Havelock kids get hooked on books

For 8-year-old Kayla Moore, participating in a summer reading program at the library meant more than the accomplishment of reading 20 books.

"I met a lot of great friends and read some awesome, great and sweet books," Moore said Friday on the last day of the Summer Reading Program at the Havelock-Craven County Public Library.

She was one of 150 students that had attended programs every other week to check out books, hear guest speakers and make creations and crafts.

"What I liked about it was making the crafts," said 7-year-old Brian Bunton, who read 30 books.

The children in the program ranged in age from pre-school to the sixth grade, according to children's librarian Cheryl Sarchet, who organized 13 sessions with the help of eight volunteer teenagers.

Sarchet said the number of books the children read impressed her.

"The average is 17 books per child, but one read 54," she said.

Some who read books in the program and out were called superachievers. Kaisho Parson, 10, estimated he had read between 100 and 110 books.

On Friday, the children celebrated their accomplishments by getting their faces painted and eating cake. Each was presented a certificate of participation with an incentive award for each book they had finished.

Charlotta Cooper, of New Bern, a mentor for several children who participated, said that the program boosted the reading abilities of the children.

"It got them interested in reading," she said. "Before, they weren't reading a whole lot. Now they're picking out some things to read on their own. Their reading has improved a great deal."

Johnnie Moore, Kayla Moore's grandfather, said the program has been valuable for his granddaughter.

"It's a great program. We were in it last year," he said. "It's very beneficial. I think it's a very valuable program. The kids get a chance to interact with other children. It's a good thing for our library and our community."

Theresa Kreger, 15, of Newport, was one of the teenagers helping out with the program this summer.

"I like helping out. I like helping people," she said. "I've been wanting to do volunteer work, and I plan to be back next year."