Charlie loves to read. Since he was Jack’s age we would find him curled up in his chair reading book after book. Not that he could actually read the words but he would be so proud to flip through the pages and stack each book on top of each other until he had a tall tower sitting next to him. Now that he is four he has memorized a few of his favorites and will flip page by page, reciting the words. It’s a little joy that I hope never leaves him!

Now that summer is here and my kids are easily distracted by fun things happening outdoors, I was determined to find a way to etch out time for reading every day. These quiet, independent moments are so important for Charlie so we’ve made it a point to read for at least 15 minutes every day – whether it is together or on his own. I’m partnering with Half Price Books, America’s largest family owned new and used bookstore, to celebrate their Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program – a fun way to keep your kids excited about reading even though they may not be in school. We’ve been documenting Charlie’s minutes in his daily reading log and he gets so excited to run downstairs and fill out his sheet every morning.

Between now and July 31, once your child has logged 300 minutes you can visit your nearest Half Price Books to turn in your completed reading log and earn a $5 Bookworm Buck to redeem for books of your choice! They even recommend books by age and Charlie was so excited to pick out Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by our favorite, Eric Carle and If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty. Both are so so cute for preschoolers and now Charlie has been obsessed with spotting the moon at night! It’s these daily reading dates that I hope create an even bigger habit down the road.

Honestly, now that Charlie is almost 4 he loves little challenges like this and is always determined to follow through! I love that about him and I think it’s good for our kids to have a task every day, especially in the summer.

A big thank you to Half Price Books for partnering on this post!