Muhlenberg County Public Libraries is proud to announce that Elayna and Natalee Kukula and Cruz and Avery Melton were chosen as Kid Librarians for September 2026.
Kid Librarians are chosen monthly (September through May) to design a juvenile display at one of the library branches. 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.
Central City’s Kid Librarians for September 2026 are Elayna and Natalee Kukula.
Elayna Kukula, 9, is in third grade. Her favorite school subjects are science and social studies, and she likes animals. Elayna hopes to become a veterinarian when she grows up, and her favorite books are Alyssa Satin Capucilli’s Biscuit series about a golden retriever puppy. She also enjoys funny books, and when she isn’t reading or studying, she likes to draw and create art. Elayna said she likes coming to the library both to play in the children’s area and to find new books – she just checked out several new Biscuit books she hadn’t read yet when she visited to set up her Kid Librarian display.
Natalee Kukula, 10, is no stranger to being a Kid Librarian; she was previously selected a year and a half ago in spring 2025. Natalee is in fifth grade now, but she still enjoys graphic novels, just like she did when she was chosen for Kid Librarian as a third grader. Her favorite book now, however, is Dancing in the Storm by Amie Darnell Specht and Shannon Hitchcock. The book is about a young gymnast who develops a rare genetic disorder that affects her ability to perform in her sport. Natalee also enjoys social studies and singing, and she hopes to translate that love of singing into a future career. She, like her sister, said she enjoys coming to the library for the play area.
While neither mentioned it during their interview, both sisters also made a point of stopping at the front desk for Dum-Dums suckers.
Cruz and Avery Melton were named Central City’s Kid Librarians for September.
Cruz Melton is 10 and in the fourth grade. He enjoys history and loves to read historical fiction, like the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis. His display highlights this interest with several history-focused titles. Cruz said he also enjoys reading books by Dav Pilkey, author of the Dogman series, and he likes that the library has a large variety of books to choose from. Aside from reading, Cruz is also a talented dancer and artist; his favorite school subject, in fact, is art. He said he’d like to continue exploring these interests in the future and someday become either an author or movie director.
Avery Melton, 12, is an older sibling to Cruz. He is in sixth grade, where he participates in the band. He plays bassoon, and his musical talent led him to become one of the youngest players to be recognized at an accomplished level by the Kentucky Music Educators Association. Avery also likes to come to the library to explore the variety of books available. He particularly enjoys fantasy and mystery books, and his favorite is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third novel in J.K. Rowling’s popular series. Avery hopes to have a future career as a lawyer.
Kid Librarian displays are available at their respective library branches each month. New Kid Librarians are chosen for each library branch early in the month so each child’s display is available for a few weeks before they must be removed to make space for the next child.
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. Former Kid Librarians are invited to apply again after a year has passed. 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.
Elayna and Natalee Kukula
(display at Central City)
