by Jessica Ciszewski, Yourpace Student Contributor
CARIBOU, Maine — A young boy who didn’t even want to walk through the library doors now visits every single day. That’s the kind of magic unfolding at the Caribou Public Library this summer, where the “Reading Dragons” program has sparked record participation and a renewed love of reading.
“The first day, he said I was ruining his life,” said Children’s Librarian Brenda Matley. “Now he’s here every day doing the reading. It’s been a motivator—not just for him, but for a lot of our families. Parents have thanked me because it’s helped their kids stay engaged.”
More than 75 children have joined the program this year—up from the usual 50 to 60—and many rush into the building daily to grab their next collectible card.
“They’ll jump out of the car, grab their card, and be back out before the parent even parks,” said Library Director Peter Baldwin. “Some kids are literally sprinting to the desk to get their next dragon card.”
Each card represents progress. Kids earn them by reading—or being read to—and the cards themselves feed into an original game created by the library staff. The program culminates in a tournament on Friday, July 26, where the children will compete with each other to win more prizes.
For Matley, the daily energy is unmistakable. “We’ve had a lot more consistency this year,” she said. “It’s not just that they’re reading, it’s that they’re excited to be here. One family comes almost every day. The older boy has had a tough time at school, but here he’s thriving. You can see how his mood shifts just by being part of it.”
Dragons now fill every corner of the children’s section—in crafts, at storytime, and even as tiny toys given out as rewards. And it’s not just the decorations; it’s the structure and momentum.
“We’re a small library,” Baldwin said, “so we don’t always need statistics to know a program is working. We can see it—in the energy, excitement, the smiles, and the way the kids come back again and again.”
This is the first year the library has partnered with iRead, a national summer reading initiative. Baldwin said it offered a cost-effective foundation loaded with resources. But much of what makes Caribou’s program special was built in-house.
“The dragon trading card game? We created it ourselves,” he said. “Same with the program for the adults. We link both age groups with a shared theme, but make it flexible. Adults don’t always have as much free time. So we set it at about one book a week.”
Even so, the grown-up side of the program is seeing major wins.
“I’ve got a record number of adults signed up and already about 8 to 10 have finished,” Baldwin said. “Usually I’ll have 4 or 5.”
Caleb Ciszewski, a teenager participating in the teen/adult track, said he’s read more than a dozen books this summer.
“I’ve read about 12 or 13 books this summer. I was working really hard to get a prize that I wanted,” he said. His younger brother, Tobias, also took part in the children’s tournament and earned a playmat to roll out his cards when he plays. “I ended up taking first. I got two prebuilt Magic packs that had four legendary cards.”
The brothers, like many local families, have made the library a regular stop.
“I feel like I see more people coming to the library and going up to the desk,” Ciszewski said. “They [younger siblings] want to come daily to get daily cards, and we want to come to get our Magic packs.”
Beyond summer reading, the library has embraced new offerings that reflect the interests of its staff and community—like Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, game tournaments, and miniature painting sessions.
“We’ve done cookies and coloring,” said Matley. “Next week we’re doing a drawing contest. We’re always adding little things, and sometimes I hand out extra prizes.”
The summer program wraps up Aug. 8, but the momentum isn’t going anywhere. Baldwin and Matley are already brainstorming next year’s theme—another iRead adventure, this time steeped in medieval and fantasy fun.
For now, though, the staff is just enjoying the moment.
“It’s incredible,” Matley said. “We’re seeing kids fall in love with reading, and that’s the whole goal.”
For more information, visit the Caribou Public Library or check out their website: www.cariboupubliclibrary.org.
