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We are a family that loves to read. That’s pretty well documented. The girl is starting to want to read books on her own, and we’re always picking up new books at the library and buying books pretty regularly, too.
I want to do everything I can to encourage a love of reading in her and we love to share our love of reading with others, too.
When the school year ended we gathered up some of the easy readers that are a little too easy for her and gifted them to her pre-K classroom.
With school starting again all too soon, it’s time to start thinking about getting back into routines, from regular meals and snacks to regular reading times (not that reading ever goes away in our house).
These two things have more in common than you’d think, as you may notice the next time you head to Walmart. Specially marked packages of Kellogg’s products will allow you to get free books from Scholastic. More than 80 books are available, in both print and ebook formats, for readers of all ages. There are even Spanish and bilingual books.
You can get a free book for each product you purchase, up to 30 books per household. Keep the books for yourself, donate them to your child’s school or, as we’re planning to do, take some of them to a local Little Free Library for other kids to explore.
How to Get Free Books
The process for getting the books is actually really easy.
First, go to Walmart and look for specially marked boxes of Kellogg’s products and buy whatever your family needs to get the school year off to a good start. I found the boxes on the seasonal grocery aisle, as well as in a center aisle display, but you may also find them on the regular aisles.
Alternatively, buy select items directly on Walmart.com between July 21 and September 11, 2015. (These purchases are redeemed by either texting, scanning your receipt into your computer or using the app.)
Inside the boxes you will find 16-digit codes to redeem for books.
In order to get the books you have to set up a free account at Kellogg’s Family Rewards and enter your codes. Codes must be entered within 14 days of purchase, though the program runs through March 31, 2016.
Select the book or books you want to receive.
Decide if you want the books to build your own library or to donate to your school. You can send them directly to the school, which will receive them in an envelope that says it was donated by your family. Wherever you send them books are shipped free and should arrive within six to eight weeks.
Make a Bookmark from a Box
While we’re waiting for our books, I thought it would be fun to make a bookmark to put with the book when we donate it (or to use ourselves). I used one of the top flaps from a Rice Krispies Treats box, trimmed it a little bit and covered it with gesso (which is totally optional).
To decorate it I picked three colors of paint kind of at random and dripped paint onto the bookmark at random.
I used a paintbrush to mix the colors and spread them across the bookmark. I added a little more pink because it got pretty well covered by the green.
You can use a hole punch to make a hole at the top and slip in a ribbon or bit of yarn if you like. Or let your kids go wild decorating them with markers, paint, stickers or stamps.
I can’t wait to share this new bookmark — and the new books! — with my daughter.
You should really check this program out if you have kids who love to read or whose reading you want to encourage. If you do, I’d love to know what books you pick or how you get #Back2SchoolReady!
