With the upcoming summer vacation, kids are excitedly talking about summer camps, mastering the latest video game and lazy days on their bikes. The one thing missing from this list--a good book. Statistics show that the average child loses 1.5 months of learning over the summer--this loss, often referred to as the "summer slide," means when students come back in September, it's not until the middle of October before they finally advance their skills and comprehension. Picking up a book for just 15 minutes a day will boost reading comprehension and ensure students are truly ready for their advanced grade level.

To help parents and kids reverse the summer learning-loss trend, Half Price Books, the largest independent seller of new and used books, is encouraging kids to "Feed Your Brain" this summer by offering rewards for readers.

Children 12 and under can participate by picking up a "Feed Your Brain" summer reading log each week at any Half Price Books store, filling out the number of minutes they read each day and having it signed by a parent or guardian. Completed logs that average at least 15 minutes of reading per day for five days can be exchanged for a $3 shopping card at Half Price Books EACH week during the eight-week program.

"Encouraging kids to read is all about linking it to their interests. It's just as beneficial for a child to read Sports Illustrated or a comic series as it is to pick up a chapter book, and it's something they are excited about," says Kathy Doyle Thomas, vice president of Half Price Books. "Reading can also be worked in without kids even knowing it. I have my kids read the recipes aloud when we're cooking, and they don't even realize they're working on math and vocabulary."

To find the nearest Half Price Books store, please visit www.halfpricebooks.com.

Half Price Books is the largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain, with more than 100 retail locations in 15 states. Stores are open seven days a week and buy and sell new and used books, magazines, comics, records, CDs, DVDs and collectible items. Half Price Books has been dedicated to environmental and literacy efforts for more than 36 years and supports hundreds of local, national and international programs.

Each year the company sponsors the Half Pint Library Book Drive at each of its stores, donating thousands of books to hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. Half Price Books is a founding contributor to Laura Bush's National Book Festival, a continuing supporter of the National Center for Family Literacy, and the founder of the environmental website BecomeGreen.org. For more information about Half Price Books, its store locations and corporate incentives, please visit www.halfpricebooks.com.