Reading Incentives

First of all, I have an important announcement. After nearly 11 1/2 years of living in England, our family has moved back to the USA! We've been here two months now and are living with my mother until we have a place of our own. I've written very few blog posts in the past year simply because I haven't had the time. We've had a lot of changes, with my dad dying last year and everything we had to do to make this huge move back across the ocean. We are still homeschooling; our kids are in 3rd, 7th, and 10th. This is the first year I've neglected to write posts on their curriculum, but I will try to do that soon. Mostly, I've just kept track of the books they've read.

So, on the topic of books... I was wanting to join the Pizza Hut Book-It program, but I'm too late to enroll for this year. So, my husband decided that for each ten books that the kids read (on their own, not school-assigned books), he will buy them a Dairy Queen blizzard.

UPDATE:  The kids now have a choice between a blizzard or $5 for every 10 books read.  Of course, they're going to choose the money!

UPDATE 2:  I have continued this running log of books the kids have read for money from last school year.  They are currently half way through 4th, 8th, and 11th grades!

This is where I'll keep my running log of what books each child reads to get rewarded:

I
1. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
2. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Suzanne Collins)
3. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Suzanne Collins)
4. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Suzanne Collins)
5. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Suzanne Collins)
6. Snakehead (Anthony Horowitz)
7. Scorpia Rising (Anthony Horowitz)
8. Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)
9. Crocodile Tears (Anthony Horowitz)
10 Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (Gregg Lewis and Deborah Shaw Lewis)

Blizzard won!

11. Gold of the Gods (Bear Grylls)
12. Flight of the Eagles (Gilbert L. Morris)
13. Way of the Wolf (Bear Grylls)
14. Sands of the Scorpion (Bear Grylls)
15. The Gates of Neptune (Gilbert L. Morris)
16. Tracks of the Tiger (Bear Grylls)
17. Claws of the Crocodile (Bear Grylls)
18. Strike of the Shark (Bear Grylls)
19. Rage of the Rhino (Bear Grylls)
20. Lair of the Leopard (Bear Grylls)---10th grade

$5 won!

21. The Tombs of Anak (Frank Peretti)
22. Escape from the Island of Aquarius (Frank Peretti)
23. The Deadly Curse of Toco-Rey (Frank Peretti)
24. The Door in the Dragon's Throat (Frank Peretti)
25. The Secret of the Desert Stone (Frank Peretti)
26. Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea (Frank Peretti)
27. Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry)
28. Point Blanc (Anthony Horowitz)
29. Skeleton Key (Anthony Horowitz)
30. The Legend of Annie Murphy (Frank Peretti)

$5 won!

31. Eagle Strike (Anthony Horowitz)---11th grade
32. The Sword of Camelot (Gilbert Morris)
33. Winged Raiders of the Desert (Gilbert Morris)
34. The Final Kingdom (Gilbert Morris)
35. Never Say Die (Anthony Horowitz)
36. The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster)
37. Code of Silence (Tim Shoemaker)
38. Back Before Dark (Tim Shoemaker)
39. Below the Surface (Tim Shoemaker)
40. Voyage of the Dolphin (Gilbert Morris)

$5 won!

41. Infidel (Ted Dekker)
42. The Terrible Beast of Zor (Gilbert Morris)
43. By Divine Right (Patrick W. Carr)
44. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
45. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
46. Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
47. A Cast of Stones (Patrick W. Carr)
48. Chaos (Ted Dekker)
49. Empress of the Underworld (Gilbert Morris)
50. Divergent (Veronica Roth)

$5 won!

51. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)
52. Scorpia (Anthony Horowitz)
53. Russian Roulette (Anthony Horowitz)
54. The Mystery of Mar Saba (James H. Hunter)
55. The Diamond Brothers in Two of Diamonds (Anthony Horowitz)
56. Toro! Toro! (Michael Morpurgo)
57. Public Enemy Number Two (Anthony Horowitz)
58. War Horse (Michael Morporgo)
59. Saving Zasha (Randi Barrow)
60. South by Southeast (Anthony Horowitz)

$5 won!

61. Waiting for Anya (Michael Morpurgo)
62. Kensuke's Kingdom (Michael Morpurgo)
63. Chosen (Ted Dekker)
64. Friend or Foe (Michael Morpurgo)
65. Crossover (John C. Dalglish)
66. The Shock of Night (Patrick Carr)
67. The Door (Lorilyn Roberts)
68. The Caves that Time Forgot (Gilbert Morris)
69. Kaspar: Prince of Cats (Michael Morpurgo)
70. The Wreck of the Zanzibar (Michael Morpurgo)

$5 won!

71. Arklight Operation Nightfall (J.M. Myrick)--12th
72. Renegade (Ted Dekker)
73. Lunatic (Ted Dekker)
74. Crescent (Homer Hickam)
75. Elyon (Ted Dekker)


M
1. The Sign of the Twisted Candle (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
2. The Haunted Bridge (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
3. The Secret Boat (Patricia St. John)
4. In Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
5. The Haunted Carousel (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
7. Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
8. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)
9. Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
10. The Haunted Carousel (Nancy Drewe Mystery by Carolyn Keene)--7th grade

$5 won!

1. Treasures from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
2. Happy Birthday, Molly! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Addie Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Connie Porter)*
3. Meet Kit: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Meet Kaya: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)*
4. Meet Addy: An American Girl (Connie Porter) AND
    Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)*
5. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Meet Felicity: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
6. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Meet Josefina: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
7. Meet Samantha: An American Girl (Susan Adler) AND
    Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan Adler)*
8. Happy Birthday, Kit! (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)*
9. The Invisible Intruder (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
10. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)

$5 won!

*Two short books count as one for her

1. Mary Todd Lincoln (Katharine E. Wilkie)--8th grade
2. Felicity's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)
    Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Janet Shaw)*
3. Outside (Andre Norton)
4. The Hidden Window Mystery (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
5. The Merchant's Daughter (Melanie Dickerson)
6. The Silent Songbird (Melanie Dickerson)
7. The Princess Spy (Melanie Dickerson)
8. The Fairest Beauty (Melanie Dickerson)
9. The Captive Maiden (Melanie Dickerson)
10. The Golden Braid (Melanie Dickerson)

$5 won!

1. For Love & Honor (Jody Hedlund)
2. The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest (Melanie Dickerson)
3. The Beautiful Pretender (Melanie Dickerson)
4. The Orphan's Wish (Melanie Dickerson)
5. The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth Speare)
6. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)--2nd read
7. The Warrior Maiden (Melanie Dickerson)
8. A Daring Sacrifice (Jody Hedlund)
9. The Invisible Friend (Lois Walfrid Johnson)


G
1. Adventures of the Wishing-Chair (Enid Blyton)
2. More Wishing-Chair Stories (Enid Blyton)
3. Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan S. Adler)
4. The Boxcar Children: The Black Widow Spider Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
5. Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
7. Haunted House (Peggy Parish)
8. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Singing Ghost (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
9. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp)
10. Skylark (Patricia MacLachlan)

$5 won!

11. The Tower in Ho-Ho Wood and Other Stories (Enid Blyton)
12. The Enchanted Wood (Enid Blyton)
13. The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
14. Caleb's Story (Patricia MacLachlan)
15. The Firebird (Mairi Mackinnon, retold)
16. The Folk of the Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
17. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
18. The Boxcar Children: Mountain Top Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
19. The Caravan Family (Enid Blyton)
20. Hannah's Helping Hands (Jean Van Leeuwen)

$5 won!

21. The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
22. Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
23. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
24. Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)

25. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
26. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Purple Pool (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
27. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Stolen Boxcar (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
28. The Boxcar Children: Mystery Behind the Wall (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
29. Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray (Nick Bruel)
30. Happy Birthday Bad Kitty (Nick Bruel)

$5 won!

31. Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble (Nick Bruel)--3rd grade
32. The Boxcar Children: Mystery in the Sand (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
33. The Boxcar Children: The Camp-Out Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
34. The Boxcar Children: The Castle Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
35. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Missing Cat (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
36. Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)--4th grade
37. The Boxcar Children: The Radio Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
38. The Boxcar Children: Caboose Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
39. The Boxcar Children: The Lighthouse Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
40. Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)

$5 won!  ALSO Pizza Hut pizza won!  (We were able to start this October 2017)

41. Five Go Adventuring Again (Enid Blyton)
42. On the Banks of Plum Creek (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
43. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Crooked House (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
44. Happy Birthday, Molly! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp)
45. The Boxcar Children: Mystery Ranch (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
46. I Survived (True Stories): Five Epic Disasters (Lauren Tarshis)
47. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip (Jerry West)
48. Meet Marie-Grace (Sarah Masters Buckey)
49. Meet Cécile (Denise Lewis Patrick)
50. Kirsten's Surprise (Janet Shaw)

$5 won!

51. Five on a Secret Trail (Enid Blyton)
52. The Saucy Jane Family (Enid Blyton)
53. Up and Down the River (Rebecca Caudill)
54. Five Go to Demon's Rock (Enid Blyton)
[BEGIN GRADE 5]
55. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (Lauren Tarshis)
56. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Lauren Tarshis)
57. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 (Lauren Tarshis)
58. I Survived the Shark Attack of 1916 (Lauren Tarshish)
59. The Famous Five: Five Go Off to Camp (Enid Blyton)
60. The Famous Five: Five Get Into a Fix (Enid Blyton)

$5 won!

61. The Famous Five: Five Fall Into Adventure (Enid Blyton)
62. The Famous Five: Five Go Down to the Sea (Enid Blyton)
63. The Famous Five: Five on a Hike Together (Enid Blyton)
64. The Boxcar Children: The Yellow House Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
65. The Boxcar Children: Schoolhouse Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
66. The Marvelous Land of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
67. The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat (Enid Blyton)
68. Treasures of the Snow (Patricia M. St. John)

My husband decided that the kids could opt for $5 for every ten books they read, so that's what we're doing now.  If he did that for me, he'd go broke!  However, he has made me the same offer for reading Christian nonfiction books.  I'm not really a lover of nonfiction, though I do love Christian fiction, so reading ten Christian NONFICTION books is a challenge for me.  Will I do it for $5?  I like spending money (to buy more books of course), so yes, I will!  My list is below:

D
1.  The Fully Funded Missionary (Rob Parker)
2.  The Case for Christ (Lee Strobel)
3.  Breaking the Stronghold of Food (Michael L. Brown)
4.  The Fire of Delayed Answers (Bob Sorge)
5.  The Secret of Happiness (Billy Graham)
6,  Boundaries (Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend)
7.  Captivating (John & Stasi Eldredge)
8.  Jesus Revolution (Greg Laurie & Ellen Vaughn)