Pizza Hut’s ‘Book It’ Program Is Back, But Also Never Went Away?

Kids of the ’80s and ’90s have fond memories of Pizza Hut’s Book It Program, which offered free personal pan pizzas to kids who hit their summer reading goals. Originally launched in 1984, the program really hit its stride in the mid ’90s, when kids across the country were devouring Animorphs and Goosebumps books to get that sweet, free pizza incentive. (As a huge book nerd, I always felt like I was cheating because I would’ve read all those Star Trek novels even without the promise of a tiny, bespoke pizza.)

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Well, you may have seen some new articles trumpeting the return of the program, and yes, it is coming back for a summer program—the Summer of Stories—starting June 1st.

But what a lot of people didn’t realize—myself included—is the program never actually stopped. It’s actually been going on for over forty years now, still offering those sweet, cheesy rewards to young readers across the country.

However, we should add that there are two programs: The Book It! program (for students) and the Book It! School Program (for teachers), which are slightly different. Here’s the info on both.

What’s the Book It! Program?

Running during the summer months of June, July, and August, the Book It! Sumer of Stories program allows any child who completes their parent-set reading goals to earn a free Pizza Hut single-topping Personal Pan Pizza. Parents can set those goals and track their kid’s progress on the Book It! app, which is free to download through the Apple Store or Google Play store. And if you’d prefer a more analog approach, they also offer a downloadable “Resource Library,” of challenges, reading logs and diplomas you can print out. You can find more info and links to all of this on the Book It! website.

What’s the Book It! School Program?

This program allows teachers to enroll their classrooms, so they can track the daily reading habits of their students. And at the end of each month, every student who hit their goal will receive a certificate good for one Pizza Hut single-topping Personal Pan Pizza. Enrollment opens in late summer and the program runs from October to March. You can find more about it on the Book It! FAQ page.

Do you remember this program from your childhood? Drop your favorite ’90s books in the comments!