Ten years ago, Vicki Shaw, Sandy Nienkamp, and Jeanette Shaw started the Edgar Summer Reading Hour, at the Community Building.
As Edgar does not have an official library, the trio liked seeing kids continue to read and get reading practice in the summer.
Each summer, for the month of June, the trio and helper Brenda Searle—who was their first volunteer with the program 10 years ago— pick out weekly themes for kids, involving books, activities, and snacks.
For the June 11 week, the theme was “The Beach,” which had kids reading beach-themed books, doing an activity where they “painted” a sticker picture with colorful sand, and ate a cupcake decorated as two bears on a beach.
Searle’s group of older kids in the program are reading a chapter book, “Hotel Flamingo,” in which they read three chapters each week, and then do an activity.
“They seem to be enjoying the book,” she said.
On June 11, after finishing their three chapters, they played a matching game and then used the cards they matched to create a story using descriptive words.
Jeanette, who helps Vicki and Nienkamp with the younger kids, said they typically read four or five books each week, and then kids get to check one book out to read.
Skylyn Morris decorates her sticker design with colorful sand.
Then they return those books the following week and check out another one.
Their June 4 theme was flowers, and for that day they invited Three Pink Elephants, out of Clay Center, to come and share information about flowers. The group also created a beautiful bouquet for Edgar City Clerk Chris Shuck.
Remaining themes for the month include pirates and newspapers. The newspaper theme is also what the group used to decorate Shuck’s office door—as they do each year.
All four agreed that the kids who attend each year are their favorite part of the program.
“And their enthusiasm for reading books,” Vicki said, with Jeanette adding, “just seeing the kids having fun and being able to read to them.”
The Summer Reading Hour is supported and funded by the Edgar Community Club and Edgar City Council, and Sandy Creek School is always willing to promote the reading program prior to summer. Edgar has five free little libraries scattered around town, which were also started by Vicki and Jeanette.
LEFT: Brenda Searle helps kids in her Summer Hour Reading group create a descriptive story using cards from a matching game. ASHLEY D SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS
