2016 at 4:51 pm

      Thanks so much for sharing Maria!!

      Reply
  3. Stephanie Kammeraad says:
    June 8, 2016 at 10:29 pm

    This is a great resource, Mia! Thank you for putting it together!

    Knowing you are one of the founders of Multicultural Children’s Book Day (I’m one of the review bloggers :), I’m pretty confident you’ll enjoy knowing about the free Summer Reading Program that Barefoot Books has this summer!

    It’s called the “World Passport Summer Reading Program” and the idea is to get kids to read around the world! When a parent signs up (through email), we’re able to download and print out a make-your-own passport activity, which is a reading log that encourages kids to read stories from around the world. The parents receive four emails throughout the summer filled with literacy tips, info about the importance of reading aloud, etc. As a fellow mama who wants her children to think of themselves as global citizens, I thought you and your readers might like to check it out! Here is a link: http://www.barefootbooks.com/index.php?cID=79383&bf_affiliate_code=000-11q3

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 11, 2016 at 4:54 pm

      Hi Stephanie,
      I didn’t know abut the Barefoot Books Summer Reading program. It sounds wonderful! Thanks for adding it to my list!!!

      Reply
  4. Sue Anne Reyes says:
    June 8, 2016 at 10:39 pm

    Very nice article! Worth sharing this one. Thanks for letting us understand this kind of thing. Kudos!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 11, 2016 at 4:54 pm

      Thanks so much Sue Anne!

      Reply
  5. Darren Scott says:
    June 24, 2016 at 9:43 am

    This is such a great activity for children and they get the chance to receive free books. It is helpful to have some activities like reading programs during summer, which allow your kids to enjoy, have fun, socialize, and at the same time learn. Moreover, it helps boost their interest to read more books. Once they get used to it and become a hobby. you can buy personalized books for your kids. I’m sure they will love it.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 11, 2016 at 7:35 pm

      Hi Darren,
      I think that most of these are summer reading programs.

      Reply
  6. Tina J. Owens says:
    April 8, 2019 at 10:15 am

    This good news. Every parent must engage their children with summer reading programs. It helps them explore new things and be responsible kids

    https://www.wiaudiobooks.com/product/who-moved-my-cheese-audiobook/

    Reply
  7. Jen Gutz says:
    November 10, 2021 at 1:00 am

    This is such a big help!

    I actually enrolled my daughter in the Reading Comprehension Online Class of an International School in the Philippines (www.georgia.edu.ph) to help her practice reading during the vacation. But when I saw your article, it made me interested since their will be free books that we can use for practicing. Hope you can share more articles like this soon. More power to your blog!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Looking for something? Search here.

I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen Pragmatic Mom

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog excessively about diverse children’s books (picture books through middle grade). I am also the co-founder of Read Your World Celebrates Multicultural Children’s Book Day on Jan 25, 2024, our 11th year!

I’d love to chat with you. Let’s connect! PragmaticMomBlog (at) gmail (dot) com or through my social media handles.

Free Blog Updates in your Inbox (RSS feed)

Monthly Newsletter with Subscriber Only Giveaways in your Inbox

My Linktree (click for my links & socials)

my linktree

My Websites

  • How To Coach Girls
  • I Love Newton
  • Mia Wenjen (My New Author Website)

Camp Cody: Overnight Camp in New Hampshire

Read Your World LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch!

https://www.pragmaticmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Read-Your-World-FINAL-Merchandise-Video.mp4

Purchase Read Your World Merch

LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch.

Buy it here!

Search Amazon

Find Children's Books

Newton Children’s Book Festival 2025

Newton Children's Book Festival 2025

Get My Books Signed or Inscribed through my shop (click to purchase)

Mia Wenjen signed books

Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

We Sing From the Heart (click to pre-order)

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

FOOD FOR THE FUTURE (click to purchase)

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

CHANGING THE GAME (click to purchase)

Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen

SUMO JOE (click to purchase)

Sumo Joe cover reveal

Asian Pacific American Heroes (click to purchase)

Asian Pacific American Heroes by Mia Wenjen

GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures // I have 3 haiku poems (click to purchase)

GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures 3 haiku by Mia Wenjen
Read Your World is Multicultural Children's Book Day

ClothingRIC- A Premium Coupon Website!

ThingsFromMars- The Wondrous World of Wacky Gift Products!

How to Get Kids Reading

  • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
  • Getting Kids to Love Reading
  • Summer Reading Lists for Kids By Grade
  • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids

Heim Nest Kid Mattress Exclusive Deal

Heim Nest Kid Mattress

AdvancedWriters.com is an expert writing service which helps students with academic writing.

educational toys

CEX.IO is a versatile crypto exchange platform where users can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies, as well as access resources and tools to learn how to trade effectively.

MyPaperDone.com
is surely one of the best when it comes to paper writing assistance.

My Custom Essay
will guide you through academic life.

Essay Writing Services

If you ask "write my essay", Topessaywriting can help you with paper writing

TranslationReport can help you to choose the best translation service

If you are looking for the most trusted essay writing service, check this article about best essay writing service reviews at Econotimes

educational toys from dhgate stores

Assignment Writing Services Offer Assignment Assistance In UK Based Company 50% Discount Students

Playing at online casinos can be an exciting and rewarding experience, and you can find the best options at casinoszondercruksonline.com. 

For those seeking a safe and reputable gambling experience, the Meest betrouwbare buitenlandse casino lijst is an invaluable resource.

Archives

Categories

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship (click to purchase)

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

HOW TO COACH GIRLS (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls silver award winner

Archives

I’ll be sharing WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED MY KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

HOW TO COACH GIRLS book trailer by Mia Wenjen & Alison Foley

https://youtu.be/j74M0bBxrGg

Recent Posts

  • Changing the Game’s 4th Birthday & 4 Signed Book GIVEAWAY! July 7, 2025
  • Battle of Lexington and Concord: America 250 July 4, 2025
  • WONDER WHY by Lisa Varchol Perron Book Event July 2, 2025
  • 10 STEM Picture Books about Planet Earth & GIVEAWAY! June 30, 2025
  • Thank you to Canvas Rebel for Featuring Me June 27, 2025

Categories

© 2025 Pragmatic Mom | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT