Utah company works to help kids stay engaged with learning over summer break

SALT LAKE CITY — Summer break can be a welcome pause from homework and early mornings, but educators warn it can also be a critical time for learning loss. One Utah-based company is working to keep kids reading, learning and engaged all summer long by making access to books easy and free for families. Inside a Lehi warehouse, thousands of children's books are getting ready to ship to families across the country. It's all part of a summer reading program to help keep kids engaged after the school year ends. "We're talking about 200,000 books. Yeah, quite a bit," said Brian Bartholomew, the chief operating officer of The Good and the Beautiful. "The last couple (years) we started with 75,000, I think, five years ago, and 125,000 last year. And so Jenny is like, 'Let's do 200,000.' So here we go. Each year it gets more exciting for us here in operations." The books are free for families and meant to make summer reading simple — no assignments, no pressure, just stories kids want to pick up. Heather Wiseman, the company's chief marketing officer, said the goal is to help families keep literacy skills strong, especially during months when kids are out of the classroom and routines can slip. "We really want to share these books with children everywhere, not just homeschoolers, because we believe that reading is a great way to expand your mind and to keep learning all year," Wiseman said. "And reading through the summer helps kids stay sharp and stay fresh, and not have that summer slump when they get back into school." Parents say when books are easy to access, reading becomes something families do together, not another task to check off a list. "It's just really easy. You can just sit down with your child, open it. You don't need to prepare, you know, hours ahead of time or buy a bunch of extra stuff," said parent Nika Dib. For kids, reading can offer something screens don't: space for imagination and creativity to take over. Parents say reading during the summer can also help reduce screen time by giving kids a meaningful alternative. "We have two young boys, you know, screens is a big issue, right? And so we're always trying to find more wholesome activities, or things that are just more mentally healthy for them to do," Bartholomew said. "And so a summer reading program is an awesome opportunity. Our content for people to use to help their kids be engaged (in) something that's meaningful, uplifting, and has good value." And those quiet moments — reading on the couch or talking about a favorite character — can strengthen family connection. With thousands of books heading into homes this summer, organizers hope more families will build reading into their daily routine — supporting literacy, cutting down on screen time and creating simple moments together.

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