12 Summer Reading Incentive Programs For Kids (Earn free rewards & books)

If your child really loves books, don’t stop with summer reading. Encourage her or him to read all year long.

And when the next holiday (Christmas, a birthday, a random Tuesday in the middle of the school year) comes up, pick something from our 10+ Gifts For Young Book Lovers gift guide. Any of those items would be perfect for your kid.

Summer Reading Incentive Programs for Kids

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We only added national programs to this list. The public library in your area may be hosting its own program. But, if we included all the local libraries in the country, this list would be too long.

Amazon Kindle Reading Challenge

Amazon Summer Reading Challenge is a Kindle-only challenge. You used to have to go into a physical Amazon bookstore to log your books, but not anymore. Everything is tracked via your Kindle.

When you finish challenges, like reading a total number of books, you’ll unlock digital rewards.

Amazon holds this in the Spring (April 1 to June 31) and Summer (usually July 1 to August 31). The Spring Challenge is happening now, so you can join that now while you’re waiting for the summer program to begin.

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program

Print out the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Journal. When kids in grades 1 to 6 read a book, they’ll log the name, author, and their favorite part in the journal.

Once the Summer Reading Journal is filled with eight books, kids can bring the completed reading journal back to a Barnes & Noble store between July 1 and August 31 and kids can choose a free book.

The free books are based on grade level and are listed on the first page of the Summer Reading Journal. The free books are available while supplies last.

Books-A-Million Summer Reading Adventure

Print out the Books-A-Million Summer Reading Adventure Log Book.

Kids can read any four books from the in-store or online Summer Reading Section and document the books in the log book. They’ll need to record the book titles, authors, and their favorite part.

When the log book is completely filled out, kids can bring it back to a Books-A-Million store to receive a free Warriors by Erin Hunter-branded Pop It fidget toy, while supplies last.

There aren’t any dates listed for the Books-A-Million Summer Reading Adventure, and no age range listed either, so you may want to call your local store for those details.

Braum’s Book Buddy

Students in grades 1 to 5 who go to schools within 30 miles of a Braum’s ice cream shop (these are located in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas) can sign up for the Braum’s Book Buddy program.

It’s actually a school year, not summer break, program, but it felt fitting on this list because you have to sign up in August. The program doesn’t start until October, though, and runs through the school year.

Teachers give Braum’s Book Buddy booklets to their students and monitor each student’s book reading. After six books, the teacher rewards the student with a coupon for a free treat from Braum’s. Treats include Single Dip Ice Cream Cones, Small Soft Frozen Yogurt Cones, and Single Dip Sundaes. Students can earn up to six treats each during the year.

Broadview Winter Reading Program (formerly the Cap Com Federal Credit Union Reading Program)

The Broadview Winter Reading Program is a way for children to earn up to $10 to be added to their active Youth Accounts at Broadview Federal Credit Union.

The program only runs in the winter now (January to February). For every book a child reads during that time, the child can earn $2, up to $10 for five books.

After each book, kids ages 4 to 8 need to submit a drawing of a scene from each book; for ages 9 to 12, a 50-word written summary must be submitted; and for ages 13 to 18, a 100-word written summary needs to be submitted.

This is in addition to the Report Cards Rewards program, which awards $10 every year from kindergarten to 12th grade to students who submit their grades during July and August.

Chuck E. Cheese Rewards

Chuck E. Cheese has a program that awards students for daily activities. It used to be reading, but the program has expanded to being a super student, earning an A, doing something new, tying your shoe, and other milestones.

Each time a student completes the milestone, parents can print out the certificate and it can be turned into your local Chuck E. Cheese for 10 free Play Points (with any food purchase).

Only one calendar can be submitted per child, per day. But, it doesn’t expire until December 31, 2026, so you can encourage your kids all year long.

Half Price Books Summer Reading Camp

Kids are encouraged to read at daily and, at home, keep track of the minutes read. At the end of June and at the end of July, record the reading minutes on the online Half Price Books Summer Reading Log.

Reading rewards for logs ($5 in store credit) submitted in June will be emailed to recipients during the first week of July, and logs submitted in July will be rewarded in August.

The rewards can then be used towards book purchases at Half Price Books.

H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club

Texas residents, who are between ages 3 and 12, can join the H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club.

Read 10 books, one of which must be a Read 3 Book (listed below when you click “learn more”), and log them on the H-E-B Summer Reading Club form. Adults need to initial each book listed.

Mail the form to H‑E‑Buddy 2026 Summer Reading Program; 10530 Sentinel; San Antonio, TX 78217 or email is to [email protected] by September 30, 2026.

Those who finish all ten books will be rewarded with an H-E-Buddy plush toy.

Nothing Bundt Cakes Bundts & Books Program

Kids who are in either preschool or elementary school can enroll in the Bundts & Books program.

Each Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise is independently owned, so the programs are run a little differently at each. So, head into your closest location for all the details.

Panda Express Read With Me Program

The Panda Express Read With Me Program is one that a teacher has to sign up for, so definitely mention it to your child’s teacher.

Students have to log a specific number of reading minute. When they do, they’re rewarded with a free meal at Panda Express.

Pizza Hut Camp Book It

Camp Book It is a parent led program. You, as the parent, will create the monthly reading goals for your children, in Pre-K to 6th grade, for June, July, and August.

Enroll your kids in Camp Book It, then keep track of your kids’ reading. When your kids hit their reading goal, you can submit the reading log and receive a coupon for a free one-topping Personal Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut.

Scholastic Summer Reading Program

Scholastic has a Summer Reading Program where children are rewarded can color 10 badges when they compete summer reading challenges, like reading a book set in another country and reading a book out in nature.

Book Recommendations:

For many of these Summer Reading Incentive Programs, kids can choose any books that they want to read.

Want some suggestions?

We have a few book lists that may help you and your kids decide on books to check out this summer.

• Top Classic Little Golden Books To Add To Your Collection
• 9 Martin Luther King, Jr. Books For Kids
• 30 Books To Read To Celebrate Dr. Seuss Day
• Back-To-School Books (Preschool To Sixth Grade)

Do you have any other book recommendations? Leave them for us in the comments and we’ll get them added to this post.