Second Lady Usha Vance’s Summer Reading Challenge Concludes with Over 30,000 Submissions and 360,000 Books Read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On Friday, September 4, 2026, Second Lady Usha Vance's second annual Summer Reading Challenge officially ended after three months of encouraging childhood literacy.

"I am so proud of all the children who completed my Summer Reading Challenge! I hope every participant saw just how fun and exciting reading can be and that they continue reading beyond this summer. Thank you to all of the parents and teachers who encouraged their kids and students to dive into books over the past few months and to all of our partners who made this such a rewarding experience," said Second Lady Usha Vance.

To enter the Summer Reading Challenge, students grades K-8 submitted a reading log online with 12 books they read over the summer, and received a personalized certificate, a prize from the online prize shop, and entries into a statewide raffle for a Kindle e-reader and a nationwide raffle for a trip to visit the White House.

Over 30,000 children from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., as well as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico, completed the Challenge, doubling the submission rates of last year's pilot program. At 12 books per submission, competitors logged more than 360,000 books by over 35,000 different authors. Average participant age was eight years old, between second and third grade, which is a crucial age for solidifying early literacy habits.

Ms. Vance launched the Summer Reading Challenge to combat summer learning declines and encourage kids to love reading all year long. As another part of her childhood literacy initiatives, the Second Lady also hosts a read-aloud podcast called "Storytime with the Second Lady."

Please visit whitehouse.gov/read for more information on the Second Lady's Summer Reading Challenge and other literacy initiatives.

September 18th, 2026.

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