Free Summer Reading Programs

It’s that time of year! Summer is here and the kids are finishing up school. One of my favorite parts of summer as a kid was working through all the reading programs we could find. Free summer reading programs are a frugal source of fun while encouraging reading. Really, what’s not to love about free summer reading programs?

I love that so many of the free summer reading programs are available for babies and toddlers now because creating a good reader starts long before they enter school. As an avid reader myself, I am also glad that several of the book programs include adults now. Yes, the tracking has gone digital now for many programs but if it gets us a chance to earn free books? We’re all in!

I just finished signing the kids up for several of the free summer reading programs listed below and printed off the appropriate logs. We will hang the lists on our refrigerator, and if it’s app based (like our library now), my plan is to log those at night. We read a lot in our family so it won’t take us long to work through these summer reading programs but we will have fun every minute of it!

This is the current free summer reading programs list for 2020. I have included the dates, ages and program websites below to make it easy for you to sign up as well. Happy summer reading to you and your kids!

Please note that several programs are going virtual this year so the options are a bit more limited this year. Still, I hope you are able to find at least one or two reading programs that work for you and your family!

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

Dates: June 1 through August 31, 2020
Ages: Grades 1 to 6
Directions: Read any 8 books this summer and complete the summer reading log found online. Bring your completed form to any Barnes and Noble store in August and choose a free book. The form is not available online yet but will be posted on their Summer Reading page. 

Half Price Books Summer Reading Program

Dates: June and July 2020
Ages: Preschool to High School
Directions: Half Price Books is going virtual this year. Read and log your minutes on the Half Price Books reading log. Take a picture of your reading log and tag Half Price Books for a chance to win weekly prizes on social media. More details and all forms available on the Half Price Books Summer Reading Program page. 

Concordia Publishing House Summer Reading Program

Dates: May 25 to August 7, 2020
Ages: 0 to Adult
Directions: Log any book online you read over the summer and receive points for each book read. You earn 50 points for any book and 100 points for any book published by CPH. Log 1000 points and be entered to win a prize. You receive a prize entry every time you reach 1000 points. Every child who logs 1000 points will receive a free book in the mail. You can set up a family account to log books for multiple users. More details available on the CPH Reads website. 

Local Library Summer Reading Programs

Every local library offers a summer reading program so be sure to check yours! The details below are for the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for an example. 

Dates: June 1 to July 31, 2020
Ages: 0 to Adult
Directions: Register online with the Beanstack App and log your reading. Children can pick a prize and 2 free books at the library for completing levels. Teens earn a prize ticket for each hour read, plus earn 2 free books. Adults earn a prize ticket for each hour read, plus a free snack bag. More details available on the ACPL Summer Reading Guide. 

Do you have any other free summer reading programs to add to this list? If you are looking for more frugal family fun, be sure to download this free summer bucket list printable for families.