Aug. 12, 2008 – The 2008 Summer Reading Program sponsored by the Friends of St. Thomas Public Libraries (FOSTPL), the Enid M. Baa Public Library Archives and the Foundation for Enhanced Learning ended with an awards ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Tutu Park Mall. The annual program requires participants to read throughout the summer and demonstrate their progress with special program booklets categorized by grade ranges from elementary through high school. This year's theme was "Get Fired Up for Reading!"
"We had a nice crowd of children and parents on hand," said Judy King-Edmeade, FOSTPL's president. "Children passing through the mall also came and sat in to see what all the excitement was about."
Enid M. Baa Head Librarian Rachelle D. Shells functioned as the mistress of ceremonies for the event. The library staff was introduced to the audience, followed by the members of the board of directors. This was followed by a brief history of the summer reading program. Then, the children presented oral reports on some of the titles they had read over the course of the 8-week program. "Puff the Magic Dragon," "The Wizard of Earth and Sea," and other diverse titles were presented by the youth. The afternoon concluded with every participant who completed the reading program receiving a $20 gift certificate, courtesy of Dockside Book Shop, a colorful T-shirt, a reading journal, an activity book about libraries and a bag of snacks.
Students from public, private and parochial schools completed the program. All Saints Cathedral School was recognized as having the largest number of children who completed the program, followed by Charlotte Amalie High School.
