Put three books on the table and announce that the café is taking orders. Suddenly a kid who can never decide what to read has a fairly important job: find the book worth ordering a second helping of.
Read Across America Day falls on March 2.
Holiday dates for planning
| Observance | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read Across America Day | Monday, March 2, 2026 | Tuesday, March 2, 2027 | Thursday, March 2, 2028 | Friday, March 2, 2029 | Saturday, March 2, 2030 |
Read Across America Day date reference
Set three places
Choose a funny story, a nonfiction book with an irresistible picture, and a third book somebody at the table might never pick for themselves. Put one at each seat with a menu and pencil. For a crowd, make several little cafés. For two readers, scoot the books around the table instead of moving chairs.
Serve the first pages
Allow three minutes at each book. Guests can read a page, study an illustration, or have someone read aloud. Ask for one detail on the menu before rotating. “There was a squid as long as a bus” tells the next reader quite a bit more than a star rating. Each guest can sample a book and pass without explaining why.
Take the next-chapter order
Give everyone a small order ticket. Which book deserves a longer visit, and where should the reading begin? Let them actually read that book for ten minutes. Tuck a recommendation bookmark inside for the next guest. At home, the person who does the dishes gets first dibs on the finished reviews.
Get the free printable set
Book Tasting Café Menu and Bookmarks includes these three US Letter activity sheets: Today’s tasting menu. Next-chapter orders. Pass a book to a friend.