Librarian Anne Wilkes and volunteer Sue Reynolds sit at a table in the children’s section of the Orr’s Island Library on June 17. The library is offering a summer reading program for what Reynolds said is the first time in years. Brendan Nordstrom / Harpswell Anchor “That’s an unfair question,” the librarian said when asked to name her favorite children’s book.
“There are so many. I could take an hour or two just listing.” At the time, Wilkes was paging through “A Walk in the Forest,” by Maria Dek, highlighting the beauty of its illustrations.
She lit up when talking about the author and illustrator Todd Parr, as well as her love for Pete the Cat. Librarian Anne Wilkes flips through “A Walk in the Forest,” by Maria Dek, at the Orr’s Island Library on June 17. Since Wilkes took over as librarian in December 2022, she and Sue Reynolds have modernized and refreshed the children’s section.
Brendan Nordstrom / Harpswell Anchor Enlisting the help of volunteer Sue Reynolds, Wilkes has spent the last year and a half refreshing the library’s children’s section with familiar favorites like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and newer selections like “Reading Makes You Feel Good.” After updating the children’s collection, Wilkes and Reynolds asked: “What can we do to draw them in?” That’s when they came up with a children’s summer reading program — something Reynolds said the library has not offered in a number of years. The library also of.
