Inspired by reading challenges offered by many public libraries but limited to people in those specific communities, GSHE is organizing a 2023 Reading Challenge for NH’s homeschool community!
It is just for fun, to help young readers explore new authors, subjects, and genres. Our monthly challenges will be very broad so families may choose whatever book they wish and feel is appropriate for their children.
We will first announce each challenge in our monthly newsletters – they usually go out around the 13th or so. Sign up for our newsletter at our website; there is a box in the right-hand column that says “join today” and pop-up boxes to register. If you have any difficulty, email us at info@GraniteStateHomeEducators.org and we will register you.
Participants are not required to complete book reports, give oral presentations, or any formal project, and families are free to incorporate our reading challenge into their child’s learning as they see fit. We have a simple 2023 GSHE Reading Challenge log that families may print out to keep track of their child’s participation. It can be part of your child’s homeschool portfolio!
PARTICIPATION RULES
Parents/guardians may send GSHE one submission per month per child – include the child’s name and age along with what book he/she read. Email us at info@GraniteStateHomeEducators.org with “Reading Challenge” in the subject line so we can more easily keep track of everything. Each month’s participation is another chance to win! For example, if your child reads something each month, that is 12 opportunities to win one of our prizes. If a child participates in six of the monthly challenges, that is six chances to win.
For kids that are not reading independently, audio books and books you read together are perfectly fine. Any reading ability is welcome to participate.
To help motivate kids to participate, we would love to have photos to go along with the monthly submissions that we can use in our monthly newsletters.
At the end of the year, we will award $25 Amazon gift cards to FOUR lucky winners!
Let’s get started!!
For January, read a book that is considered a classic.
What makes a book a “classic?” Some people determine it based on ones that make a major contribution to literature, represent a genre or writing style, or one that is considered “timeless.” Lots of ways to interpret this, so have fun exploring what to read!
Suggestions for “Classic” Books
A Journey to the Center of the Earth
A Wrinkle in Time
Alice in Wonderland
Anne of Green Gables
Arabian Nights
Black Beauty
Chronicles of Narnia
Island of the Blue Dolphin
James and the Giant Peach
Little House on the Prairie
Little Prince
Little Women
Phantom Tollbooth
Robinson Crusoe
Secret Garden
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Hobbit
The Prince and the Pauper
The Scarlet Letter
The Three Musketeers
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Treasure Island
Watership Down
White Fang
Where to Find Books
If you don’t already have the book you want for each monthly challenge, visit your local library. Many participate in the interlibrary loan (ILL) program.
Check out these resources, too!
Libby by OverDrive – free books and audiobooks from your local public library
LibriVox -- free, public-domain audiobooks
NH Downloadable Books Consortium -- courtesy of the NH public library system
Project Gutenberg – over 60,000 free ebooks
Ben and Me -- extensive list of free Kindle books for children