08/27/2026
August is starting to wrap up; today we are looking back to not only the end of this year’s Summer Reading programs, but visiting the 1956 season.
In a very frail scrap book of library events in the 1950s we found the original, sepia-colored photo that was published in the newspaper! It shows the winners in the Name-The-Mountain contest, Karen Ann LeDuc and James Kenney. Karen’s winning suggestion was MT. JAGGEDY. (The runner-up James also earned a prize for READSMORE MT.)
Any kid who read 10 books or more was invited to a “Summer Reading Club party” in the City Auditorium in August. 144 of them attended and there was “a special recognition of the 31 children who had reached the top of Mount Jaggedy by reading and reporting on 50 books.” They were named “Conquerors of the Mountain.” [Chippewa Herald-Telegram, June 23 and Aug. 9, 1956]
70 years later, the program is called the Summer Learning Challenge. We organized many events throughout June and July. And our participation stats for the season showed that were 739 entries from children and 318 entries from teens who were awarded prizes, both big and small.
The 2026 theme was “Unearth a Story” which refers to (among other things) dinosaurs—always a popular topic with kids. 🦖
Our three cardboard dinosaurs were named after suggestions from kids, and the occasional grown-up: PICKLE, MEG-A-ZINE (covered in a magazine images collage) and RAINBOW PALLETTEOSAURUS (who likes books about food!)
