Carrollton Summer Reading Program has stellar turnout

By Editor | August 14, 2024 |

By Carmen Ensinger

The Carrollton Public Library participated in State Rep. C.D. Davidmeyer’s Summer Reading Program entitled “To The Library and Beyond.”
The four week program culminated with a pizza party provided, and delivered, by Davidsmeyer himself.
“He (Davidsmeyer) said we had the biggest turnout in his entire district, which includes Jacksonville,” Head Library Angie Custer said. “We had right at 25 kids in attendance each week.”
“To The Library and Beyond” challenged students in kindergarten through fifth grade to read 10 books over the course of the summer. Books over 150 pages counted as two books.
All participants received an official certificate recognizing their commitment to reading. Libraries with 10 or more participants received a pizza party.
“Davidsmeyer’s office called me on July 28 and told us we would be getting a party,” Custer said. “She asked when we would like it and I said July 31 would be nice since that was our last day.”
Davidmeyer provided pizza from Alfonso’s, cookies, chips and water for all the kids, along with the plates and cups, too.
“It was so funny because he came in carrying the pizza and one of the little kids said ‘the pizza delivery guy is here,’” Custer said. “He smiled really big and just rolled with it. He was super humble. You can tell he has kids. It was so funny though.”
Custer said the theme for Summer Reading at the library was kindness.
“We tried to teach the kids what they can do to spread kindness around them,” she said. “The first week we made flower bouquets. The second week they made thank you cards and gave a bunch of those out and the third week we made place mats for everyone who gets Meals on Wheels.”
The children were tasked to take that kindness outside of the library as well.
“Every week when they came in, they had to tell me something they did that was nice, kind or helpful,” she said. “Then, we wrote it on a leaf and stuck it on our ugly tree to make it pretty.”
Everyone needs a hug once in a while – the new thing now is pocket hugs.
“I gave each of them four or five of these pocket hugs every week and told them to go out and give hugs,” Custer said. “They were handing them out to grandma and grandpa, to the mailman and some even gave us here at the library one. It was really neat.”