Muhlenberg County Public Libraries is proud to announce that Keira and Lincoln Blew and Charlotte and Madeline Van der Kruik were chosen as Kid Librarians for May 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 Librarians for May 2026 were Keira and Lincoln Blew.
Keira Blew, 10, just completed fifth grade. Her favorite school subject is social studies, but she also enjoys reading for fun. She typically gravitates toward fiction – she has a collection that includes the entire popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney, and Lincoln Peirce is her favorite author. Her favorite book, however, is actually non-fiction. Keira said her favorite book is Weird but True: Gross. “It’s interesting to me because it talks about weird things that are gross and creep you out,” she explained. Keira said she likes coming to the library because of the large selection of books like those she named as favorites, along with many others. She said she’s a very fast reader, so it doesn’t take her very long to finish a book and be ready for the next one. That reading experience will hopefully help her reach her future ambition of becoming either a teacher or a brain surgeon.
Lincoln Blew, 8, is Harbin Memorial’s other library for the month of May. He has just finished second grade. Like his sister, Lincoln said he likes that the library has a lot of interesting books to check out. His favorite genre is mystery, and he really enjoys Star Wars books as well as humorous ones. When it comes to picking a favorite author, however, Lincoln can’t do it. He said, “I like them all!” Lincoln also enjoys art and singing, and when he grows up, he hopes to become an astronaut.
Charlotte and Madeline Van der Kruik were named Central City’s Kid Librarians for May.
Charlotte Van der Kruik is 10 and is going into fifth grade. She’s a big fan of the library and reading in general. She doesn’t care much for graphic novels, she said, but otherwise, she’s a prolific reader, especially of fiction. “I really like animal fantasy books,” she said. Dandi Daley Mackall’s Winnie the Horse Gentler series is a favorite for Charlotte, as is the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. She said she really appreciates the way Wonder discusses how the main character, Auggie, deals with his first year attending school and the friendships he gains and loses. She said, “I also like that it is told from multiple perspectives.” Charlotte said she’s happy that the library has a large juvenile selection to satisfy her reading needs. She also made a point of mentioning the impressive Summer Reading decorations currently at the library as a stand-out, eye-catching feature that makes the library a fun place to be. When she isn’t reading, Charlotte also enjoys singing and hopes to eventually become a country music and/or Christian singer. However, she added, “I hope for my first job to be at a florist.”
Madeline Van der Kruik, 11, is soon to enter sixth grade. She enjoys math when she’s doing school work, but reading is another favored hobby for her. She loves visiting the library, not only for the large book selection but also to chat with the librarians. In fact, she is considering becoming a librarian when she grows up. Like her sister, Madeline enjoys reading animal fantasy books, but she also likes mysteries, realistic fiction and biographies. Her favorite author is Valerie Tripp, who writes some of the American Girl books, but she has a special love for the timeless classic Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. “The horse tells his story,” Madeline explained. “He goes through struggles, makes friends, and I really love the ending.” Madeline’s other hobbies include baking – baker is another potential career path for her, in fact. She also enjoys decorating and organizing and said she has a talent for finding things, as well as jewelry making. “I have an eye for beautiful things,” 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.
Lincoln and Keira Blew
(display at Harbin Memorial)
