This post is in partnership with TD Bank and the TD Summer Reading Club. 

"Mom! I'm bored!"

How many times have I heard that before? As much as I love having so much down time with the family during the summer, it never ceases to surprise me how frequently my son complains that he has nothing to do. I try not to let it get under my skin because really, boredom can be a good thing since it helps develop creativity and imagination. You know what else can help build important skills among kids? Reading. So, enough with the whining, my son. It's time to sign up for the TD Summer Reading Club! 

Despite the fact that we have a variety of books to read at home, it isn't always easy to motivate my son to pick one up and set aside some time for pleasure reading. I think it's because he often associates reading with the dreaded H-word - homework. As a teacher, I fully understand that the more kids read, the more successful they will be in school and in life, so the more I can make reading fun for my son, the better. This is where the TD Summer Reading Club comes in. As Canada’s biggest bilingual summer reading program for kids, it has been designed to inspire kids to explore the fun of reading in their way, no matter their age, interests or abilities. And the best part? It's free to join!

We recently headed out to our local Toronto Public Library and met up with a wonderful librarian named Scott Robins. He gave my son a school-age reading club notebook which includes:

He invited my son to share his thoughts on a good book that he had read recently and so he chose to talk about Small Steps by Louis Sachar. He then wrote his name and the title of this story on a mini book cutout that was later stapled to a bulletin board. It was impressive to see how many other book suggestions there were from other kids. 

Scott then suggested that my son read the prequel to Small Steps, entitled Holes, and to my delight, he eagerly added it to his pile of books. And given that my son loves graphic novels, Scott was able to provide some great suggestions, for which I am very thankful. Even though they're an easy read, he really enjoys them and that's what counts, am I right?

Of course, if I had suggested them, he might have just passed them by. But thanks to Scott's impressive knowledge and love of children's books, I found my son was much more willing to try out some new books. This is why I'd highly recommend speaking with your local librarian to help find books that are not only age appropriate but also speak to your child's interests. Finding it hard to make it out to the library with kids in tow? Fret not, my friends. The TD Summer Reading Program is also available online!

One aspect of the TD Summer Reading Club program that I love is that it celebrates Canadian authors, illustrators and stories. And better still, kids can access a variety of these stories in eBook format for free via the website. On our list of must-read eBooks is Countdown to Danger: Canadian Survival, a  choose-your-own adventure where you have to try and make it out of the woods alive.

Given that kids can take part in the TD Summer Reading Club virtually anywhere, whether it be at a local public library, at home, or online, this program not only helps to keep boredom at bay but it can help improve their reading skills and increase their love of reading as well. It's also a great way to beat the summer slide, since research shows that children who participate in summer reading clubs return to school in the fall without learning-loss and with increased confidence. Plus, when reading is fun for kids, they are more likely to read more and make it a lifelong habit. And look at all the fun things participants can do as part of the TD Summer Reading Club. Kids can:

As with the TD Grade One Book Giveaway, the TD Summer Reading Club is part of the The Ready Commitment, TD's corporate citizenship platform, with the mission to help create a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow. It is another example that shows how TD believes that literacy fuels education, education leads to better jobs, and better jobs build a stronger economy.