Happy McReaders summer program returns, rewards kids for reading 10 books

The Happy McReaders summer program returned with a simple tradeoff for Dubois County families: read 10 books, complete a punch card from a participating library, and bring it to a participating McDonald’s for a free Happy Meal. The idea gives children a concrete goal during the months when school is out and reading habits can slip.

Families can pick up the Happy McReaders punch card at participating libraries. Each returned book earns a punch on the card, and once a child reaches 10 books, the completed card can be taken to a participating McDonald’s restaurant for the reward. The Jasper-Dubois County Public Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Program is running from Tuesday, May 26, through Friday, July 17, giving local readers a second incentive to keep books in hand all summer.

McDonald’s said the program helped children across its Big Mo business unit read more than 115,000 books last summer. A previous regional version helped kids read more than 50,000 books in one summer, underscoring why the promotion has continued to return. McDonald’s says the broader Happy Meal Readers program began in 2019 as part of an effort to make reading fun and accessible for families.

For Dubois County, the program lands at the intersection of literacy, community support and a low-cost family reward. Libraries get a practical tool for encouraging repeat visits, while parents get an easy way to tie summer reading to something children can see and work toward. That matters because the strongest reading routines usually depend on more than school assignments alone: they need reminders, milestones and a reason to keep going after the classroom closes for the season.