Applications open May 1 – May 22  ·  100 spots · Grades 3–6  ·  Free to request · Free to apply
Summer Reading Program · 2026

Summer reading that actually asks something of them.

Four award-winning books. Thirteen weeks of daily structure. A composition book they'll keep forever. An end-of-summer presentation on August 28. This is not a reading list — it's a program.

Grades 3–6
June 1 – Aug 28
100 founding spots
Newbery Medal books
Request the Open Book — Free →
The Open Book is our free program guide — everything you need to decide if this is right for your family. No cost to request. No cost to apply. Applications close May 22.
100
Total founding spots across grades 3–6
4
Award-winning books per grade band
13
Weeks of daily reading structure
Aug 28
Presentation Day — the real finish line
A note from the founder

My son is homeschooled. I see him every day.

I see what he knows and what he doesn't. I see where he's strong and where the gaps are. I see the kids around him too — in programs, in co-ops, in the neighborhood — and I notice the same things. Skills that are sharp. Skills that are missing. Patterns that keep showing up.

I'm not here to criticize the system. I came through a different one and I'm genuinely not sure mine was better. What I do know is that the system has changed, the demands have changed, and the gap between what children are capable of and what they're being asked to produce has quietly gotten wider.

At some point you stop waiting for someone else to close it.

You realize you're responsible. You're in control. You just need a plan worth executing.

The Lit List is that plan — for reading. Four award-winning books, a composition book your child writes in all summer, and an end-of-summer presentation on August 28. Built for the parent who has been paying attention and is ready to do something about what they've seen.

The Reading List

Here's what your child will read.

Every book was chosen for literary standing, diversity of voice, and the ability to ask something real of a reader at that grade level. Two separate lists — one for each grade band. Not the same books.

Grades 3–4
4 books · Jun 1 – Aug 4
Four Newbery Medal and award-winning titles. A gorilla in a shopping mall. A Chinese immigrant family running a motel. A boy alone in the wilderness. A ten-year-old orphan chasing a jazz musician. Challenging, diverse, and sequenced to build across the summer.
1
The One and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate
Jun 1–13  ·  Weeks 1–2
Newbery Medal
2
Front Desk
Kelly Yang
Jun 15–30  ·  Weeks 3–4
Asian Pacific American Award for Literature
3
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Jul 6–17  ·  Weeks 5–6
Newbery Honor
4
Bud, Not Buddy
Christopher Paul Curtis
Jul 20 – Aug 4  ·  Weeks 7–8
Newbery Medal · Coretta Scott King Award
Grades 5–6
4 books · Jun 1 – Aug 4
A separate, more challenging list built for the 5th–6th grade reader. A 1970s New York mystery. A boy digging holes in the Texas desert. A society without memory or choice. A kid who crosses every line that divides a town. Four prose novels, stepped up in complexity — not the same books as the 3–4 list.
1
When You Reach Me
Rebecca Stead
Jun 1–13  ·  Weeks 1–2
Newbery Medal
2
Holes
Louis Sachar
Jun 15 – Jul 17  ·  Weeks 3–6
Newbery Medal · National Book Award
3
The Giver
Lois Lowry
Jul 20 – Aug 4  ·  Weeks 7–8
Newbery Medal
4
Maniac Magee
Jerry Spinelli
Coming soon
Newbery Medal
Complete chapter-by-chapter reading guides, discussion prompts, vocabulary tracking, and composition book setup for every book are delivered to enrolled families before June 1. One opt-out substitute title is available per grade band.
The Program

Here's exactly how it works.

Four steps. Clear expectations. A finish line on August 28.

01
Request the Open Book.
Free. Instant. The Open Book is our complete program guide — book lists, structure, the composition book system, pricing, and exactly what's expected of your family. Everything you need to decide.
02
Apply — free, by May 22.
No cost to apply. 100 spots across grades 3–6. Scholarship spots available. Apply at lnk.bio/learningwithheadway — the link is always there.
03
Get your packet before June 1.
Everything your family needs in one delivery — reading schedule, chapter guides, composition book setup, and discussion prompts for every book. Grades 3–4 and 5–6 each receive their own full packet.
04
Read. Write. Present.
20–30 minutes a day. Four books. Sundays off. Saturdays for catch-up. Presentation Day is Thursday, August 28.
A Look Inside

One book. Used all summer.

Every enrolled family receives a composition book guide — an eight-section system for a standard $2 composition book. Your child sets it up before June 1 and writes in it from the first day to the last.

01
My Reading Goals
Written on Day 1 before June 1. Revisited aloud on Presentation Day, August 28.
02
Book 1 — The One and Only Ivan
Daily reading entries · Vocabulary tracking · Starting and final answer strips.
Jun 1–13
03
Book 2 — Front Desk
Daily reading entries · Vocabulary tracking · Starting and final answer strips.
Jun 15–30
04
Book 3 — Hatchet
Daily reading entries · Vocabulary tracking · Starting and final answer strips.
Jul 6–17
05
Book 4 — Bud, Not Buddy
Daily reading entries · Vocabulary tracking · Starting and final answer strips.
Jul 20 – Aug 4
06
Vocabulary
Three words per book. Twelve total. Three-column tracking — before, during, and after each book.
07
Presentation Notes
One page per book. Built after finishing each book — not the night before August 28.
By August 28 it's the most complete academic work they've produced in years.

One $2 composition book. Seven sections. Four books. Twelve vocabulary words tracked from first guess to real definition. And a Presentation Day that gives the whole summer a real finish line.

The Pilot — Summer 2026

Why founding families pay $30.

The standard price for a program like this will be $75. Founding families pay $30 — not because the program is worth less, but because your experience helps us make year two better.

Every enrolled family receives access to a private feedback portal — a direct line to tell us what worked, what was too hard, what was confusing, and what we missed. We read everything. We fix what we can. We tell you what changed. You're part of what makes year two better.

Founding family incentive: Families who complete the full program — all four books and Presentation Day on August 28 — are grandfathered at $30 for summer 2027. Finish strong and your rate never changes.

No cost to request the Open Book. No cost to apply. If selected, $30 secures your spot.

Founding Family Rate
$30
Regular price: $75 starting 2027
Four award-winning books per grade band
Chapter-by-chapter reading guides for all 4 books
13-week daily reading schedule
Composition book setup guide
Daily writing prompts + discussion questions
Parent guide for every book
Presentation Day — August 28
Private family feedback portal
Complete the program → $30 rate locked for 2027
Scholarship spots available. No family should skip applying because of $30. Reach out directly and we'll make it work.
Two ways in — both free

Ready to get started?

Request the Open Book to learn everything about the program before committing. Or go straight to the application — it takes about five minutes.

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Free · Closes May 22
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Applications close May 22 · Scholarship spots available