Grand Marais Public Library is sending out a huge THANK YOU to the community for supporting the 2023 Summer Reading Program. The library is especially grateful for the support of the Library Friends of Cook County and these local businesses who helped provide prize books, treats, and picnic food: Gene’s Foods, Drury Lane Books, Dairy Queen, Gunflint Mercantile, Hungry Hippie Tacos, Java Moose, and Superior Creamery.

It turned out to be quite a busy summer! Patrons picked up almost 200 reading logs for kids to track their reading and earn prizes. The “Where’s Mango” guessing game and library scavenger hunts were a weekly hit, with 150 and 100 total participants, respectively, and weekly story times brought in more than 200 attendees over the ten weeks of the program. The highlight of the summer was the Bubble Wonders program, which brought about 140 people into the library, and filled the lawn afterwards with even more bubble fun!

The library’s Summer Reading Program is part of a nationally coordinated library event recognized for improving the educational performance of participants. Research has shown that students who read recreationally tend to out-perform those who don’t. “Studies indicate that when children have the freedom to select the materials—including books, audiobooks, and comics—that they want to read, they read more,” added Youth Services Librarian Erika Ternes. “The library is committed to offering all readers the freedom and opportunity to find themselves in their reading materials.”

If you haven’t yet turned in your reading log and picked out a prize, there’s still time! Please bring your log to the library by Friday, September 15, 2023 to get a prize.