The Jefferson Library Kids Summer Reading Program wrapped up Monday with a final party.

Children’s Librarian Terry Clark says all of the participants read a total of 55,785 minutes, which is over 12,000 additional minutes compared to last year. She talked about what led to the increased number of minutes.

“We just thought a lot of kids were really excited about reading this summer and a lot of parents that participated in the program as well by supporting their children and bringing them to the library and getting them excited about reading in itself. So we were thrilled with that. We thought that was wonderful.”  

Clark also credited some of the increase to the changes they made to the program. 

“We decided this year that it would be more fun if the kids knew what some of the prizes were that they were shooting for. In the process when they read their minutes they could choose a prize that they wanted to put their minutes in for the drawing, that made it a little more exciting.”

She notes that for every 50 minutes that a child read, they could enter their name for the drawing. Clark points out that the kids had to read at least 400 minutes for each month of the program. There were a total of 94 kids that completed the program. The grand prize winner was Cassady Ruth, who won a new bicycle sponsored by Home State Bank. Other drawing winners included:Tucker Ford, Aiden Deal, Clara Chisum and Grace Black. Contest and drawing winners were Olivia Smith for the Moon Rick Toss Game, Lacey Snyder for

the Look and Find Where in the World Is Alien Drawing, Exra Hanson for the Space Riddles and Trivia Drawing, Damian Edwards for the Space Planets Guessing Jar Game and Alaina Gettler for the Look and Find Space Display Case.     

Clark appreciates everyone who participated in the summer reading program, and it ran from June 12th-July 29th.