Our Daily Show Interview! Beyond the Shelves With Hayner: Summer Reading Starts Now!
ALTON – The Hayner Public Library District has kicked off their Summer Reading Program.
This program is made up of free events for kids and teens to enjoy. Participants also complete reading challenges for the chance to win prizes. Mary and Sharon, librarians who oversee the program, explained that it’s a chance for kids to learn to love reading.
“The point — I mean, obviously, it’s to have fun. It’s so the kids come into the library and associate the library as a fun place, a place to make memories,” Mary explained. “But also, there’s a thing called the summer slide…where kids’ literacy rates sort of start to slide down. So the Summer Reading Program, the point is to get kids in the library, get them reading, keep their reading going so that they don’t have that academic slide backwards. So it’s fun for them, but there’s also the ulterior motive of keeping them reading and keeping them engaged with reading and writing.”
The Summer Reading Program runs from June 2 to July 10, 2025. This year’s theme is “Level Up at Your Library.”
The fun starts from 10–11 a.m. on Mondays with “Press Start for Art,” a craft for kids ages 2–6 at the Alton Square Mall library.
This is followed by “Stories and Art” on Tuesdays at the downtown library. Kids ages 2–6 can listen to a story and watch local artist Jenn Dunnegan create a piece of art. All children in attendance are entered for the chance to win the art piece.
From 10–11 a.m. on Wednesdays, kids can enjoy a performance that differs every week. This Wednesday, June 4, 2025, Science Heroes will conduct a science project while sharing a story at the Alton Square Mall performance room.
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Older kids ages 6–12 can create an interactive science project from 10–11 a.m. on Thursdays at the Alton Square Mall library. Kids of all ages can participate in the daylong treasure hunt on Thursdays at the Alton Square Mall library. If you solve all the clues, you receive a prize from the treasure chest.
Teens can also enjoy a craft from 4–5 p.m. on Mondays, followed by game nights from 4–5 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Mary and Sharon emphasized that the Summer Reading Program is completely free for families to enjoy. Adults can register their kids at the official Beanstack website to track their reading and be entered for the chance to win prizes.
But registration for the individual programs is not necessary. Families are encouraged to come by the library for as many of the events as they’d like.
“You can come to any program,” Mary said. “You can mix, match, come to all of them, some of them, whatever you want to do. We’ve made it as easy as we can for parents.”
You can call the library at 618-462-0677 with any questions about the Summer Reading Program or how to register on Beanstack.
Mary and Sharon noted that the Summer Reading Program is a lot of work, but very fun for the staff members and participants. They look forward to another great summer of reading and sharing crafts, science projects, games and more with the library’s youngest patrons.
“The kids love Summer Reading,” Sharon added. “The ones that religiously come every week to Summer Reading, they love it. And the staff loves it, too. It’s a fun time for everybody.”
For more information about the Summer Reading Program or the Hayner Public Library District, including a calendar of upcoming events, visit their official website at HaynerLibrary.org.
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