The Ultimate Family Summer Reading Challenge + FREE {Printable}

I was recently creating a summer reading log for my family and I thought it would be fun to share it with all of you! We all love reading over here at our house and of course, I wanted to create a summer reading challenge that encouraged my kids to keep reading all summer long. One of my children is also heading into Kindergarten, so I want to keep encouraging their love of reading so they can take it into school next year.

There are plenty of prizes to keep even the most apathetic readers interested. Keep reading to find out exactly how my family completes the Ultimate Family Summer Reading Challenge, get resources for free or cheap books, ideas for prizes for kids of all ages, and a….

Shared Reading Log??

I designed this challenge to have a shared reading log so that the whole family is working toward 100 books. This works for my family because it eliminates the chance to “win” the reading challenge faster than their siblings. It also means that I can add the books that I read to the list because I think it’s important for my kids to see that I’m reading (and helping them get prizes) too!

Also, some of my kids are independent readers while my youngest (4) isn’t reading yet. It would be pretty easy to plow through 10 picture books in a day reading out loud to him, whereas my kid who is trying to finish the Percy Jackson series might get frustrated that choosing longer, more interesting books is slowing him down. With a shared list, you don’t have to worry about only choosing short reads (to keep pace with the “competition”) and everyone can just focus on reading every day (instead of reading as quickly as they can to get more prizes.)

If I read a book out loud to the whole family, or we listen to an audiobook in the car, then that book only counts on the reading log once. and of course, get the free printable so you can keep track of it all!

Rules for the Ultimate Family Summer Reading Challenge

1. This is a shared list. For a family of 5, this means about ~25 books each. But this might vary depending on ages and stages of the readers in your household. I’m not going to worry about it if one child reads 60 books and another reads 5, because I want to keep things positive and the important thing for me is that everyone keeps reading all summer long.
2. Comic books, picture books, audiobooks, and read-aloud books count. My reasoning for this is that if I’m going to let my younger kids count picture books then I can’t tell my older child that he can’t count comic books or graphic novels. Novellas, short story collections, and even books read on Epic using their read-aloud feature count (in my house). You can obviously change this rule if you don’t like it!
3. Books read at the same time by multiple family members can only be counted once (not once per person.)
4. Movies and shows based on books do not count. There are some shows that highlight the words and flip through the pages of the book while reading it aloud or adding animations, and I will count those as well. But it has to have the words on the screen.
5. At intervals of 10 books read, the entire family can choose from the mystery treasure chest. These prizes will be bonuses to encourage them to keep going for the grand prize. Think: slinkies, chalk, nail polish, face masks, $5 gift cards, bookmarks, stickers, etc.
6. The final prize ($100) is split between the kids. I’m going to give my kids the option to split it evenly amongst themselves or to team up and buy a larger item. It’s totally up to them!

Download the Free Reading Log Printable

Click the download button above to download a 3-page .PDF of the summer reading challenge printable (for free)

Get Ready for Your Summer Reading Challenge

Get Your Library Card!

Make sure that you have your library card before you set out on your summer reading challenge. Unless you have a really good discount store near you, or a hefty collection of books on your shelf, then reading 100 books could get expensive! We are relying on library books to make this challenge a breeze.

Make Some Monster Bookmarks

This is just a fun idea that I did with my kids (they are 4 and 5) to kick off the summer reading challenge. We made these cute monster corner bookmarks to help us keep our place in our stories. I’m certainly not a perfectionist, so don’t judge them too harshly. I mean — these are monsters after all. 😉 But they are really easy to make and only take a few minutes to create. (Also they are posed with the short story I wrote for Calliope’s Collection of Mystical Mayhem).

This is the tutorial that we followed: Easy Monster Corner Bookmarks (And Owls!)

Book Ideas to Get You Started!

Books for Babies & Younger Readers:

• The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen: Video Read-Aloud from Mr. Paulson Reads
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz: Video Read-Aloud from Storytime with Aunt Claire
• I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen: Video Read-Aloud from Storytime with Aunt Claire
• Good Night, Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle: Video Read-Aloud from Storytime with Aunt Claire
• The Big Cheese by Jory John and Pete Oswald: Video Read-Aloud from StoryTime Out Loud
• The Creek (Bluey), Narrated by Bindie Irwin: Bluey Official Youtube
• Mum School (Blue), Narrated by Eva Mendes: Bluey Official Youtube
• 5 Graphic Novels for Kids 5-9: Read my full blog post here
• Best Kids Books for Babies Ages 0-2: Read my full blog post here

Books for Older Kids/Teens:

• The Weirdies by Michael Buckley, Narrated by Kate Winslet: Audible, Read my review here
• Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate, Narrated by Kirby Heyborne: Youtube
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Audiobook: Youtube
• The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene, Narrated by: Kristin Allison: Youtube
• 15 Must-Read Middle-Grade Books, Read my full blog post here
• A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid: Read my full review here
• 5 Young Adult Mystery Books for Teens: Read my full blog post here
• The Disappearance of Susannah Dane by Eliza Stopps (this is my YA book for older teens/young adults): Amazon

Ways to Get Books for Free:

• Check out your local library to borrow books and ask if they have any that they give away for free or sell at a discounted price. Libraries often give away older books as they restock with new releases or updated versions. You can also get free eBooks and audiobooks from your library if they use Libby.
• Check the Good and the Beautiful Summer Reading program. This program is closed for this year, but bookmark it for next year because they sent each of my kids a book for free. I believe I just paid for shipping!
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. We didn’t live in an area that was served by the Imagination Library for so long, but now we do and my youngest enjoys getting books from “Dolly Parton” each month. These books are free for all children under the age of 5.
• Did you know you can get 5,000 Free eBooks from Barnes & Noble? This is a great option if you have a Nook or use the Nook App.

Bonus Prize Ideas for Younger Readers:

• Bubbles
• Hula Hoops
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Sports Balls (Soccer, Volleyball, Tennis, Baseball, Basketball)
• Slinkies
• Fidget Toys
• “Read More Books” Kid Tee (Order one size up, the cotton does shrink in the dryer!)

• Stickers
• Doodle Journals: Doodles Pre-Writing Journey from The Good and the Beautiful
• Small Picture Books

Bonus Prize Ideas for Older Readers:

• Kids Complete Skincare Routine from Ever Eden
• CrunchLabs Build Box Subscription
• Steam Games/Gift Cards
• V-Bucks for Fortnite
• Robux for Roblox
• Retro Game Keychain from Urban Outfitters
• DIY Wall Collage Kit
• Books, comics, or codes to listen to audiobooks!

Are You Participating in a Summer Reading Challenge?

Share your favorite reading challenges to keep your kids reading all summer long below.