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Fairfield’s Edmund Adkins wins bicycle in library’s Summer Reading Challenge
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
FAIRFIELD – Ten-year-old Edmund Adkins of Fairfield won the grand prize of the library’s Summer Reading Challenge, a new bicycle courtesy of the local Masonic Lodge and Walmart.
Adkins picked out his bicycle on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and then met members of Fairfield Clinton Lodge No. 15 at the library on Thursday, Aug. 14 for the formal ceremony. Adkins reached the milestone of reading at least 1,200 minutes over the summer, and he said he’s looking forward to riding his new bike to school this fall when he begins fifth grade.
Some of Adkins’ favorite book series include Calvin and Hobbes, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Magic Treehouse, Magic School Bus and the Star Wars novels. His parents, Nathaniel and Amber Adkins, said they both love to read, and have tried to impart that same love of reading on their children Edmund and his older sister, Thisbe. The two siblings enjoy reading together and doing other things together, too, like performing in musicals such as “Mary Poppins Jr.” this summer and with their parents in “Oliver!” last year.
Wally DeVasier, treasurer of the Fairfield Masonic Lodge, said the Masons have always believed strongly in supporting education and public libraries, going back to the days of Benjamin Franklin, who was a Mason.
“He was the one who founded the whole public library system in America, thinking that everyone should have access to books,” DeVasier said.
Fairfield Public Library Assistant Youth Services Librarian Afton Pedrick said the summer reading program is important to prevent the “summer slide” children can experience from being out of school.
“One of the biggest reasons we do this program is to keep everybody in tip-top shape for when school starts back up,” Pedrick said.
Fairfield Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge attracted 441 children, and 169 of those reached the 600-minute milestone. Collectively, participating children read about 5,000 hours this summer.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
