By Stacey Burton
In the last few months, life as we have known it has dramatically changed, but thankfully there are still great options for our kids when it comes to summer reading programs and incentives. It’s true that some restrictions remain in place, but we can rest assured that curling up with a good book will never be against the rules. We still have the power to travel to far-away lands, have great adventures, and expand our knowledge on various topics. Here are some resources to get kids excited about summer reading.
READ TODAY
Read Today is an awesome program sponsored by KSL and Deseret News in partnership with McDonald’s and the Governor’s office. To participate, go to readtoday.com, where you can download a baseball field game board. Each day a child reads for 20 minutes, they get to color in a baseball. Kids earn prizes as they make their way around the bases. Prizes include a mood-changing pencil, a free book from Seagull Book, and a coupon for a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Making their way around the bases to home plate earns children tickets to the Salt Lake Bees game on August 11th. If the season is canceled due to COVID-19, participants will receive vouchers for the 2021 season. This program is open to children ages 6-14 and needs to be completed by July 20th to receive all of the awards.
WASATCH READS
Wasatch County School District is committed to promoting literacy. Each school has its individual plans for how to keep students reading over the summer break. Programs may include book clubs, free books, and rewards for minutes read. Wasatch High School has donated a copy of “Scythe” by Neal Shusterman to every student wanting to read it during the summer months. Check with your schools to find out what they are doing.
WASATCH COUNTY LIBRARY
The library’s theme for this year’s Summer Reading program is, “Imagine Your Story.” Wasatch County library will begin to post information in June on its Facebook page and website at www.wasatch.lib.ut.us.
SCHOLASTIC READ-A-PALOOZA
Scholastic is providing kids a rewarding opportunity to give. This online program offers students the chance to read digital books, play games, and track reading. As students record their reading, they get virtual rewards and unlock book donations for kids with limited access to books. The goal is to unlock 100,000 book donations by July, but the program runs through September 4th, to sign up, head over to scholastic.com/homebase.
