The summer reading program at Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library has over 300 kids signed up, which is more kids than have participated in the program’s past two years, said Children’s Librarian Megan Miller.

With two weeks left in the reading program, participants have already read 580 hours so far this summer and are on track to match the over 1,000 hours read during last year’s program, Miller said.

The program rewards kids with prizes for their time reading and offers a weekly event and story hour, Miller said.

Staff at the library promoted the program through its Facebook page, Miller said.

“We’re trying to get our story out into the public and this just goes to show it’s working and the public is hearing about us,” Miller said.

Along with prizes for reading time like book bags and squishy spacemen, participants can win books when they come to program events, Miller said, and she tries to make sure that every kid who participates in the program wins a book over the course of the program.

“Whether they read or not, I try to send them home with something at least,” Miller said.

Parents have responded positively to the program, Miller said and kids love it. Miller has seen children who were not interested in reading over the summer break, but after getting started in the program they became engaged with reading, she said.

“Sometimes you just have to have a little motivation to get them on track to read,” Miller said.

Reading over the summer helps children retain important skills for school, Miller said.

For Miller the best part is seeing kids come into the library to find books they are interested in reading, even after activities have ended for the day, she said.

Next Tuesday’s activity day will be Lego building at 2 p.m. Miller said. There are still three more story hours for younger kids at 10 a.m. on Fridays. On July 5, the story hour will include a galaxy painting activity, Miller said. Anyone who wants to participate in the program can still sign up.

The Poplarville Public Library also has two more events left in its summer reading program, which takes place on Thursdays at 3 p.m.