Inspired by the success of GSHE’s past reading challenges and similar programs offered by public libraries, GSHE is continuing its monthly Reading Challenge for 2026, created especially for New Hampshire’s homeschool community.
This challenge is designed to be simple, flexible, and enjoyable. Each month offers a broad reading theme that encourages children to explore new authors, subjects, and genres in ways that fit your homeschool style.
Families may choose any book that matches the monthly theme and feels appropriate for their child’s age, interests, and reading level.
There are no required book reports, projects, logs, or submissions to GSHE. If you choose to keep a record of your child’s participation, it may be included in your homeschool portfolio, but that is entirely optional.
Participation
GSHE does not collect reading logs, track participation, or offer prizes for the Reading Challenge. Families are welcome to extend the challenge in their own creative ways, such as offering a small monthly incentive, planning special library visits, or setting aside dedicated family reading time.
For children who are not yet reading independently, audiobooks and family read-alouds count. Readers of all abilities are welcome.
If you’d like encouragement and ideas for reading together as a family, you may also enjoy:
Read Alouds: Benefits, Research, and Favorite Books – Part 1
Read Alouds: Tips and Favorite Books – Part 2
Finding Books on a Budget
Your local library is a great place to start, including access to interlibrary loan (ILL) programs.
GSHE members also have access to a wide range of free book and audiobook resources through the GSHE Resource Directory. Create a free account at gshenh.org/join to explore options such as:
Libby by OverDrive
LibriVox (public-domain audiobooks)
NH Downloadable Books Consortium
Project Gutenberg
Storyberries (especially helpful for younger readers)
Ben and Me (free Kindle books for children)
For June, read a comedy!
We thought this would be fun for the summer! There are several types of comedy to explore. Families are encouraged to explore these (and many more) in ways that best suit their children.
Here are some family-friendly suggestions grouped by general age range. All titles emphasize clean, wholesome humor with no adult themes, foul language, or edgy content. Happy reading this June!
Comedy of manners – confronts manners and affectations of stereotype characters.
Dark comedy – often based on normally tragic or off-limits subjects.
Tragicomedy – uses a mix of tragedy and comedy to make them seem lighter and less awful.
Farce – uses exaggeration.
Satire – human vices or failings are highlighted with ridicule or contempt by using wit and humor.
Absurdist – uses characters’ experiences to address existential concepts.
Surrealist – whimsy and quirky humor in odd or nonsensical ways.
Young and Early Readers, Age 3 to 8
Beverly Cleary – Ramona series
Roald Dahl – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl – James and the Giant Peach
Astrid Lindgren – Pippi Longstocking
Arnold Lobel – Frog and Toad series
Betty MacDonald – Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books
Robert Munsch – the Paper Bag Princess
Dr. Seuss – any of the classic stories
Jon Stone – the Monster at the end of this Book (Sesame Street)
Judith Viorst – Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Mo Willems – Elephant and Piggie series or Pigeon books
Middle-School, Age 9 to 12
Judy Blume – Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Lewis Carroll – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Andrew Clements – Frindle or The Report Card
William Goldman – the Princess Bride (clean edition or abridged family version)
Norton Juster – The Phantom Tollbooth
Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Mary Pope Osborne – Magic Tree House series
Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson series
Louis Sachar – Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes
Mark Twain – several stories
Older Teens, Age 13+
Douglas Adams – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Jane Austen — Pride and Prejudice
Charles Dickens – Pickwick Papers (selected humorous chapters)
Jerome K. Jerome – Three Men in a Boat
Madeleine L’Engle – A Wrinkle in Time
C.S. Lewis – The Screwtape Letters
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, aka Moliere – The Misanthrope
William Shakespeare – Much Ado about Nothing
William Shakespeare – Twelfth Night
Oscar Wilde – the Importance of Being Earnest
P.G. Wodehouse – Jeeves and Wooster stories
