Library sees growth in Summer Reading Program
SUBMITTED BY THE MARYVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
James and Robert McKim hold their prizes earned from completing the challenge.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — With 274 kids and 110 adults signed up, the Maryville Public Library’s Summer Reading Program saw its highest level of program participation in the last five years.
According to a news release, more than 7,000 children’s and young adult books, and nearly 6,000 adult books were checked out from the library between June and July.
Library Director Stephanie Patterson credits that growth in participation to local parents and grandparents mindful of reading level development, as well as a strong partnership between local school districts and MPL Youth Services Coordinator Elizabeth Argo.
“Some kids enrolled in Summer School don’t get to visit us with their parents,” Patterson said. “Our Youth Services Coordinator led field trips to introduce those kids to their public library. We especially enjoy seeing some of them visibly pull their parents into the library a day or two after their field trip.”
With sponsorship from the Maryville Pride Lions Club, library staff rewarded children who read at least 20 minutes for at least 20 days over the course of the summer.
“We chose 20 minutes for 20 days as our target for completers because we believe that is a long enough time to form a reading habit and there is a lot of research out about the benefits of reading 15-20 minutes per day,” Elizabeth Argo, Youth Services Coordinator for the Maryville Public Library, said. “However, a number of kids surpassed that goal, some by more than double, and earned 50-day prizes.”
Children who completed and reported at least 20 days of reading as of Aug. 5 are listed below.
GRADES 1-6 CATEGORY: Paisley Baker, Allison Beatty, Jackson Beatty, Ryleigh Bostwick, Lana Brand, Regan Braymen, Beckett Budden, Bianca Budden, Brielle Budden, Trent Carlson, Clayton Catterton, Elley Cline, Hudsen Cline, Jaxon Dunkin, Jaxon Evans, Lennox Fisher, Shadalyn Frueh, Jaxson Gockel, Kamryn Gockel, Kody Gockel, Nathan Gockel, Eyushi Goswami, Bella Graham, Layla Greeley, Holden Guthrie, Rowyn Guthrie, Brynlee Hanna, Kreyton Hanna, Emalyn Hendren, Harper James, Kendall James, Reese James, August Kuhlemeyer, Anna Henggeler, Isabelle Henggeler, Whitaker Hill, Samuel Jenkins, Lincoln Jeter, Sydney Kern, Vincent Kern, Carsyn Kurz, Kamryn Lager, Damon Lambert, Gavin Layman, Lyla Lightfoot, Hadlee Mayfield, James McKim, Robert McKim, Ainslee Meyers, Ahmed Meziani, Hanine Meziani, Avery Mitchell, Eli Mitchell, Tim Miyazaki, Scarlett Moore, Stella Moore, Chase Nielson, Hattie Nielson, Henry O’Gwin, Lucy O’Gwin, Rylee Pariseau, Leola Parry, Thena Parry, Brock Plackemeier, Gabby Schieber, Ashtyn Schlapia, Aseneth Seipel, Dayne Smyser, Abigail Stickelman, Mylee Stringer, Autumn Vogel, Achima Washington, Iyana Washington, Pearl Wehmeyer and Vincent White.
Ten readers met the highest reading challenge in the Young Adult Category and are listed below.
YOUNG ADULT CATEGORY: Geordynn Bostwick, Ashton Brand, Wilson Kuhlemeyer, Olivia Mikkelsen, Pippa O’Gwin, Alayna Pargas, Sidney Pohren, Alyssa Rudd, Seith Seipel and Nasya Washington.
Very young children enrolled in the library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program earned their own incentives by counting the number of books that were read to them over the summer.
At least 54 adults completed the library’s adult summer reading challenge.
ADULT CHALLENGE: Erin Anderson, Linda Akins, Stian Bjotveit, Sydney Bogue, Sherri Burns, Rhonda Clark, Brad and Keely Cline, Giuli Coniglio, Vicki Cook, Jill Emerson, Savannah Erickson, Art and Julie Filips, Dianne Fisher, Shandalen Frueh, Terri Giesken, Jill Gockel, Bailey Hays, Annalise Herrera, Sarah Hertzog, Cathy Law, Phyllis and Clint Lawyer, Nancy Liu, Angela Lunsford, Susan Maxwell, Hunter and Sarah McFall-Boegeman, Leanna McMillan, Brittany Mitchell, Teddy Miyazaki, Ashley Myers, Kim Offutt, JoAnn Outs, Heather Pearson, Erin Pohren, Larry Ricks, Andrea Riley, Wendy Riley, Kaylyn Sander, Shirley Sendgraff, Lillian Stark, Grace Stephens, Laura Thomas, Amanda Twaddle, Amber Vogel, Breonna Waterman, Michele Weddle, Cheyann Wheeler, Nicholas White, Patricia White and Maizey Williams.
