School’s out, the “I’m bored” countdown has already started, and nothing buys me peace like the promise of free pizza, cake, or a brand-new book. Here are some summer reading programs that turn pages into prizes.
Library Reading Rewards
Jefferson County Public Library’s 2026 summer reading program, DinoSOAR Into Stories, runs June 1 through July 31. Sign up through Beanstack, log reading minutes as you go, and earn badges along the way. There’s a prize just for registering, and finisher prizes (after 8 hours) vary by age, from a book for the littlest readers to choice items and tickets for kids and teens to a tote bag for adults. Keep reading after that for a shot at the grand prize iPad drawing. Not in Jeffco? Most library systems run something similar, so it’s worth a quick check of your own library’s site.
Register for Jeffco Library Summer Reading →
See finisher prizes by age →
Free Book
Kids in grades 1-6 read two books at a time for Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading program, logging each pair in the free Summer Reading Journal and bringing it to a store afterward to collect an exclusive sticker and add their pick to the in-store recommendation wall. Complete all four pairs by August 31 to earn the full sticker set, a Champion sticker, and a free book of their choice.
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Free Book Giveaway →
Free Pizza
Remember earning free personal pan pizzas with paper reading logs and stickers? Pizza Hut gave it a refresh: they launched a new app (Summer of Stories) to replace the old paper system (BOOK IT!). Kids set a reading goal with a parent in the app, and once they hit it, they earn a free single-topping Personal Pan Pizza (up to 5 per family, per month).
Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! Summer of Stories →
Free Bundtlet
Nothing Bundt Cakes’ Books & Bundts program is for kids pre-K through 5th (valid June 1 – August 31). Details vary by location, so check with your local bakery to confirm participation. Once your student reads 400 minutes in a month, they can bring their tracker in to get a free bundtlet and a certificate.
Find a Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery →
Simple Summer Bible Reading Plan
If you’re looking to add scripture into the mix, Minno’s Simple Summer Bible Reading Plan for Kids breaks it into just a few verses a week all summer long, including one that feels especially fitting for a summer of reading: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Simple Summer Bible Reading Plan for Kids →
Let me know in the comments, and if there’s a program in your area I missed, share it so others can add it to the list!
The Joy Drop 
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