Inspired by reading challenges offered by many public libraries but limited to people in those specific communities and the success of our 2023 Reading Challenge, GSHE is organizing a 2025 Reading Challenge for NH’s homeschool community!
It is just for fun, to help young readers explore new authors, subjects, and genres. Our monthly challenges will be very broad so families may choose whatever book they wish and feel is appropriate for their children.
Participants are not required to complete book reports, give oral presentations, create a formal project, or send in anything to GSHE. Families are free to incorporate our reading challenge into their child’s learning as they see fit. If you choose to keep a record of participation, it can be part of your child’s homeschool portfolio!
Participation
For 2025, GSHE will not collect reading logs, track participation, or issue a year-end prize. Families are free to extend the Reading Challenge in any way they wish; perhaps provide a monthly incentive to encourage your child’s reading such as a new book if they complete all monthly challenges.
For kids that are not reading independently, audio books and books you read together are perfectly fine. Any reading ability is welcome to participate.
GSHE has several resources for free books in our directory that you can access with a free registered account.
Let’s get started!!
For June, read a comedy!
We thought this would be fun for the summer! There are several types of comedy to explore.
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.
Famous Comedies
Douglas Adams – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Jane Austen — Pride and Prejudice
Lewis Carroll – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Roald Dahl – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl – James and the Giant Peach
William Goldman – the Princess Bride
Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Astrid Lindgren – Pippi Longstocking
Arnold Lobel – Frog and Toad series
Betty MacDonald – Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books
Robert Munsch – the Paper Bag Princess
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, aka Moliere – The Misanthrope
Louis Sachar – Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes
William Shakespeare – Much Ado about Nothing
William Shakespeare – Twelfth Night
Jon Stone – the Monster at the end of this Book (Sesame Street)
Mark Twain – several stories
Kurt Vonnegut – Cat’s Cradle
Oscar Wilde – the Importance of Being Earnest
