A Colorful Celebration: Local library kicks off summer reading
Published 6:38 pm Monday, June 2, 2025
Sydney Henderson of recently opened Second Thoughts Bookstore in Downtown Tifton handed out animal and nature-themed bookmarks alongside coupons for the store as a way of encouraging local youths to read.
Members of Tift County Fire/Rescue were on the scene at Books on the Block, showcasing the types of equipment used by both their fire trucks and ambulances as well as giving a brief tour of the latter's interior.
Sno cone shop Sno Biz was among the food vendors providing snacks and sweet treats to patrons of the night's event, serving up its signature frozen delight to help them beat the heat.
Among the interactive activities available at the block party was this community art project, inviting guests to sketch in a self-portrait--or just doodle in the frame as they saw fit--to create a larger masterpiece.
Bonnie Sayles and Melissa Wilt of Literacy Volunteers of Tifton supply local youths Arlen and Aurora with sweets and a colorable bookmark as part of the Books on the Block celebration. While mainly focused on assisting adults with reading, they're making an effort over the summer to extend their services to families through engaging community literacy activities.
The local library's mascot Pierre the Parrot was also present at Books on the Block, seen here with library staff member Grace McMillan. The colorful bird has been fluttering throughout Tifton the past few weeks, with the library holding a prize drawing for anyone who is able to snag a picture of him.
Local author Dr. Andrew Curtis hoped to encourage kids to enjoy the outdoors more through his participation in this year's Books on the Block. Author of both biographies and children's books, he mainly draws on his own experiences for his works, and brought a collection of bones from various animals to educate and intrigue the children taking part in the evening's events.
TIFTON — The end of the school year signals the start of summer — and the start of the local library’s summer reading program.
The Tifton-Tift County Public Library invited the local community to join them May 31 for this year’s run of their Books on the Block celebration, a commemorative event kicking off the start of their summer reading program for Tiftarea kids.
The program in question, focused around the theme of “Color Our World,” encourages the young readers of the community to read to their hearts’ content, filling out one of 60 colored circles on a chart for each 20 minutes that they read.
Once the chart is completed, children can return it to the library in exchange for Book Bucks, which can be exchanged for prizes until July 19, and will receive a new chart to complete through continued reading.
The opening block party continued the colorful theming by providing its patrons a diverse blend of activities to enjoy, including music, carnival games, and food truck delights.
Some presenters offered a more educational and engaging experience through their booths, with local rescue workers showcasing the kind of equipment on a fire truck or the interior of an ambulance, the Tifton Council for the Arts inviting kids to take part in arts and crafts activity, or local author Dr. Andrew Curtis encouraging them to enjoy the outdoors.
Alongside the summer reading program, the local library has planned a variety of free activities to be hosted throughout the summer, including some of their regular programs like Thursday morning Storytime.
Each week will see its own selection of arts and crafts, demonstrations and shows, and reading programs for library patrons to sink their teeth into, with several days of the week being structured around specific groups of said patrons — kids on Mondays, adults on Tuesdays, teenagers on Fridays, and families on Thursdays and Saturdays.
The library also plans to host a handful of contests and games throughout each week, such as a scavenger hunt for various book characters, iSpy, and Read the Rainbow challenges, tasking library patrons with finding books with covers of every color of the rainbow. Patrons will receive prizes just for participating.
For more information about the library’s summer programs or their summer reading program, contact (229) 386-7148 or visit the Tifton-Tift County Public Library Facebook page.
