As summer winds down and the school year approaches, libraries across Lake County are inviting families to celebrate a season of reading, fun and adventure.
Bright colors and upbeat music created a festive atmosphere for the more than 10 families who packed a room for the luau-themed End of Summer Reading Party on Friday at the Lady Lake Public Library.
Families received grass skirts and leis before they sat down to play games and work on crafts during the event.
Nicole LeFrancois, Lake Lake Public Library youth coordinator, said the goal of the party was to celebrate all the reading people have done over the summer — especially those who participated in the library’s Plant a Seed, Read summer program.
“Anything that we can do to create a love of reading and make sure students don’t fall behind in those two months they are out of school — that’s what we are here for,” LeFrancois said.
Students in third to fifth grade typically lose up to 20% of the school-year reading gains over the summer, according to the Northwest Evaluation Association.
To help students stay on track over 95% of public libraries across the nation host summer reading programs, according to the
Public Library Association.
LeFrancois said her favorite event the library hosted over the summer was the Storytime Truck Rodeo on June 3 in partnership with the Lady Lake Public Works Department.
“Not only were we able to promote reading, but the kids got to get up close and personal with all the city vehicles they see every day,” she said.
Ashlyn Flint, of Lady Lake, said the summer program was great for her two children, who were also excited to participate in the end-of-summer party.
“The program has sparked a new adventure in reading and has been an integral part of our summer,” Flint said. “They were in a drought and ran out of things they wanted to read — especially my youngest. We asked Ms. Nicole, who gave us recommendations and he’s since read six books in a series.”
As a first grade teacher at The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake, Flint said the freedom that comes with the summer program can help students understand more about what they like.
“With the library summer reading program, there is less pressure,” she said. “Students can choose to read for fun and it can be more enjoyable here because there’s more freedom. Whereas, in school, there’s a lot more structure.”
Leesburg Public Library will host its End of Summer Celebration from 10 a.m. to noon July 29 at its branch, 100 E Main St, Leesburg.
The event will feature face-painting, crafts, door prizes and more. Andrew Foster, Leesburg Public Library youth services supervisor, said the party is both a celebration of the library’s summer library program coming to a close and a celebration of all the active learning and reading achievements made by the local children. From June to July, the library hosted events and reading challenges to encourage reading and educational opportunities as a part of the Summer Library Program.
“Summer is a critical time for any student,” Foster said. “If students do not continue to read during this time, they will lose much of the progress they made the previous school year. Programs like our Summer Library Program and End of Summer Celebration help us to build excitement for literacy and learning. Wrapping up the summer with a big community celebration shows kids that their dedication to learning and participating in library activities is truly valued, while it reinforces the library as a supportive, fun environment that fosters a lifelong love of discovery and learning.”
Over in Groveland, families can enjoy water slides and fire trucks during its library’s End of Summer Splash Bash Storytime with the Groveland Fire Department from 10:30 a..m. to 1 p.m. July 29 at the Marion Baysinger Memorial County Library, 756 W Broad St, Groveland.
Jessica Chung, branch supervisor, said this is the fifth year the library has hosed the event that is known for bringing the community together.
“The event really brings the whole community together,” Chung said. “We have people travel from Clermont and Minneola to participate, so it’s really just bringing Lake County together to promote early literacy and celebrate the fire department.
The event starts with a special story time, with members of the Groveland Fire Department reading “Firehouse!” by Mark Teague. It will be followed by fun on the water slides and a touch-a-truck experience waiting outside.
The event, which is sponsored by Friends of the Library and the Groveland Fire Department, also will feature a firefighter challenge course and hot dogs.
For more information about end-of-summer celebration events being hosted by branches in the Lake County Library System, visit mylakelibrary.org.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
