MOUNT HOPE, WV (WOAY) – Mount Hope Public Library gets excited when their summer reading program comes around, and today is the day.
Librarian Pamela Bush says often it’s the only time they get to engage with the kids.
“Summertime is time that I really get the opportunity to get the kids into the library and teach them all about how wonderful everything about the library is,” Bush said.
Summer reading is an initiative to keep two to 12-year-olds reading all summer long. Mount Hope Public Library also has a program for older kids.
“I have a lot of kids who what we say aged out of the program, but they’ve been so faithful to come for so many years that we don’t want to lose their interest in the library,” said Bush. “So we’ve extended that one to some older kid programs for them.”
According to the librarian, they found that kids lose those skills over the summertime, and end up wasting the first part of their school year refreshing them.
“So the kids can read absolutely anything. It can be at your home, it can be here, it can be anything,” she said. “And we ask them to keep a log of those books, and it’s amazing. “They’re actually very amazed when they see how many things they have read.”
Some emergent readers aren’t reading yet. They also count the books being read to them. It’s not a reward system, but the library encourages reading 500 books as a collective. As the program comes to a close they do storytime, crafts, songs, dancing and games.
“At the end of that six-week period, the kids turn their log in to me. And that’s where you see how many books they’ve read,” said Bush. “And then we have a big pool party at the end of the year, big celebration party to celebrate the kids, and what a great job they did.”
She hopes kids can come out to the different libraries. The summer reading program is represented by all Fayette County communities.
“They’re not required to come every week. We know it’s summertime, there’s things that come up,” Bush said. “But, you know, just any time you visit the library is gonna benefit the child.”
