It's dress-up time at Castlegar Library, and the preschool summer readers dig through the costume trunk, dressing up as tigers, princesses and dinosaurs.
Earlier the 3-5 year olds created glittering painted jelly fish, coloured with scented markers, and played games. Now that they're all dressed up it's time for a story before their parents arrive and they check out their books for the week.
This year the theme of the library's summer reading program is “Build It!” and the walls are decorated with paper lego men and construction signs.
The program is divided into a number of age groups, including the preschool, kindergarden to grade one, grades two to four, and grades five and up. The age groups are then further divided into morning and afternoon classes.
The program's coordinators, Kristyn Trickey and Samantha Rigby, put together the decorations and activities partly by using the handbook issued by the British Columbia Library Association, but mostly by taking inspiration from Pinterest.
And the kids seem to be enjoying themselves. Asked what they liked most about the summer reading club, most kids wouldn't take time away from the fun to answer, but others spared a few words.
“I like the painting part,” Nicky Verigan said.
“Reading books!” said Blaine Leason.
The summer reading club will wrap up in mid-August with a party for each age group.