Summer reading program ends at Waldinger Library

Nearly 350 children turned out to the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library last week for a series of performances to mark the end of the summer reading program.

All children who completed the summer book club requirements were invited to attend. On Aug. 16 and 17, the library welcomed children’s musician Darlene Graham, who held two music and dancing performances. More than 100 children from birth through kindergarten came out to the two shows.

On Aug. 18, Steve Tomecek, also known as The Dirtmeister, hosted a pair of science programs for children in grades 1-6. He did demonstrations on static and current electricity, magnets, gravity and forces, levers and boomerangs. Tomecek, author of more than 40 non-fiction books, talked about scientific discoveries as far back as 600 B.C. and as recently as 1799.

Children’s Librarian Jaclyn Kunz said about 380 children finished the summer reading program. Children age birth through pre-K had to read 18 books with a parent, while children in grades K-2 had to read a dozen books with a parent.

Students in grades 3-6 had to complete six books, on their own. Kunz said they had to read fewer books than the younger children because they are typically reading longer chapter books at that age. Each child also had to update their library on their reading progress. “They had to write a little report about their books,” Kunz said, “if they liked it and why.”

Kunz said some of the most popular books children were reading this summer were the “By Nate” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kids” series.