August 7, 2023 Imagination Library Restarted by Foundations, City of Pittsburgh Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a free book access program, is restarting in the City of Pittsburgh thanks to funding from the City and local foundations, including The Benter Foundation and the Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation. The free program sends one book per month in the mail to enrolled children ages birth to five at no cost to families. How to Enroll Families who reside in the City of Pittsburgh can enroll in the program by visiting the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library website. Families who were previously enrolled in the program will not need to re-enroll and should start receiving books again automatically. About the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Restart The program halted at the end of April 2023 for most city children after funding had run out. (A small group of children in three zip codes were still eligible to participate.) Reading Ready Pittsburgh, a local nonprofit that supports access to books and encourages family engagement through reading, will administer the program at the beginning of the restart period. Related Content & Resources Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Summer Reading Extravaganza 2023 2023 Summer Reading Programs for Young Readers Hill District Conducting Survey on Parent Engagement in Child Literacy Restaurants Add Books to the Menu with Summer Reading Programs Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Releases 2023 Best Books for Babies List 2023 Virtual Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip LDA of PA Offering Free Reading Tutoring to Children in Hill District Toolkit: Families and Schools Partnering for Children’s Literacy Success
July 5, 2023 2023 Summer Reading Programs for Young Readers Summer reading season is here! This is a great time for young readers to explore new words and books with their parent, caregiver, and other loved ones in different settings. Summer reading for early learners can look like acting out scenes from a picture book in the park with your child, or visiting a local library or family center for a story time. There are plenty of local and national summer reading programs, resources, and activities to allow early readers the opportunity to expand their vocabulary with their parent or caregiver. Find Your Voice! Summer Reading 2023, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh For the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP), summer reading is all about the celebration of self expression. Sign-up for Find Your Voice! summer reading through August 6 at any CLP branch or in the library app. On Sunday, August 13, CLP – Main in Oakland will host its end-of-summer Extravaganza!, a family-friendly outdoor festival features music, crafts, games, prizes, storytelling, and food trucks. Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip, PA’s Promise for Children Join the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) on their virtual Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and early childhood education professionals can follow along with OCDEL as they travel to various Pennsylvania libraries and state parks while providing fun resources, activities, and book recommendations to support early literacy and language. All activities align with the PA Early Learning Standards and can be done anywhere. Summer Reading Field Trips, Reading is Fundamental Reading is Fundamental (RIF) has provided various reading logs, coloring sheets, and summer-themed book recommendations to keep learning fun and fresh. Parents and caregivers that take the RIF summer reading pledge will receive a copy of the book, A Sofia Special, one of the books featured in RIF’s summer collection. Summer Reading Camp, Half-Priced Books Young readers can join Summer Reading Camp by visiting a local Half Price Books through July 31 to pick up interactive reading logs, sticker sheets and more, while supplies last. Families that register for the camp will have access to reading recommendations, crafts, and other literacy activities. Scholastic Summer Reading Program, Scholastic The Scholastic Summer Reading program offers children an exciting, free, and safe summer reading experience, while helping to provide books to kids with limited or no access over the summer. Through Thursday, September 7, children can visit the summer zone in Scholastic Home Base, a completely free digital destination which offers stories, characters, games, and a community of readers. Home Base is moderated for safety 24/7. Bookworm Wednesdays, Showcase Cinemas Bookworm Wednesdays entitles children to free admission to a select children’s film when they present a book report at a participating Cinema de Lux, Showcase, or Multiplex Cinemas box office. Accompanying parents or caregivers and children younger than age six receive free admission and do not need to submit a book report. More Programs Check out other summer reading programs from Mille’s Ice Cream and Pizza Hut. Alternatively, parents and caregivers can also visit their local library, family center, or community resource space to learn more about local summer reading programs.
June 12, 2023 Restaurants Add Books to the Menu with Summer Reading Programs Millie’s Ice Cream and Pizza Hut are sponsoring summer reading programs to keep children engaged and learning while school is out and to inspire a love of literature by rewarding reading. Millie’s Sweet Reads Summer Reading Program serves K-12 students, while Pizza Hut’s Camp BOOK IT serves Pre-k-6th grade students (ages 4-12), rewarding each with treats from their menus. About Millie’s Sweet Reads Summer Reading Program Sweet Reads is a summer reading program for K-12 students that began in 2021 as a partnership between Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream, the Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA), and White Whale Bookstore. The program aims to support local bookstores and libraries while also serving children. How does it work? Participating in Millie’s Sweet Reads Summer Reading Program is easy. Simply: Obtain a physical bookmark at any Millie’s location or select libraries across the county or print a digital copy from the Millie’s website. Have your child read five books (or read the books to them). Any book or periodical will do. Validate the bookmark at your local library. Please note: the library does not have to be a participating Sweet Reads library. Just ask your favorite librarian to sign the dotted line. Bring your validated bookmark to one of eight eligible Millie’s locations for a free scoop of your child’s choice. Find a list of participating libraries and eligible Millie’s locations on the Millie’s Ice Cream website. When will bookmarks be available? Physical bookmarks will be available at any participating library or Millie’s Ice Cream location during operating hours, all summer long. Digital bookmarks can be printed at any time. Which Millie’s locations will redeem my free scoop? You can redeem your free scoop at any of the eight Millie’s brick and mortar shops. Free scoops are not redeemable at the Kennywood location or at any other Millie’s third-party licensed location or seasonal kiosk. When does the program end? The program expires Monday, September 4, 2023, so be sure to visit a Millie’s and redeem your child’s free scoop before then! Can I redeem more than one time? Millie’s asks that you only redeem one free scoop per summer, but encourages your children to read as many books as they like. The Sweet Reads redemption model operates on the honor system. What if my child can’t eat ice cream or dairy-free gelato? What if I can’t get to a Millie’s? You may redeem your bookmark for a free sticker in the store or via snail mail. Just email hello@millieshomemade.com and Millie’s will be sure to mail you one. About Pizza Hut’s Camp BOOK IT! Since 1984, the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Program has been dedicated to encouraging reading nationwide. Camp BOOK IT! is open to all families with Pre-k – 6th grade students (ages 4-12). The goal of the program is to get children excited about reading and to turn “have to read” into “want to read.” How does it work? To participate in Camp BOOK IT!, parents utilize a digital dashboard to set goals, track reading, and reward their students. Interested in involving your child in Camp BOOK IT!? Simply: Enroll your child on the BOOK IT! website. Please note: Only one enrollment per household (for up to five children) will be accepted. Duplicate enrollments will be voided. If a change needs to be made to your enrollment after you have submitted, for example you have moved, please call 800.426.6548. Have your child read books, magazines, eBooks, and anything else fun. Enter your child’s reading progress in Pizza Hut’s digital dashboard for June, July, and August. When your child meets their goal, move the slider all the way over to receive their certificate for a Personal Pan Pizza in your email. Use the serialized code on your child’s certificate to redeem! You’ll find more instructions about how to redeem on the certificate. When does the program run? Camp BOOK IT! runs from June to August. You can enroll your child at any time during these months. How many reading certificates can my child earn through Camp BOOK IT? BOOK IT! is a monthly rewards program, so students may earn and/or redeem one Reading Award Certificate per month. How do I redeem my child’s reading certificates? Once you receive their certificate in your email, take the printed or digital certificate to a Pizza Hut near you or use the redemption code to order online. The certificate must be used to reward the student who earned it. How long do I have to redeem my child’s reading certificates? The summer reading certificates for June, July and August all expire on September 15. Learn More To learn more, visit the Millie’s Ice Cream and Camp BOOK IT! websites.
