Caribou County Libraries welcome summer reading!

While summer is definitely a time-honored season for staying well away from the classroom, that doesn’t mean students have to avoid books of all types, especially when there is so much going on with the area’s very popular summer reading programs.  Soda Springs Library Adventures kicked off last week, with an opening day of outdoor fun and binocular book quests designed to get kids outside and excited about reading.  

The Grace Library began its summer reading program on Monday, with a visit from the Extension Office and Farm Bureau, who brought a lesson on beekeeping and a sunflower to take home and plant.  The month of June is scheduled with a full range of surprises coming up for students.

Callie Hamp and LaNae Robinson (recently recruited from retirement from the library to help with the summer rush) were forced to relocate Monday’s opening for the summer reading program when June brought with it a summer rain that threatened to deepen as the morning wore on.  Luckily, the American Legion building at the Fairgrounds was available for just such an emergency, and the large group of over one hundred kids made its way inside the backup accommodation with only the amount of disruption that many kids might be expected to cause in any case.

Rachel Hamilton from the County Extension Office and Nicole Mussler from the Farm Bureau were waiting for them to talk about everything bees.  A selection of books related to the insects was displayed, and Hamilton read from one of them to the eager group, pausing to ask questions along the way.  After the book was done, the group practiced a bee dance, and then transitioned to the activity for the day.  In recognition of the important role that flowers play in the lives of bees, each kid was given a potted sunflower seed to raise into a plant over the course of the summer.

And speaking of coming up over the course of the summer, the Summer Reading program will host programs for those who are signed up (which can still be done at the library) on Mondays at 10:30 for kids grades pre-K to 2nd, and at 1:00 for kids grades 3-6.  Next week, the Grace Volunteer Fire Department will be the featured presenters, followed by Fish and Game the week after, and rounded out by PBS and a STEM day.  A fun series of final events are planned for the end of the summer session.

Caribou County Junior Rodeo Queen Maycie Smith will be present to introduce each speaker during the events, which will hopefully be held outside near the library for upcoming weeks, weather permitting.

By a strange coincidence, weather played a similar trick on the opening day of the Soda Springs Library’s Summer Reading program last Wednesday.  Like the program in Grace, Soda’s summer library program is a popular activity for the dozens of kids who participate.  This year’s theme is “Adventure Begins at Your Library!” and features a range of activities for kids from the youngest ages through teens, and even a summer reading event for adults.

The opening day on May 29 found Dorajo and Caleb Messerly moving from inside to outside with the scattered rain, as they scrambled to register the large number of kids who signed up for the always popular program.  The “Adventure” theme for the year encourages participants to engage with the world outdoors.  The opening event gave each participant a pair of binoculars to use as they scouted out signs in the park behind the library, each bearing a page from the first book of the summer.  The large sandwich boards were donated by Caribou Ford, and kids were encouraged to read the pages out loud to their accompanying parents or siblings as they scouted their way around the park on what turned out at the end to be a lovely day.  Some of the sixteen sign boards also included QR Codes with links to videos of some of the animals included in
the book.

The kids program will primarily take place in June, with events every Wednesday at the library throughout the month.  On the 24th and 25th of June, a Slip and Slide party will take place outside the library.  This particular version of the Summer Reading program is in its fourth year.  

For the various age groups, the exact nature of the reading challenges will vary, but teen and adult participants will read books from now until August 8, and submit them to the library.  Teens will keep an adventure log of the books they read, and qualify for all kinds of prizes along the way, while adults will be able to submit their books on a ticket to go into a large jar for an eventual prize drawing. On June 12 at 6:00 p.m. there will be a special teen night event.  The library generally allows kids in sixth grade to participate in the teen events, whether they are officially teenagers or not.

On August 12 at 6:00 p.m. the final wrap-up and prize party will take place.  Some of the prizes include a hammock, dry bag, books, Desk Yoga cards, water bottles, beach blankets, cool gear, and plenty of surprises!   

Regardless of your location in the county, the Grace and Soda Springs libraries can provide a way for your kids to stay busy over the first part of summer as they suddenly find themselves with time on their hands.  You can contact the Soda Springs Library at 208-547-2606, and the Grace Library at 208-425-3695 for more information about the various summer programs, or other services provided by the libraries.