To say that Escalon’s recently concluded Summer Reading Club was successful would be a woeful understatement.

Librarian Amanda Clifford said it was a record-setting summer for local residents.

“I lost track of how many people took part but as far as the books read, we nearly doubled our record here in Escalon,” Clifford explained. “We had consistently, since 2016, been beating our record and in 2019, there were 3,700 books read.”

This year, she said, the summer reading club participants topped out at 7,300 books.

“It’s amazing,” the librarian said.

There were also a number of prizes available, with all participants entered into their age group for the opportunity to win. Groups included birth to age four, with the majority in that age group being read to by friends or family members; ages 5 to 12; teens and adults.

Winners in the youngest 0 to 4 age group and their prizes included: Audra Dykxhoorn and Jack Whitehouse, each winning a Narwahl Squishmallow; Lilly Showalter, a pink Axolotl (water salamander) Squishmallow; and Kelsey Merrill (grand prize winner) receiving the Beta fish and fish tank.

Five to 12-year-olds: Ximena (No last name listed) Movie Night gift pack including a Netflix gift card and snacks; Joshua Thompson, Baby Shark floor mat piano; Haisley (No last name) a fish Squishmallow; and Kinsley Henry, a Kindle Fire.

Grace Balance was the teen category winner of a Kindle Fire, while the adult prize, for those 21 and up, went to Dayna Moulyn and was a beach tote gift bag with some beach towels and beverages.

A few other prizes were also presented, with Clifford noting that they had many supporters in the community helping to provide the incentives for readers. They also are looking at a busy fall season, with kids back in school and programs at the library settling back into a routine.

“We’re going to have a lot of things going on,” Clifford explained. “We’ll be bringing back our Science Saturdays, the end of September is when we will kick that off.”

She said the first program in the series will be ‘Cookie Mining’ where participants can earn cookie cash, work, earn and save money.

“Also, we are planning in October, a mini reading challenge, you can read and enter to win a pumpkin or gift baskets,” added Clifford. “We will have a Halloween basket, a ‘cozy’ fall comfort basket, a pumpkin spice one, and this reading challenge is for all ages.”