I grabbed this list of summer reading programs for kids directly from Hey It's Free.com - check out the link in the right hand column. That blogger got it from Freebies 4 Mom.com - also listed under "Favorite Money Saving Sites" to the right.

Every kid is different, but they all have one thing in common: a love of reading can change their lives. My summer reading goal for my 5 year-old is to get her as passionate about chapter books as she is about picture books. My goal for my son is to find middle school level reading material that is appropriate for an almost 3rd grader. I am open to any and all suggestions!

Scholastic Summer Challenge - Earn points by reading and playing games on their site and in exchange kids can use the points for prizes and sweepstakes entries.
Half-Price Books Feed Your Brain - From June 1-July 31, for every week kids 12 and under read at least 15 minutes, they earn a $3 Half-Price Books gift card. That’s roughly, what, 8 weeks for $32 total? Not bad. I’ve never heard of this place, but apparently they have stores in over a dozen states.
Pottery Barn Book Club - This is actually an ongoing program where they hold a story time on Tuesdays from 11 to 11:30 am. Once your kid attends 5 sessions and has their booklet stamped, they get a reward. I’m not sure what it actually is (some are reporting it’s a $10 off coupon), but this is the perfect way to prepare your child for all the future oil-change stamp cards they’ll need to keep track of later in life.
TD Bank Summer Reading - This is a pretty limited freebie location-wise since the only places with TD banks are on the East coast, but it’s worth posting. If your child reads ten books, then they get $10! Where in the world was this deal when I was a kid?
Borders Reading Challenge - Once children 12 and under read eight books, they good to choose a $4.99 Reading Challenge item, which their flier states is a savings of 50%. So…the items normally cost $10+ and your kid gets them for $5? I gotta say, the wording on their advertisement is a little weak. You’d expect better grammar from a bookstore. Barnes & Noble have a sweet program set up for kids in grades 1 through 6 this summer where if they read eight books, they can receive a free book. If there’s one thing I know kids absolutely love to do over the summer, it’s read!
Kids read any eight (8) books of their own choosing.
Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell us their favorite part of each book. A parent/guardian signs the journal when it’s complete. You can also get a Spanish-language Reading Journal.
Barnes & Noble Children bring their completed Reading Journal between May 26th & September 7th, 2009. They’ll get a coupon for a FREE book! They choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles.

It’s win-win for everybody involved, as it’ll get your children to read a little over the summer while also helping you avoid the continuous “I’m bored, I’m bored, I’m bored” barrage.

And of course, every public library has a summer reading program. Please get into the habit of taking your children to the library. You have all summer to take them into the air conditioning for story hour, puppet shows, game time, history presentations, author readings and so much more! Really, isn't the library the ULTIMATE FREEBIE???