Muhlenberg County Public Libraries is proud to name McKenzie Lear, Natalie Weist and Grace Weist as Kid Librarians for February 2026.
Kid Librarians are chosen monthly to design a juvenile display at the library. Each Kid Librarian may choose a theme for their display, select library materials to highlight and decide how to organize and best show off the chosen titles. New Kid Librarians are selected each month for each library branch (Harbin Memorial and Central City).
Chosen Kid Librarians are acknowledged inside the library with a sign next to their display, as well as being recognized in the local newspapers and on the library’s website and social media accounts.
Harbin Memorial’s Kid Librarian for February 2026 is McKenzie Lear. Lear is 12 years old and in seventh grade. Lear enjoys reading, especially fiction; her favorite subject in school is literature. She enjoys snuggling into the seating spaces in either library branch with her books. She credits C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe as her favorite book. “I like the storyline, which is based on the Bible,” Lear explained. “It’s very symbolic.” Her faith is very important to Lear, so she’s open to multiple paths for her future. “Whatever God calls me to do” is fine, she said, although she said her aspirations include becoming a “soul winner for the Gospel and a parent.” When she isn’t reading, Lear enjoys working with animals especially horses – she’s a country girl, she said. She also plays basketball and soccer.
Central City’s Kid Librarians for February are 9-year-old Natalie Weist and 10-year-old Grace Weist, who are in fourth and fifth grades respectively. Like Lear, faith is important to the Weists. Natalie enjoys studying the Bible, and Grace hopes to become a country Christian singer (and an artist) when she grows up. Both girls enjoy reading and visiting the library for new books, but they especially like mysteries. Grace said her favorite book is Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston because of the mystery element, and Natalie particularly names Nancy Drew as a series she enjoys. Both also enjoy other titles as well, however. “I like to read!” Natalie said. She is a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, particularly Christmas Stories because she has the same doll one of the characters in the book receives for Christmas. Grace’s favorite author is Rachel Renée Russell, author of the Dork Diaries. Natalie also plays sports, like Lear, although her chosen activity is softball, and she wants to become a teacher for small children when she grows up. Grace, meanwhile, enjoys math and spends time on other hobbies like crocheting. “I’m working on my first blanket now,” she said.
Kid Librarian displays are available at their respective library branches each month. They are removed the following month to make space for the next set of chosen Kid Librarians.
New Kid Librarians are chosen for each library branch early each month.
The Kid Librarian program is designed for children and teens in third through eighth grade, though applications are accepted from all kids and teens in a similar age range. Applications are available at the front desk of each library branch.
For more information about the Kid Librarian program, contact Muhlenberg County Public Libraries at 270-338-4760 or stop by to fill out an application.
McKenzie Lear
(display at Harbin Memorial)
