For the past 20 years, librarian Kathy Bulmer has overseen the Boyle Public Library’s summer reading program, which encourages kids to read on a regular basis when they’re out of school over the summer.
“We’ve always held a summer reading program and mainly the gist of it is, because we know that kids are out of school and it’s a proven fact that when they don’t keep up their reading, the level goes down, we try to encourage kids to read and have fun at the same time,” Bulmer explained last month.
This year’s theme is destination: jungle.
Pamela Langevin, who has run the program for the last five years, said the best part about her job is working with kids.
This year, she has created a jungle-themed game board, which allows kids to track their reading progress over the summer.
“We ask kids to join and they move on our game board by reading books,” Bulmer noted.
For every story read by or to a participant, they move ahead one space on the board.
In past years, the summer reading program has had a prize chest for participants, after they have read so many books. This year, however, the prize chest has been replaced by a jungle store.
“They’ll pass certain spaces called ‘challenges’ and they have to do the challenge and they can make monkey moolah,” Bulmer explained.
“And then they can use their monkey moolah to buy stuff at the jungle store.”
At a Northern Lights Library meeting earlier this year, Bulmer said she was surprised to learn that many libraries have had to cut their summer reading program because there was not enough interest from the community, but not in Boyle.
“We have 60 kids so far in the program,” she said.
Bulmer said the summer reading program is free to anyone with a membership. Participants can come in any time the library is open (Tues-Sat, 12:30 – 5) to catch up on their reading.
“It’s mainly just so that kids will like reading.”
