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The Manchester Coffee County Public Library is gearing up to launch its annual Summer Reading Program at 3 p.m. May 31.

Open to children of all ages, the Summer Reading Program invites children of all ages to set their own reading goal for the summer, while enjoying a variety of fun events scheduled at the library located at 1005 Hillsboro Blvd. in Manchester.

“Last year we served more than 400 kids in our program, which was an all-time high number,” Youth Services Librarian Daphanie Gragg said. “This year I expect over 500, closer to 600.”

“The theme is “All Together Now,” and it emphasis community partnerships and doing things to give back to the community as well,” she said. “We are going to have community puzzles, we are going to write letters to Kingwood Arms and have Kingwood Arms come here and do different crafts with the kids.”

Gragg said other activities scheduled for the Summer Reading Program this year include writing letters for members of the military and putting together care packages for individuals experiencing

“We have Jerry White the magician coming talking about how to make glitter disappear and taking care of our earth and working together to keep a future for us and then July 28th we have our huge carnival party,” Gragg said.

The Carnival Party will be June 28, one day after the Summer Reading Program officially wraps up for the year. The Carnival Party will be at the Southern Family Market parking lot in Manchester. The event will include free games and activities, as well as food trucks.

“Local businesses are going to come set up different booths,” Gragg said. “Somebody is doing ring toss, somebody is doing cornhole, just different carnival games for the kids and way to kind of network within the community and show support.”

Gragg said there are several reasons why the library’s Summer Reading Program is an important tradition.

“A lot of times parents can’t take off for summer and so the kids are usually left at home or at the babysitter or wherever, and I feel this is a good safe place for the kids to come and it also helps prevent education slide during the summer when they are not working,” she said. “They can still be engaged and kind of keep their knowledge going.”