The Summer Reading Program at the Gravette Public Library provided something for all ages.
The Little Lions Story Time for toddlers met at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesdays and the stories carried an "Oceans of Possibilities" theme with books, stories and activities about the Earth and oceans, fish, and Shark Week!
The library's occupancy level is 80 and, with 158 children registered in the Children's Summer Reading Program, we had to move the program to the Gravette Civic Center. Dr. Katherine Auld, a NASA Solar System Ambassador and founder of NWA Space, kicked off our series with "Our Blue Earth." KNWA/FOX24 Chief Meteorologist Dan Skoff shared how oceans affect the weather and severe weather safety tips. Malacologist Kendall Moles from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission's Stream Team taught the children about mussels. We wrapped up the summer with a magic show by George Reader along with awards and prize drawings. Children read a combined total of 630 hours and 27 minutes in less than five weeks and earned pony beads for reading as well as dolphin, sea turtle, seal and whale beads for completing weekly bookmark challenges.
Staff from the Scott Family Amazeum led three workshops: Ocean Explorers for ages 3-5; Ocean Creatures for ages 6-12; and Fish Fusion for teens.
The Teen Zone was busy with activities including a Minute to Win It competition, an afternoon of board and tabletop games, and a movie matinee. Teens and Adults have been selecting punch cards based on their personal reading goals and logging books with hopes of winning a prize in the September 1st prize drawings.
The summer reading programs would not be possible without our many sponsors and volunteers. This year's sponsors include the Bentonville/Bella Vista chapter of Altrusa International, NASA @ My Library, the Friends of the Gravette Public Library, Grumpy's Peace Love & Coffee, Harp's, Can Do Hardware, Sonic, Lili's Bubble Waffle, Sue Rice, Jeff Davis, Zaxby's, and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals baseball program. So many volunteers, including children and parents, helped with craft and summer reading bag prep, setting up and taking down tables and chairs, and Story Time for Little Lions and children ages 3-5. Altrusa members helped with crafts and Gravette Lions Club members and a Library Advisory Board member helped with bead distribution. Local teens helped with crafts, technology and giving out brag tags. Thank you all so much!