Marengo library signs up record number of summer readers

MARENGO — The Marengo Public Library promises to take young readers on an adventure during its summer reading program.

“I think we have 60 kids signed up. That’s huge. That’s the largest number we’ve ever had,” Marengo Library Director Jackie Jordan said.

With reading passports in hand, children can earn treasures each week and enter a drawing for prizes.

The State Library of Iowa chose Read, Renew, Repeat as its theme this year, but Your Adventure Begins Here fit better with the programs planned by Jordan. “Our whole month of June is packed with programs,” she said.

The Grout Museum out of Waterloo will bring a miniature track and cars June 11 at 10 a.m. “They’ll talk to the kids about force and motion and stuff like that,” said Jordan.

On June 12, The Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque will bring its stingrays. Last year the museum brought sharks, said Jordan. That program drew the largest crowd of the summer.

The stingrays arrive at 10 a.m.

The Children’s Museum from Coralville will bring cardboard boxes and tape for Camp Cardboard at 10:30 a.m. June 13. The children have fun building things with boxes, said Jordan.

This year the Children’s Museum donated 30 free passes to the museum at Coralridge Mall, which the library gave to children who signed up for the summer reading program.

Children can Chalk the walk at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 14, and the library will help children create Fourth of July crafts Monday, June 17 at 10:30 a.m.

Tuesday, June 18, Grout Museum will bring its Star Lab at 10 a.m. so children can imagine taking a trip into space.

On Friday, June 21, the library will teach Giant Bubbles 101 at 10:30 a.m. The following Monday, June 24, East Central Iowa Council of Governments will show children how nature and humans manage waste.

“I’m calling it Fun with Trash,” said Jordan.

The Grout Museum will return Tuesday, June 25, at 10 a.m. with Super Cold, a program that explores liquid nitrogen. “We’ve had them every year,” Jordan said.

“At the end of the month, the Children’s Museum is coming back and they’re bringing their big blue blocks.” Children will become architects and build whatever they can imagine.

The program begins at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 27.

“In July, we won’t have any programs coming in, but we’ll have a lot of in-house stuff,” said Jordan.

Summer readers begin logging their reading minutes Monday, June 10. Their goal is to read 20 minutes each night, a total of 140 minutes each week, Jordan said.

Children bring their passports in every week for little treasures. If they’ve reached 140 minutes for the week, their names will be entered into a drawing for four grand prizes provided by Friends of the Marengo Public Library.

“Regardless if a child reads 20 minutes or that 140, we want them to have a positive experience,” said Jordan.

“We have a really vibrant library anyway,” said Jordan. Children can come to the library for books or put together puzzles and play board games.

Jordan also keeps a free local events board with flyers from Victor, Williamsburg and Amana Libraries, STEM camps, the Children’s Museum and other organizations with programs children can enjoy this summer.

The last day to log minutes for the summer reading program is Saturday, July 13. The prize drawing is Monday, July 15. Children don’t have to be present to win.