School doors may be closed for the summer, but books and midday lunches will continue to be routine for Baldwin City and Eudora schoolchildren during summer vacation months.

Both the Baldwin City and Eudora public libraries are offering summer reading programs with the outer space theme “Universe of Reading.”

Montana Frehe, Eudora Public Library children’s librarian, said Eudora had its “blast off” registration day on Thursday but will continue to accept registrations in the coming weeks with the goal of signing up as many children as possible.

“We have more than 100 already registered,” Frehe said. “We’ll have over 400 by the time we’re done.”

Those children, ages birth to 2019-2020 high school seniors registered in four age groups, will be eligible to win prizes for the reading activities, Frehe said. The library has scheduled numerous children’s reading programs throughout the summer, she said.

Leigh Anne Bathke, who heads Baldwin City Library children’s services, said the library will have its blast off registration day at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The library will follow up with weekly summer reading activity days at 11 a.m. Tuesdays at the library through July 9 and will conclude with a Saturday, July 13 pool party for all those registered in the program. Operation Wildlife will visit the library July 2.

“We change activities every year based on the theme and schedules, but we always try to do something with animals because they are always popular,” she said.

Midday lunches will be available for Baldwin City children 18 and younger Monday through Friday, thanks to a grant the Baldwin City school district secured, said Olivia LaFountain, Baldwin City Library staffer. Lunch sites at such places as the library, Lumberyard Arts Center and swimming pool will vary from day to day to correspond with scheduled children’s activities. Lunch will be served at the library from noon every Tuesday and Wednesday through July 10.

Feeding Eudora is once again ensuring all children have access to meals in that community during the summer vacation. The program will provide lunches from noon to 1 p.m. in CPA Park, a block west of the library, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 6, said Denise Dietz, Feeding Eudora director.

The program recruits businesses, civic organizations, churches and even Eudora City Hall to take turns preparing and serving meals, Dietz said. Although the program was started for those 18 and younger, Feeding Eudora now serves all those showing up for a meal, Dietz said. That inclusiveness and the CPA Park location has made it popular.

“We serve an average of 140 people per meal,” she said. “Most of those served are children but you see grandparents with the grandchildren and people of all generations.”