This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Scholastic . The opinions and text are all mine. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
It’s the last month of summer and we’re finishing strong! You know my kids have been participating in the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. I’m so proud of them. Logging their minutes has really motivated them to read every day without dear old Mom harping on it. (Yay!). THANK YOU for that, Scholastic.
This last month can be challenging when it comes to squeezing in those reading minutes. We’re busy trying to squeeze the last drops out of summer: last fire pits, last trips to get ice cream, last beach vacations. But I really think with school only a few weeks away for us, this is the most important time to get your kids reading.
Parents, if you need a little help making this happen, Scholastic’s Maggie McGuire has 5 easy tips for making reading a priority for your child, like setting a weekly minutes goal, reserving special time to read together as a family, and celebrating reading accomplishments. Hear this: It is not too late!
These are great tips. I especially love #4 (Mom is a bookworm too!). All of these are things you can do as parents, and Scholastic is here to support us in getting our kids reading with some fun online resources. Click the links below to check them out:
- Unlock Original Short Stories from favorite Scholastic authors!
- Find Parenting Resources including Summer Reading printables, activity sheets, booklists and more!
- Play the Innovation Machine Game – a fun and creative writing game and contest!
- Visit “Videos in the Stacks” to receive reading tips for parents from Scholastic’s Maggie McGuire!
The Energizer Instant Win Game! (Hello, Prizes!)
This summer’s Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge Theme is “Power Up & Read” sponsored by Energizer. They’re encouraging kids to read all summer long and unlock 12 original short stories by bestselling children’s authors as kids reach reading milestones. Every time we log in and record our minutes my kids are on the lookout for these bonuses!
In addition, they’re sponsoring the awesome Energizer Instant Win Game! Energizer® and Scholastic are partnering to create the “Power the Possibilities” campaign which gives moms the tools they need to unlock their child’s talents, fuel their ambitions and set them up for future success. Parents can buy any specially marked pack of Energizer® brand batteries to scratch for a chance to win one of thousands of prizes that will power discovery and learning.
Prizes include a family trip to New York City, a Scholastic Study Corner Makeover, a tablet with Scholastic apps, a library of Scholastic books and more! Everyone who plays can also download free digital stories for their family. Fantastic prizes!
How Do I Sign My Kids Up?
It is NOT too late! Just go to the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge website to sign your kids up. You’ll need to do them each individually, and you don’t need to enter any identifiable information about your children to get their accounts open. They can choose fun fictitious names so it’s completely safe. If they choose to just log in and record their minutes, great! And if they want to, there are tons of fun resources online including games, chats, and fun ways to customize their profile.
The program runs from through September 4, 2015 so there is still plenty of time to get your kids reading. This really is the MOST important time to get them reading this summer – right before schools starts!
Our 5 Favorite Summer Books (And Our 5-Word Reviews)
My kids love to read year-round, and we did really ramp it up after signing up for the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. Having those minute logs hanging in the kitchen as a constant reminder of their totals was a sweet little motivator. So we’ve devoured a good number of books.
Lily and Leo are going to share with you their top 5 books of the summer and each gets a 5-word review. (This was so much fun to come up with – you should try it with your kids!)
Our Top 5 Summer Reading Kids’ Books
Those books and reviews again:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret: “A unique mystery in Paris.”
Pete The Cat And The Bad Banana: “Pete learns he likes bananas.”
Island of the Blue Dolphins: “Story of survival and friendship.”
Nightsong: “Nightsong is about bat echolocation.”
A Wrinkle In Time: “A magical science fiction story.”
Where Can I Learn More?
There’s all the info you’d need on the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge website. Parents, I love this huge set of resources for us to find books our kids will love. Follow Scholastic on Twitter to stay in touch with other summer readers and get lots of reading encouragement!
When you’re out shopping be sure to look for those specially marked packages of Energizer batteries for your shot at winning the Energizer Instant Win Game! Power Up & Read with that bunny that never stops on the Energizer Facebook page, too.
Join me and my kids, Lily and Leo! We’re reading every day and having so much fun challenging ourselves to log those minutes!
Last year’s Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge landed a world record of 304,749,681 minutes logged. Let’s break it this year! There’s still time!
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