Brutus’ Summer Reading Challenge
Brutus’ 2026 Summer Reading Challenge is now open!
Event description
This year’s theme celebrates the USA’s 250th birthday, and we’ve created a patriotic, kid‑friendly reading adventure to match.
Here’s what’s new for 2026:
- Kids will fill in all 50 stars on the American flag, completing reading and activity prompts as they go.
- Special collectible stickers are earned for themed activities — like reading about a national park, learning about a U.S. president or exploring a moment in American history.
- Every participant receives a magnetic celebratory bookmark in their packet, perfect for parents to award at the end of the challenge as a keepsake of their child’s accomplishment.
- At the end of the challenge, you can celebrate a completed tracker by submitting your child’s name for a chance to win a grand prize collection of Buckeye‑themed items — a fun way to celebrate their hard work and Buckeye pride!
Cost
This program is FREE and open to all children. Space is limited. Register now!
Connect with us
Join our Facebook group to get program updates and share tips and book recommendations with fellow Buckeyes!
FAQs
Once the registration period has ended, kids will receive an exclusive tracker to log their reading. After each reading session, they should add a start sticker to their tracker. They can also earn additional stickers for completing fun reading-related challenges throughout the summer.
The reading challenge starts on June 1, 2026, and ends on August 2, 2026.
All kids who meet their goals and submit their progress electronically will earn stickers, win a prize and enjoy a patriotic summer of reading.
No problem! When registering, you will have the option to request materials and prizes to be sent to a different address.
This program is intended for individual families. You can register up to four children. If your family has more than four children, please email us at ADV-OSUAAprograms@osu.edu so that we can accommodate you.
We have designed this program (themes, prizes, etc.) for kids in pre-K to 8th grade. However, you know your child best. If you think this program will help instill a love of reading in children of other ages, we would love for them to participate too! Kids with a high school reading level or above may enjoy participating in our Summer Reading Bingo Challenge.
Participants should work with an adult in their life to determine the appropriate reading goal. We suggest making it a goal to read 20 minutes per day, at least five times per week. This equates to 45 reading sessions throughout the summer. However, this can be adjusted based on age, reading level and attention span. If you are unsure of what reading goal to select, we recommend consulting with the child’s educator.
Participants will receive a link to electronically submit their progress at the completion of the program.
We encourage you to join our Facebook group to connect with other participants, share tips and exchange book recommendations! We’ll also post reminders about submitting your progress.
Yes! Please check out the Summer Reading Bingo Challenge for teens and adults.
Registration for this reading challenge will end on April 22, or until all materials are claimed.
Questions
Please contact us at ADV-OSUAAprograms@osu.edu.