The Rowan Public Library turned into a medieval castle this weekend with knights jousting and princesses dancing around a maypole.

The summer reading program, “Long Ago and Far Away,” ended Saturday with fortune telling, tussie-mussie making and fairy tales coming alive.

“We had more kids reading this summer than ever before,” librarian Mary Nell Coblentz said. “We had more who read 100 books, and quite a few went over that.”

Some 200 children jousted, danced and listened wide-eyed to stories at the mini-Renaissance festival.

Pretending they were knights, children rode stick horses and carried spears in a race to lance colorful garlands. Adult knights led by Jean Marie du Domremy demonstrated real jousting, suits of armor and all.

Susan Waller helped children create tussie mussies, little bouquets of fragrant herbs tied with ribbons.

The Moonstone Minstrel, also known as storyteller Bobby Pell, wove fairy tales. And Julia Chaney told fortunes.

For every five books school-age children read this summer, their names went up on bulletin boards throughout the library. Preschoolers earned a spot for every 10 books they read with their parents.

“It was such a success,” Coblentz said.

The summer reading program took off with the fairy tale theme created by supervisor Marian Lytle. Throughout the summer, magicians, puppeteers and storytellers kept children excited about books.

“We had top quality talent,” Coblentz said. “Plus, the children’s room at the library is a real fun place to be.”