The Garden City Telegram
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Summer Reading Program a draw for all ages
Published 6/25/2009 in Local News
By MONICA SPRINGER
They decided to read poems about friendship because as cousins, they've been friends their whole lives.
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Monica Springer/Telegram — Brianna Rowland, 10, Carly Newman, 10, and Cameron Newman, 9, read a poem Wednesday night at the Finney County Public Library for Open Mic Night. The event was a part of the library's Summer Reading Program, which encourages all ages to read and participate in activities at the library.
Brianna Rowland and Carly Newman, both 10, were two of a few performers at Open Mic Night Wednesday at the Finney County Public Library.
Some children read poems, others did skits, told jokes and sang songs. Rowland and Newman decided to cut and paste several friendship poems together to read out loud to a crowd at the library. Open Mic Night was one of the events for the library's Summer Reading Program, a program that encourages everyone from young children to adults to not close the books when school lets out for the summer.
Several other Summer Reading Program projects are on display at the library, including a play dough cupcake competition and a box decoration contest called "A Box is not a Box." All the activities and projects are free to the public.
Rowland and Newman took part in the Sweet Play Dough Art activity, where they made a cupcake out of play dough, and said they recommend the activity to other kids. To participate, go to the library and ask for the cupcake kit, then bring the cupcake back to the library.
Rowland's cupcake was vanilla with strawberry frosting, with a blue flower petal on it, while Newman's base was green with yellow frosting and blue stripes.
The six-week reading program at the library will wrap up July 17. In the first week, more than 600 people signed up, and the library's circulation that week doubled from about 1,900 periodicals checked out to almost 3,000, said Judy Cole, children's service supervisor at the library.
"It's a good program for the community," Cole said, adding it's one that grows every year.
The program has activities for four age groups: birth to age 5, 6 to 12, 13 to 17, and adults.
Kids in the youngest age group can participate in art projects such as "A Box is not a Box," in which they decorate a small box to make it look like an animal, happy face or other creatures.
Children 6 to 12 can read, participate in Sweet Play Dough Art, or participate in "A Murderous Melodrama" for ages 10 to 12.
Teenagers 13 to 17 can participate in a lock-in July 10, read and participate in a Bingo format for reading.
Adults, too, can participate in the Bingo game.
The bingo sheet lists 25 separate activities teenagers and adults can do this summer, including write a poem, bring a non-perishable food item to the Emmaus House, watch a movie with a musical theme or bring a donation to the Humane Society.
The main event of the program happens on July 10.
Cole said on that day, starting at 10 a.m., the library staff will turn on sprinklers on the back lawn of the library and set up slides and toys for kids up to 5 years old.
Cole said there usually are about 150 kids slipping and sliding at the library for the activity.
After that event, the library staff will stay at the library all night for a movie lock-in with teenagers.
Summer Reading
Summer Reading Program upcoming events at the Finney County Public Library, 605 E. Walnut St.
- Water Works, 10 a.m. July 10 on the back lawn of the library for ages birth to 5.
- Movie lock-in for teenagers, 8 p.m. July 10
- “A Murderous Melodrama” at 2 p.m. July 15 for ages 10 to 12.
- Puppet contest for ages 1 to 5, now through July 6
- Coloring sheet for ages 1 to 5, July 7 to 17
- Illustrator Art for ages 6 through 12, now through Monday
- Sweet Play Dough Art for ages 6 through 12, now through July 17
To learn more about why children should pick up books this summer, check out the Talk of the Town podcast this evening with Leigh Ann Roderick, USD 457 schools literacy coordinator, at www.gctelegram.com/podcasts or search Talk of the Town on iTunes.
What's the best book you've read this summer? Talk about it at SWKTalk.com.
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