Dive into summer reading adventures at your local library

Leo Torres
Gadsden County News Service

The Gadsden County Public Library System kicked off its Summer Reading Program on June 2.
Two kickoff events were held, one at the William A. McGill Public Library in Quincy and one at the Cowen Public Library in Chattahoochee. The goal was to encourage students to participate in summer reading logs and to showcase the upcoming events this summer. The event’s theme, Library Lūʻau, reflected the larger summer reading program theme, Brighten Our World, in a colorful and festive way.
Youth Services Librarian Shannon Allen-Powell is hoping the program’s benefits will carry over to the new school year for students. 
“We’re hoping to encourage students to read more during the summer,” Allen-Powell said. “We’re looking for them to increase their reading level so when school returns, they’ll be geared up for reading, excited to read.”
More than 50 parents and their children attended the event in Quincy, while Chattahoochee brought in 40. Italian ice and popcorn were offered, and the students got to play some games, including ski ball, connect four, and ring toss. Arts and crafts were also featured at both events.
Allen-Powell said the events were a success, and she is a big believer in the program’s effectiveness.
“I’ve seen it have positive effects,” Allen-Powell said. “Some kids, they enjoy the reading. They also enjoy the programs that the library provides, and it gives them something to do during the summer.”
Several events are lined up for the upcoming summer to complement the reading experience, including a youth scavenger hunt, a coding course, a Lego robotics course, an excavation dig, a magic show, and Animal Tales, featuring live animals. Movie nights will be held on June 18 and June 21 at the Havana Public Library and the McGill Library respectively.
“The summer is introducing the kids to a lot of creativity,” Allen-Powell said.  The movie will be “Dog Man”, a film about a dedicated police officer and his trusted companion, who are fused together into one being after the pair get into an accident.
Reading logs and a full schedule of this summer’s events can be picked up at your local library.
“We’re trying to give the kids something to experience,” Allen-Powell said. “We don’t have a zoo around here, so let’s bring the zoo to the library. We don’t have too many magic shows, so let’s bring a magician to the library.