MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Strawberry Festival Royalty helped Pinewood Elementary kick off its summer reading program in style on Wednesday, June 17, as students from kindergarten through the fifth grade returned to the school’s library during their summer vacation to check out books and read with princes and princesses.

Shelley Doty serves as a teacher and librarian at Pinewood Elementary. She explained that the reading program at the school’s library started a decade ago.

“When kids come here, they get the benefit of librarians who are either already familiar with their reading levels, or able to help find the right level of books for them,” Doty said. “It’s fantastic for shy kids, and it’s been wonderful to get to know all these kids’ families.”

This marked the first time Junior Princess Zinead Morales had read to younger kids.

“It’s pretty fun to meet with them and see their reactions,” Morales said. “They’re really sweet. Not only does this help teach kids how to read, but it gets them excited to read.”

The last time the Royalty Court took part in the summer reading program was 2013, when Doty’s daughter, Madison, was the Strawberry Festival Queen. Morales was one of the students to whom Doty’s court read books.

This year’s Strawberry Festival Queen, Savannah Perkins, is an old hand at reading to children, thanks to her younger siblings and the fact that her dad teaches at Pinewood.

“I love it, because kids are always soaking up everything,” Perkins said. “They always want to read about far-off places. The more you read with them, the more they love it. This is a great opportunity that Pinewood is giving these kids, by keeping their library open over the summer.”

Pinewood Elementary’s summer reading program at the school library continues Wednesday mornings, from 9 a.m. to noon, through Aug. 19.

Doty promised at least one member of the Royalty Court would be there each week.