Keep your kids excited about reading all summer long with these great programs! From bookstores to libraries, we’ve rounded up all of the summer reading activities available for kids and teens (and even a few for adults!) in the Austin area. Happy reading!
Summer Reading Programs: Bookstore
Barnes & Noble
through August 31 | All locations
The Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program encourages children in grades 1-6 to read books of their own choosing and earn a FREE book, simply by following these three easy steps: 1. Read any eight books this summer and record them in your Summer Reading Journal (English or Español). Tell which part of the book is your favorite, and why. 2. Bring your completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between August 1st and August 31, 2019. 3. Choose your FREE reading adventure from the book list featured on the back of the journal.
BookPeople
Kick-off June 4 | from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | 603 N Lamar Blvd, Austin
Come celebrate summer reading with BookPeople, Dog Man & Clifford the Big Red Dog! Join the Scholastic Read-a-Palooza! We’ll have storytime, activity stations, giveaways, a book donation box, and photo-ops with two of your favorite characters: Dog Man and Clifford! This fun summer reading extravaganza is not to be missed!
They’ve also partnered with AISD on the 5 Book Dive summer program and they’ll be there to help kick off summer reading season. Here at BookPeople, we believe that there is nothing better to do on a lazy summer day than to dig into a great book. And that’s why we have partnered with AISD for the Five Book Dive Summer Reading Challenge for readers grades K-12! How to get started: Come to BookPeople to pick up a summer reading bookmark for your age level. (Bookmarks will be available by the end of the school year.) You are going to want to hang on to this because it’s also your reading tracking form that you’re going to use all summer and turn back in to us before school starts. What you get to read: Feel free to explore this list of recommended books for grades K-12 in English and K-5 in Spanish. The whole point of the Five Book Dive is to encourage reading for pleasure, so you get to read 5 self-selected books to complete this challenge!
Half Price Books
Kick-off June 2 at 2:00 p.m. | Various locations
Local stores will have a special event on Sunday, June 2 at 2:00 p.m. to kick off the FEED YOUR BRAIN® Summer Reading Program. Kids of all ages are invited for the Biggest Storytime of the Summer and to celebrate reading and family literacy with this nationwide read-in event. Kids 14 and under can earn Bookworm Bucks by reading 15 minutes a day. (Grown-ups may read aloud to kids who are still learning.) Use the reading log, add up your minutes, and have a parent or guardian initial each week. Once you’ve reached 300 or more minutes, bring your log to your local HPB on or before August 29 to claim your Bookworm Bucks.
Summer Reading Programs: Library
Austin Public Library
It’s that time again! The Austin Public Library is your ticket to a summer full of reading and loads of fun activities this June through August. All Library programs are FREE and open to the public. Click here for your printable reading log. Return your completed log to any of the Austin Public Library’s 21 locations between July and August, 2019 to earn your free book prize!
Cedar Park Public Library
Kick-off June 3 & 4 |from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 550 Discovery Blvd, Cedar Park
The Library’s 2019 Summer Reading Club runs from June 3 to July 26 and is open to all ages. The program begins on June 3 with a Scholastic Book Fair, sponsored by the Friends of the Cedar Park Public Library. On Monday June 3, the book fair will run from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. On Tuesday June 4, the book fair will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Special guest Clifford the Big Red Dog who will be available for visits and photographs from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on both days during the Book Fair. Also on June 3 the Library will hold a Touch-A-Truck event from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., so kids and families can explore some awesome City of Cedar Park trucks, construction vehicles, and more!
This year the Summer Reading Club is all online! Register at cedarpark.readsquared.com and begin logging your minutes on June 3! For every 200 minutes they read, kids can come into the library to claim a prize pack with a colored cut-out to display in the library’s window and special incentive coupons! Teen prizes are earned for every 300 minutes read. Audiobooks, newspapers and magazines from the library also count for reading minutes.
Georgetown Public Library
Georgetown Public Library, 402 W 8th St, Georgetown
The Summer Reading Club is a free self-paced program in which children choose their reading level and keep a log of the amount of time they spend reading (or are read to) each day. The Summer Reading Club is open to kids ages 0-12. You may pick up challenge logs for the Summer Reading Club at the Children’s Desk. The last day to turn in a reading log is Friday, July 19. For every 3 segments finished on the reading wheel (or hour read) you get an entry into the prize drawing. The more you read, the more chances you’ll have to win! Reading materials include books, comics/graphic novels, magazines, audio books and ebooks. We also have extra stellar challenges for you to complete this year! For every 3 challenges completed, you earn a entry into the prize drawing. Challenges include doing something nice for someone, reading with a flashlight, drawing a picture, and more!
Lake Travis Community Library
Kick-off June 1 | from 10:30 a.m. to noon | 1938 Lohmans Crossing Rd, Austin
Read your way through June and July at the Lake Travis Community Library during our eight week summer reading program! Come explore a “Universe of Stories” with us. Join programs and check out books that entertain, delight, and take you to other worlds. While reading is its own reward, we also have prizes – the more you read, the more you win! Join us on Saturday, June 1st from 10:30am to 12pm to pick up your summer reading log at the Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party. Enjoy a visit from Tiny Tails to You! animal petting zoo, music with children’s musician Joe McDermott, a Baylor Scott and White of Lakeway STEAM center, crafts in the children’s room, refreshments provided by HEB, a visit from H-E-Buddy, fun washable tattoos, an interactive photo booth with props, and more. We will see you there!
Liberty Hill Public Library
May 13- July 31 | 355 Loop 332, Liberty Hill
Participate in the library’s Star Wars themed Summer Reading Program for your chance to win prizes. There are tons of Star Wars-themed activities to choose from throughout the summer, as well.
Pflugerville Public Library
Kick-off June 1 | from 2 to 5 p.m. | 1008 W Pfluger St, Pflugerville
Each summer, the Library welcomes the kids, teens, and adults of Pflugerville to enjoy a summer full of books and special events. The Summer Reading Program opens with Maker Pfest on June 1 and closes on July 27. This summer will be filled with family shows, crafts, tech classes, workshops, and more fun-filled events for all ages. See the library calendar for details.
Round Rock Public Library
Kick-off June 5 | from 10 to 11 a.m. | 216 E. Main Ave., Round Rock
Joe McDermott will perform a FREE outdoor concert to kick off the Summer Reading Program, which runs from June 5 – August 5, 2019.There will be lots of fun activities plus reading challenges for babies, kids, teens, and adults.
Wells Branch Public Library
June 1 – July 31 | 15001 Wells Port Dr, Austin
This year, Summer Reading is going digital. Log in to earn points and digital badges, unlock games, win prizes, and earn raffle entries.
Summer Reading Programs: Online
Scholastic Summer Challenge
Kids can log their reading minutes and earn prizes to help prevent summer slump. The program runs May 6 to September 6. Visit the website to register for this FREE program.
I Can Readathon!
The I Can Readathon! is for children who are learning to read. By pledging to read every day, new readers grow more confident and can enjoy reading on their own and proudly say, “I Can Read!”
Junie B. Jones Reading Club
Receive monthly updates about new books, fun printables like holiday cards, Junie B. games and activities, special events, sweepstakes, and more. Click here to see a sample newsletter.
Book Adventure by Sylvan
Book Adventure is a fun, FREE way to motivate your child to read. Kids in grades K-8 can search for books, read them offline, come back to quiz on what they’ve read, and earn prizes for their reading success. Register here.
New York Times Summer Reading Contest
Students ages 13-19 may participate in this contest every Friday from June 14– August 23. Students answer the questions: “What interested you most in The Times this week? Why?” Contestants can choose from any Times article, essay, video, interactive, or photograph published in 2019, on any topic they like. Winners’ writing will be published on the blog. More details and tips are on this PDF.
Pizza Hut’s Book It Summer Reading Challenge
Beat the “summer slide” and keep kids reading throughout the summer months with Pizza Hut’s FREE summer printables.
Chuck E Cheese’s Reading Rewards Program
Download a Reading Rewards Chart, have kids read every day for two weeks, and redeem the chart for 10 free tokens. You must purchase food to get the free tokens. Or, you can choose the bookmark program. Kids can receive 5 Chuck E. Cheese’s tokens for each book they read.
