The 2022 Summer Reading Program with the Jefferson Public Library recently ended.

Youth Services Librarian Stephanie Hall says the final party featured “Pirate Cornelius” who did an interactive skits and storytelling with the participants at the First United Methodist Church in Jefferson this past Thursday. The final party and the entire program revolved around the theme of “Oceans of Possibilities.” Hall looks back on how the kids and families have enjoyed this year’s Summer Reading Program.

“We have been very busy this summer. Everyday there is a large amount of children and so we’ve had multiple activities during the week, and then also anything that we planned on that Monday for our activities we carried on upstairs for those who weren’t able to attend. Everybody has been able to experience a part of the Summer Reading Program, even if they couldn’t attend our Monday afternoons.”   

Hall says about 183 kindergarten through fourth grade kids participated this year and she talks about her favorite part.

“This year they got to color a sea creature for every 20 minutes that they read and then we created an aquarium on our wall (in the library). We have a wall aquarium that currently, right now, has enough sea creatures that total 17,340 minutes of reading time (and) it’s still going up.”    

Additionally, at the final party, the grand prize winner was Ryder Uebel.