Hailey Shope with a group of kids making rockets during the kick-off week for the Tama Library summer reading program. -Tama Library photos

Week one of Summer Reading

The Tama Library’s 2019 summer reading program “A Universe of Stories” started June 1st! Our first weekly program for kids who will be in 1st grade and up this fall was on Tuesday June 4th.

We had special guests from the Tama County ISU Extension Service, Jenny Hulme and Hailey Shope. We made several different types of rockets.

One was spring powered, one was air powered and one was powered by Alka-Seltzer. We were able to go outside for launching-No Rain!

After all that activity we cooled off with grape Kool aide and star crunch bars. Everyone made a straw rocket and played a homemade game with comets and a space rocket.

Ann Bolen with kids working on Straw Rockets.

Everyone received an activity packet to help keep their brains active until next week and bookmarks for our books.

Thursday June 6th was the day for our first program for kids who will be in Preschool and Kindergarten this fall. We read three books: The Moon’s Time to Shine by Scott Emmons, Mr. Moon by Michael Paraskevas and A Kite for Moon by Jane Yolen. We drew names for prizes and shirts too.

We walked next door to the Civic Center where we made straw rockets, played some games and had our snack and Kool aide.

Thanks to all the great volunteers.

Just a reminder, there is no computer use until 4 p.m. on program days and staff will not start checking reading logs until 4 p.m. also.

If you are registered for summer reading make sure you stop by the library each day to guess how many stars are in the jar.

The closest guess by a boy and by a girl each win a collection of fun space activity books.

Check out our Facebook page for all the pictures from Week one.

The library received many donations for our summer reading program this summer including a $1,000 grant from the Dollar General Foundation and $500 from the Robert Ingles Trust.

Other super sponsors include: Williams Manufacturing, Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home, OK Tire, Independent Insurance, Pinnacle Bank, Fraternal Order of Eagles, State Bank of Toledo, Casey’s General Store, Lincoln Savings Bank, and the Blank Park Zoo.