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After a year of being closed due to COVID-19, the Andalusia Public Library is happy to offer once again the Summer Reading Program.

“I am beside myself,” Youth Librarian Caryl Ray said. “We got to open the children section last week. Now we get to start the puppet shows and the summer reading program again.”

Since posting the news about the summer reading program, Ray said the response has been tremendous.

“The response from the parents, grandparents and children has been incredible,” Ray said. “They are tagging all of their friends and I say bring them all on. I went to all of the county and city schools to drop of calendars and everybody is just so excited to get back to a normal.”

Over the past year, Ray said the children’s library is full of new books.

“I have all of these brand new books and they are all sitting down there just waiting for these little hands to pick them up,” Ray said. “It is just a happy thing. Granted, I have to go back behind them and wipe the books down, but I am happy to do that if we are able to have kids down there.”

This year’s theme for the Summer Reading Program is Tails and Tales.

“We will be reading animal stories and fairytales,” Ray said. “We are doing a lot of Three Little Pigs, Billygoat Gruff, and the library right now is decorated for Jack and the Beanstalk.”

Ray is challenging parents and children to read just 30 minutes a day this summer.

“I’m challenging my son to read 40 books for this summer,” Ray said. “If he reads all of the books by the end of the summer then he gets to go to the waterpark. For every 10 books, he gets a reward like going to SnoBiz. I want to push every parent and child to read for 30 minutes a day. Turn off all electronics and cell phones and just read for 30 minutes. I want the parents to be doing this so the kids will mimic their behavior. I want the grownups in the library getting their books, teenagers coming in, as well, and everybody just enjoying the library. I want people to feel welcome.”