One of the many tasks I am given as a school librarian is to help foster a love of reading in our students. Reading is such a passion of mine because of the adventures I can go on and the lessons I can learn. All students should have access to positive reading experiences, whether it be in partners, small groups, or independently. For many years now, the Accelerated Reader program has been a popular program to add some accountability to independent reading. But it can cause stress for some students, and for others the requirement of hitting a goal takes all the fun out of reading. So let’s talk about five accelerated reader alternatives that are fun and effective. 1. An Epic! Alternative to Accelerated Reader Epic! is one of the first alternatives for the Accelerated Reader program I recommend due to the eye-catching and easy-to-navigate site. Students receive