What are you going to 'get caught reading' this month?
Today’s post serves as both homage and warning for National Get Caught Reading Month. Keep reading, then leave a comment to join this dialogue. And don’t forget to check out today’s Community Notes!
What is National Get Caught Reading Month
National Get Caught Reading Month, recognized each May, is a nationwide campaign celebrated throughout the month to promote the joy of reading books for all ages. Launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and currently managed by Every Child a Reader, it encourages sharing and displaying photos of people reading in unexpected or cozy places. Schools, libraries, celebrities, and authors also share their love for reading by hosting school-wide reading days and book drives. And now, in the age of social media, more and more people are starting to participate every year.
How to Participate
Share on Social Media
Take a photo of yourself or a friend or your book club reading in cozy or unexpected places, then post them on your socials using the hashtag #GetCaughtReading or #GetCaughtReadingMonth. This can be a lot of fun and is by far the most popular way to participate in 2026, though it may have its drawbacks, which I revisit later in this post.
Visit the Library
Go to your local library for new books, ebooks, and audiobooks. And while you’re there, find out what events and contests or reading challenges they’re hosting for the month so you can participate in them or tell others about them. Or check out ebooks and audiobooks through your library by using apps like Libby to see what books you can get caught reading this month.
Create ‘Wanted’ Posters
Schools and libraries often use the Get Caught Reading official website to download bulletin-board-sized posters of celebrities, authors, and athletes ‘caught’ reading to inspire others. Use them for your own reading campaigns, or create one of your own with people from your local community. And if you’re a book influencer, you’ll easily be able to do something fun with this idea across your socials.
‘Drop Everything and Read’ (DEAR)
Set a specific time during the day—either at home, school, or work—where everyone must stop whatever they’re doing and read for a set period (10–20 minutes or even an hour). Bonus: If you do this, you’ll be able to form a reading habit that you can continue in June and after.
Read in Public Places
Intentionally take your book or ereader to high-visibility spots like parks, train stops, or café patios to model reading for the community.
Organize a Book Drive or Book Swap
Host an event where friends, colleagues, neighbors, or students can donate or trade their used books. This builds community excitement around discovering ‘new’ stories and books.
Find a Reading Buddy
For a lot of people, of all ages and sizes, it’s easier to do something if they have a buddy doing it with them. You can pair kids with a reading buddy to get them in the habit of reading this month. Or you can get your own reading buddy to read with you in public or take photos for your socials.
Why You Want to ‘Get Caught Reading’
Promotes Reading for Fun
It emphasizes reading for pleasure, not just for work or school. Regardless of your age, it’s important to be reminded that reading should be fun sometimes, or at least engaging.
Encourages Lifelong Habits
The campaign encourages people to read books anywhere and at any time, promoting a daily reading habit. And I can’t think of anything more important right now, in a world where critical thinking skills and empathy are waning and AI is starting to overtake the publishing industry… and everything else.
Improves Mental Health and Cognitive Functioning and Growth
Reading has been proven to lower stress and help people manage their emotions better, and make them more empathetic. It also supports brain development by increasing vocabulary, improving memory, boosting concentration, and enhancing writing skills.
In 10 Positive Side Effects of Reading Every Day, I go over this in greater detail, but the positive side effects of reading every day include:
Greater empathy and understanding of the world
Higher levels of focus and concentration
Better communication skills
Increased feelings of relaxation
Broader scope of knowledge
Heightened sense of creativity
Capability to evade boredom anywhere and everywhere
Capacity to read anywhere and everywhere
Ability to spot and connect with bookworms anywhere and everywhere
Amplified introspection and intentional behavior
I also recommend reading 7 Ways to Get Out of a Reading Slump for tips on maintaining an enjoyable reading habit.
Provides Positive Role Models
I don’t care if you’re four or 40, we all need and seek positive role models, even if only subconsciously, as we are always comparing our own behavior to others and always will. And we’re much more likely to pick up a book if someone we admire, even if it’s just a friend, picks up a book first. Seeing celebrities and influencers reading does also make it ‘cool’ and encourages others to emulate them because that’s the kind of world we live in, like it or not… so might as well use their influence for the greater good.
Supports Community Building
Books always have a beautiful way of bringing people together. Individuals, book clubs, libraries, schools, and families can use this time to share books, organize book drives, and discuss favorite stories.
Encourages Diverse Reading
Participants are encouraged to explore new genres, including graphic novels and books from diverse voices. This monthly reading campaign really prompts people of all ages to consider what they want others to see them reading and why.
Downsides of ‘Get Caught Reading’ Month
Performative Reading
As with everything else on social media, participants should be aware that others might accuse them of performative reading, or pretending to read in public to get attention. It can also foster a feeling that reading is only worthwhile when it’s seen or rewarded by others, rather than for personal development.
Personally, I think it’s better to perform reading than to actively ban books or reading altogether, but this concern is still valid, especially for teens and kids who are forming their opinions on reading along with their reading habits.
Lack of Diverse Books
More people will share photos of themselves reading institutional classics like War and Peace, Les Misérables, Moby-Dick, etc., especially when they’re not actually reading them. (Let’s be honest. If you’re actually trying to keep track of all the characters and goings-on in a novel like War and Peace, it is highly unlikely you would decide to read it in a noisy public space or want to tote its 1,000+ pages around with you all day.)
While I would never dissuade anyone from reading anything they want to read, I do think performative reading will lead too many novice readers to believe that only institutional classics are worth reading. And I also think we might see fewer women authors being widely represented in public spaces, aside from ‘beach reads’ in vacation photos. I will admit I have no solid proof of this, yet, but it is a strong hunch of mine based on what I’ve witnessed over the past decade or so.
Bottom line: If you are performatively reading to participate, I honestly don’t care. All I ask is that you at least read a blurb or two about the book you’re sharing and its author. And that you please, pretty please, try to pick a book that highlights a diverse voice.
Pressure and Competition
Whether you are hosting and or participating in an event or activity for National Get Caught Reading Month, make sure you are focusing on fun, inclusion, and the quality of reading experiences over competition and quantity of pages or books read.
When reading is forced, mandated, or logged, it can feel like homework, destroying anyone’s natural enjoyment of books. Public campaigns can also create intense pressure, where reading becomes a competition rather than an enjoyable experience, often leading to anxiety, burnout, and even worse, a decreased interest in reading.
Libraries should also be highlighted more than bookstores in campaigns because more people have limited access to books than not. Please keep in mind that some programs could unintentionally highlight reading disparities and make those who want to participate feel inadequate, if they’re not organized and executed with care and consideration for those who cannot afford to buy books.
Conclusion
Regardless of your age and reading level, National Get Caught Reading Month can offer fun ways to practice reading skills, form long-lasting reading habits, engage with your in-person and online communities, and exercise self-care. And you’re bound to gain something positive out of participating, whatever you decide to do, as long as you showcase reading in a positive light.
So, what are you going to ‘get caught reading’ this month?
Leave a comment to join this dialogue, and don’t forget to share this post with others so they can join this dialogue too. Don’t be shy about sharing your love for reading here! Your comment could be tagged in a future post in the (New!) Community Spotlight section below.
© This work is not available for artificial intelligence (AI) training. All Rights Reserved by K.E. Creighton; Creighton’s Compositions LLC.
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Community Notes (New!)
Dear reader, tell us all about what you want to ‘get caught reading’ this month, where, and or why in the comments. Or share some of your favorite book recommendations. Don’t be shy about sharing your love for reading here! Your comment could be tagged in a future post in the (New!) Community Spotlight section below.
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Egalitarian Book Club
Currently Reading: Westward Women by Alice Martin (Join the buddy read here.) Recommended Reading Schedule:
Week 1 (May 1-10) — Chap. 1-7 (Part I)
Week 2 (May 11- 17) — Chap. 8-14 (Part II- III)
Week 3 (May 18- 24) — Chap. 15-21 (Part III- IV)
Week 4 (May 25- 31) — Part V, remaining chapters
June Pick: TBD (Look here in future posts for an upcoming poll to help us select our June pick!)
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