This is the last week of school for DISD. I watched game shows and soap operas all summer when I was a kid, and I turned out fine, but people who want smart kids should probably encourage them to read.

Several summer reading programs have shown up in my inbox lately.

Sign up for our newsletter

* indicates required

Half-Price Books is offering kids 14 and younger the opportunity to earn $3 gift cards for each week they read 15 minutes a day through July 31. It’s called the Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program.

Kids 12 and younger can get a free book from Borders if they read 10 books this summer. It’s called the Double Dog Dare Summer Reading program.

The Dallas Area Writers Group released summer reading lists for people of all ages. Click here to open a pdf of the list. The list for older children includes classics such as “Where the Red Fern Grows”, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Anne of Green Gables”, plus “Harriet the Spy” and Troy Aikman’s “Things Change”.