(PHOTO BY KATY BURNELL)

A middle school student was honored for reading more than 200 books in less than three months

By Katy Burnell & Erika Wells

A local rising sixth grader received an awarded at a community festival for spending her summer buried in books.

Rebecca Rogers, 11, was honored at the Grand Street Party Finale at the Main library branch for being a top reader in a summer reading program sponsored by the Richmond Public Library on Saturday.

Rogers, who will attend Elkhardt Middle School in the fall, took a break from reading to enjoy a day of activities, crafts, food, story time and performances.

Although the program started on June 20, Rogers has read 225 books.

Her mother, Danette Weisner, said that she did not expect Rogers to finish all of the books.

“I’m totally shocked,” Weisner said. “She’s been reading since she was three years old. I’m just so proud of my daughter.”

Turning pages for the summer reading program

Roger was one of many participants all ages from across the city to take part in the free yearly reading program, also sponsored by the Friends of the Library this year.

“The summer is a great time to promote a reading program,” said Heidi Walters, a children’s librarian at the North Ave. library branch. “It’s a great way to give the children in the community something to do since they’re out of school.”

To finish the program, children read at least 10 books, adults and teens read at least five books and at least 30 books were read aloud to toddlers.

In the beginning, the readers signed up and kept logs of books that they read.

Finally, for each book that they finished, readers received a raffle ticket toward winning a computer.

“The most important thing about the program is that it gives people an excuse to do what they enjoy and get a prize,” said Skip Stockton, a librarian at the Richmond Public Library.

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Crowds braved the August heat to attend the day-long festival. The celebration, which took place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featured different activities for the children. Librarians and families interacted on W. Franklin St., which was shut down for the event. View a slide show presentation of this 1-day event for people of all ages.

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A love of reading

This is the second year that Rogers has participated in the program. Reading comes natural for the the rising sixth grader, said Rogers.

“I’ve just been reading since I was a little kid,” Rogers said. “I love it.”

Parents should introduce their children to reading at an early age, said Weisner, who starting reading to her daughter when Rogers was a year old.

“Read to your children,” Weisner said. “If you read to them when they’re younger, or even read to them while they’re in your belly, they come out wanting to read.”