June 11, 2010 > Feed Your Brain reading program Feed Your Brain reading program Submitted By Emily Bruce Now that the end of school is here, kids are thinking about summer activities, dreaming about video games, sporting events and hanging out with friends. While all of those activities are great, it is important for parents to remind their kids to work reading into that schedule. Statistics show the average child loses 1.5 months of learning over the summer, putting kids behind when they start a new grade in the fall. To help kids prepare for the coming school year, Half Price Books encourages kids to read through its third annual "Feed Your Brain" program, offering rewards to young readers. Beginning June 1, children 14 and under can participate by picking up a reading log at their local Half Price Books each week. From there, kids fill out the number of minutes they read each day, and have it signed by a parent or guardian. Completed logs that average at least 15 minutes of reading per day for five days can be exchanged for a Feed Your Brain Reading Reward - a $3 Half Price Books shopping card. This can be done each week of the program, ending Saturday, July 31. "Encouraging a child to read and making reading fun is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give their child," said Kathy Doyle Thomas, vice president of Half Price Books. "In addition to books, go find magazines and newspaper articles that fit your kid's interests. By providing reading materials related to a favorite subject, they'll learn more about that topic and have the added bonus of a bigger and better vocabulary." Half Price Books Pacific Commons 43473 Boscell Rd., Fremont (510) 744-0333 www.halfpricebooks.com