Registrations are going on now for this year’s Kids Summer Reading program with the Jefferson Public Library.

Children’s Librarian Terry Clark says the theme is “Imagine YOUR Story,” which they have incorporated fairy tale activities. The program is open to four-year-olds through 5th graders and runs from June 22nd-August 9th. Clark notes that due to COVID-19, most of the activities will be done electronically or at home. Participants are encouraged to do crafts and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) kits, YouTube virtual shows with Absolute Science, Zoom Room activities, story time, Fairy Tale Readers’ Theater and the library’s lawn, and scavenger hunts, among others.

Clark points out that new this year will be a weekly drawing for a child to have a community member read a story to them and their family on the front steps of their home.

“We think that it’s important to share the different people’s occupations with the children, and what they do for our community. Right now we’re very aware of the different helpers in our community and we want our children to be just as aware. And this is a special time for each one of the kids that win that drawing, I mean I would love to see – for instance – a fireman pull up in a fire truck and read a story to me on my front step, I think that would be great.”

At the end of the program on August 9th, each participant will earn a free book, t-shirt, pizza certificate and the grand prize will be a new bicycle. The Kids Summer Reading program is free, due to sponsorships from Breadeaux Pizza, Home State Bank, Greene Co Supervisors, Peoples Bank, Wells Fargo Bank and Friends of the Jefferson Library. Anyone with questions can call the children’s department at 515-386-4415.