KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Summer reading clubs kicked off on Saturday with the Children's Festival of Reading. And with TCAP test results causing some parents' concern, Knox County Public Library said this event is more important now than ever.
Around noon, a parade for children's books marched inside the festival. The fun had already begun at 10:00 a.m. with snakes, hula hoops and thousands of kids checking out books.
Mary Pom Claiborne, associate director for marketing, communications and development at the Knox County Public Library, said the key is choosing a book that you're interested in.
"While we just want people to read over the summer, we do know that we're kind of in a crisis on reading, but the good news is, this is totally solvable," Claiborne said. "This is when kids get to choose the books they want to read about and that's when they become real readers."
Yet, not everyone is a reader.
Claiborne said for the first time the library brought on board a farmer's market. This is a place where child entrepreneurs could sell their own products.
From lemonades to plants to earrings, this was a group of kids who brought their own touch to the reading festival. For example, Alison Patrick has been working on her product for the last two years.
"I'm here today with my crochet shop. It's called Southstar Stitches," Patrick said. "I wanted to inspire other people as well as myself. I wanted to use this as a way to push myself"
Some of the items Patrick's booth features were mini chickens, some mini pigs, a strawberry cow and much more.
One of her customers said he bought a mini ghost because he loves mini things and another customer bought a bunny because she said it was cute.
While customers keep showing up at her booth for her handmade product, she told WBIR that while the path may not be easy, it is definitely rewarding for her. It didn't matter if you were a reader, an entrepreneur or you simply wanted to go and have fun, there was something for everyone.
"There's a lot of frustration and redo's and retries that goes through this work, so it's difficult," Patrick said. "Don't hesitate, just if you believe that you can do it, you can do whatever you want to do if you set your mind to it."
