The summer season on the South Coast has many sailing the seas, camping in the great outdoors, and taking a dip in the bay.

This year there were also many kids and adults who slapped on the sunscreen and still fit in time to read.

With the theme Dig into Summer Reading, the Mattapoisett Library, Plumb Library in Rochester, and Taber Library in Marion saw many residents participate in their reading programs.

They also had a lot of support from Junior Friends and local businesses.

All three libraries held a flurry of summer activities to stave off the “summer slide” that can cause children’s reading levels to regress when they’re out of school.

The activities also gave kids an opportunity to engage with a bubble scientist at Mattapoisett Library, dance with Plumbelina at Plumb Library, and expand their creativity with a gnome catapult at Taber Library.

In Mattapoisett, Children’s Librarian Linda Burke said she had a non-stop summer.

The reading program had 226 participants, more than half of whom logged at least six hours. Kids who completed at least six hours of reading got a prize.

Prizes were donated by Nathan and Jennifer Zieske. “They don’t have children, but they believe totally in the library program for children,” said Burke. “They are really awesome!”

This year the library also hosted events with Mattapoisett Recreation, including a sand building contest at town beach.

“We worked with Mattapoisett Recreation from the beginning with trying to coordinate the activities so we didn’t have conflicts,” said Burke, who took a well-deserved vacation following the ice cream party finale.

In Rochester, Children’s Librarian Lisa Fuller said Plumb Library’s summer readers had a full summer of page turning. Pre-kindergarten to adults participated in the program and logged 10,136 hours of reading in eight weeks.

At the summer reading party Fuller said, “I am very pleased with today’s turnout. My favorite part is being able to celebrate reading and acknowledge how much these kids really put into it. I love to see them happy.”

Kids that read more than five hours received a medal and kids who reached anything below received a certificate.

Special thanks goes to the Junior Friends of Plumb Library, said Fuller. The youth helped with a weekly author presentation, games, and research on different authors.

“It was fun helping the kids discover new books and seeing all the new books they were excited to read,” said Junior Friend Elise Mello.

At Taber Library in Marion, summer readers saw the fruits of their reading in the form of barnyard animals.

Each year Eastern Bank and other donors match the time kids spent reading with dollars to donate to Heifer International. The nonprofit fights hunger by donating farm animals to people to help them earn income.

As the summer progresses, dollar printouts are put on a board in the library to show the kids’ progress, said Children’s Librarian Rosemary Grey.

“It’s a visual incentive for children to see the dollars and to see the pictures of the animals,” said Grey.

“I think it’s a really great charity because it’s sustainable, not just buying somebody a cheeseburger and French fries. It’s tangible.”

The children’s reading paid off big. Their reading dollars will purchase a heifer, a trio of rabbits, a flock of chickens, and a flock of ducks.

Grey said the summer programs at the library also had strong participation with parents and grandparents getting involved.

Grey said ultimately summer reading is “based on passion and curiosity.”