Parent Overview
Help your child read—and win for the future
Reading Makes Cents empowers K–8 students in Virginia to explore money-smart habits through stories. With the Reading Challenge, children can learn financial literacy—and could win one of 14 $529 contributions to an Invest529 savings account.
Why join?
Featured read-alouds
Enjoy videos of this year’s selected books:
A Budget for Bingo
Read Aloud
Cooler than Lemonade
Read Aloud
Josephine and her Dishwashing Machine
Read AloudFree reading resources
Access the Reading Challenge logs for elementary and middle school, plus clear instructions for submitting entries.
Real-world learning
Your child will encounter History and Social Science SOL–aligned concepts like scarcity, opportunity cost, earning and saving through engaging stories.
Support your school
If your child’s school participates and earns the highest challenge response rate within their VaASL region, it can win $500 worth of financial literacy books. Together, families and schools benefit.
Program participation
Your child should track their reading activity using the Reading Challenge form and, with your help, fill out the requested information. Once completed, you submit the information online or by the instructions on the completed form.
Entries accepted until May 22, 2026.
2024-2025 Student winners
2024-2025 Program Participation: 2173 Students | 200 Librarians
Bryleigh E., Independence Middle; Sherill A., Anthony P. Mehfoud Elementary; Ivy R., Appomattox Primary; Lola H., Occoquan Elementary; Logan M., Oak View Elementary; Anokhi D., Walker-Grant Middle; Daki J., Montrose Elementary; Lydia B., Ferrum Elementary; Gavin M., West Salem Elementary; Todd H., John W. Wayland Elementary; Sloane K., Crozet Elementary; Bennett L., Isle of Wight Academy; Tyler O., Isle of Wight Academy