Members from the Des Moines Blank Park Zoo came to First United Methodist Church in Jefferson yesterday to celebrate the end of the summer reading program “Dig Into Reading”.

The 86 youngsters along with the general public learned about animals who live underground or beneath the surface like turtles, salamanders and possums.

Library Director Jane Millard talks about the incredible event that the kids deserved to have.

“They’ve worked very hard, they’ve earned their final party and their prizes and we’re so pleased that they Greene County Supervisors are bringing in the Blank Park Zoo to entertainment the children this morning and also all of our local sponsors for providing the prizes for these children who have done so well in their reading over the summer.”

Children’s Librarian Terri Clark says 86 kids finished the summer program and read a total of 6,658 books which more than doubled last year’s total of about 2,500 books.

The grand prize winner of a new bicycle was Bo Chapman and Hannah Acton read the most books with 226.

The Gnomeo winner was Brice Ball and there were four I-Spy winners with Emily Thompson, Avery Bardole, Emma Rosenow and McKinley Robinson.

Clark was very impressed with everyone’s participation in this year’s kids summer reading program and is especially thrilled that they more than doubled the amount of books read this summer compared to last summer.