Wearing an orange wig and a pumpkin dress, Sarah Stone, the Harlan County Public Library children and youth programs librarian, entertained community children and K-4 students from the Harlan County Christian Academy during story hour at the library on Thursday.

Stone has story hour for the children every Thursday at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. She also does the same at the Rebecca Caudill Public Library, in Cumberland, every Monday at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

“I love children,” said Stone. “We want to encourage parents to bring their children to the library. We have so many things available for them, not only books, but puppet shows and games. I have started having Fancy Nancy and Where the Wild Things Are parties.”

According to Stone, the Fancy Nancy Parties are for the little girls, 4-year-old to sixth grade. Stone said she obtained prom dresses from high school girls and let the little girls dress up in them. Stone said the Where the Wild Things Are parties are for both girls and boys, 4-year-old to sixth grade. Stone said the children dress in pajamas and do monster crafts and games.

“The children are very excited about the new parties that we are doing,” Stone said. “It is just part of what the library offers to them.”

Stone said the library offers a summer reading program. Last summer, approximately 200 to 300 children participated through the Harlan library, Evarts and mobile bookmobiles. Stone said they have a different theme every summer for the children.

Stone goes into all the schools and conducts children’s programs for them. Stone said she has a good response from schools bringing the children to the library for her programs.

“I love Harlan County and the mountains,” said Stone. “The children have so much fun and love to hear the stories I read to them.”

Stone is a South Carolina native. Her husband, Dan, is CEO at Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital. They have twin boys, James and John, and a daughter, Hannah.