Congratulations to our readers for making the 2026 Youth Summer Reading Program a huge success! Our 8-week program began May 26 and ended on July 18. 84 readers participated in our program this year. The readers were very busy reading, completing Craft To Go Kits, and attending lots of summer reading events and summer programs.
Our Summer Reading Camp programs and special events on Thursdays included all kinds of fun activities! (Ice Cream Social, Modern Day Dinosaurs, Making Vases with Clay, Painting Patriotic Pictures, Dino Party, The Big Dig, & Rocks Have Stories)
Thank you to the Rochester Community School Food Service Department for furnishing delicious, hot lunches during the summer for our youth.
Many prizes were given this summer including Weekly Prizes won by Mitchell Martindale, Emmie Richard, Xena Weaver, Aaliyah Baker, Maylee Wolf, Opal Martindale, Emma McKinney, & Carson Bennett.
June & July Prize winners were Riley Miller and David Martindale. The Special Summer Reading Prize was received by Kai Miller.
Summer Reading Prize winners: Ages 0-6 were Riley Bennett, Jasper Martindale, & Kingston Baker Ages 7-11 were Zariah Shepherd, Deke Finke, & Luna Blacketor Ages 12-18 were Zach Bates, Haylee Martindale, & Zoey Bates
We ended “Unearth A Story” with our Summer Reading Celebration on Thursday, July 23rd! Summer Reading Certificates were given to those who participated in our Summer Reading Program. Special Prize winners were also announced. Everyone had a good time and left with big smiles!
We would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous donations to our 2026 Summer Reading Program:
Applebee’s, Braun Ability, Casey’s, Clay’s Flooring & Furniture Co., Community State Bank, Country Lanes, Family Express, First Federal Savings Bank, Friends of the Tippecanoe River St. Park, Ft. Wayne Tin Caps, Fulton Co. REMC Operation Round-Up Grant, Hoosier Hideaway, Isis Theatre, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis Indians, Indy Eleven, James & Susan Widman, James F. Talbott VFW Post 1121, J.L.Widman, Inc., Jim Berry & Sons, Kewanna Food Pantry, Kewanna UM Church, Kewanna Union Township Grant, Luhnow Farms, Mainstay Farming Partnership, Mary Max Cinemas, Perkins & Adley LLP, Plummer Farms Partnership, Streamliner Family Restaurant, Rochester Homes, Inc., Rochester Telephone Co., Triple J Engineering, Union Township, Wendy’s, Winamac Coil Spring, & Yeazels for the Birds
We would also like to thank everyone involved in making our 2026 Youth Summer Reading Program so successful: parents, library staff, teachers, community members, our event guest speakers and facilitators, and of course our summer readers. We couldn’t have done it without you!
