Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! App Makes It Easy for Kids to Track Reading Goals and Win Pizza

In addition to selling pizza, Pizza Hut has also dabbled in making dough-scented perfume, converting gaming consoles into pizza warmers, and delivering pies to space. One of the chain’s most influential extracurriculars is BOOK IT!, a literacy program that has been rewarding children with free pizza for completing reading goals since 1984. Forty years later, tracking reading progress is easier than ever with Pizza Hut’s new BOOK IT! app.

The digital tool is designed primarily for children in pre-K through sixth grade. According to the press release, parents can use it to set reading goals, monitor progress, and redeem rewards for their little ones. Its release coincides with the BOOK IT! Summer of Stories program, which will give young readers the chance to earn free personal pan pizzas this summer by reaching parent-set targets.

The promotion does come with a few caveats. The official website states that there is a limit of five pizzas per family per month, specifically for June, July, and August, and only one certificate may be given per eligible child per month. Keep in mind that some locations may not participate in the program.

Pizza Hut is rolling out the initiative in response to the “summer slide,” a troubling trend that sees some children lose ground in their reading skills during the summer months. The chain’s goal is to mitigate the effects of the summer slide by providing incentives for children to keep reading during their time off from school.

The BOOK IT! app is already available on Apple and Android devices. Pizza Hut also offers another version of the app that’s designed to encourage reading while school is in session. Teachers can now pre-enroll in BOOK IT! for the traditional program year, which lasts from Wednesday, October 1, 2025, to Tuesday, March 31, 2026.   

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