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Health & Fitness

Borders Double Dog Dare Challenge Means a Free Book for Your Child!

A personal narrative on the Borders Books Summer Reading program, which gives a free book after a child reads 10 books.

My kids and I just spent a few pleasant moments in the cool air of Borders at the mall today and walked out with two free books!  No, we didn't steal them, we read for them!  I love programs like this.  We downloaded the form from:

http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_double-dog-dare

Each child was responsible for reading 10 books, writing them down on the paper, and then I had to sign off that they read them. For my younger child, the fine print stated that it was OK to read to the three-year-old. My five-year-old found 10 books she could read on her own, and we spent about a week reading them. It was fun to see how motivated they were.  

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The selection of books available for a 100% discount (the receipt is rather fun to look at too) is limited, and most are for the eight and up set. That said, my girls still had a blast making their final selections. What did we go home with? Glad you asked! My three-year-old picked Hungry, Hungry Sharks!  and my five-year-old went with The Dragon in my Sock Drawer. It was fun for them to have absolute control over what they picked out. And, of course, it was even more enjoyable to see what they each selected.  

This is one of those everybody-wins situations--free books for the kids, exposure for the book store, the opportunity to see your kids making their own choices, and seeing their interests. Come to think of it, the idea that the kids are reading over the summer probably helps teachers and school administrators breathe a sigh of relief too. Oh! And for the kids who pick books they can read independently (which neither of mine did, and that's fine by me, I like the book-cuddle thing!), it may even buy stay-at-home parents a few moments to do some quiet reading along side their children. Summer reading for all.  

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Enjoy the weather, and enjoy those books, everyone!

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