Eight-year-old Gideon Sutton of Goshen was honored as the top reader in the Troy Public Library’s 2019 Summer Reading Program at the library’s awards program Tuesday afternoon at Xtreme Athletics Party Room.

Gideon read 15,407 pages during the summer reading program. Most of the books Gideon chose to read were in the areas of space, science and fantasy.

“I like to read and I read a lot of different books but now I’m reading ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and that’s all,” Gideon said. “I read a lot of pages this summer. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun at the summer reading program.”

Gideon is the son of Jeremy and Pamela Sutton. Both parents are avid readers and share their love of books with him. Gideon is homeschooled.

Lindsey Fannin, TPL children’s librarian, said 193 children between the ages of four and 18 registered for the library’s summer reading program.

“During the 12-week Summer Reading Program, the young patrons together read more than 5,000 books and 187,000 pages,” Fannin said.

The top readers in each age division were recognized at the awards program and received medals for their accomplishments.

The top readers in the 4- and 5-year-old division were Evie Pack, first place, Caroline McDaniel, second place, and Luke Stuart, third place.

In the six-year-old group, Jonah Lauer, first place, and Breylon Edward, second place.

Hannah McVay took top-place honors in the 7-year-old group and Jane Pack was second.

Gideon Sutton won first place in the 8-year-old group and Joe Drinkwater won second place.

In the 9-year-old group, Eli Lauer was the first place winner and Sofia Aelterman won second place.

Lydia Brown was the top reader in the 10-year-old group and Alex Oliver won second place honors.

Lola Drinkwater won first place in the 11-year-old group and Edward Aelterman was the second-place reader.

In the young adult group, which is ages 12 to 18, Tessa Suell won first place. Katelyn Davis took second place honors and Heather Gladwell was the third place winner.

“We are proud of our participants this year. They worked hard and read many books,” Fannin said. “We are also thankful for the parents, grandparents and all others who brought the children to the library, helped them keep track of their reading logs and encouraged them at home to set goals and read as much as possible.”

Fannin said the TPL’s Summer Reading Program is important to continued success in school.

“Children can sometime experience a regression academically during school breaks, so reading year round is very important,” she said. “Our Summer Reading Program not only gives them a fun learning experience each week but it also encourages children to read and keeps their minds active when they are out of school for the summer.”

Fannin said it is exciting to see young patrons in the library multiple times a week checking our books, searching for new books to read and hearing them talk about the books when they are returned.

“Reading not only enhances your imagination and entertains you, it is also the foundation of your ability to learn,” she said. “So it’s important for children to maintain their reading skill even when they are not in school.”