Family Event to Kickoff Summer Reading Program
Family Event to Kickoff Summer Reading Program
Families should be registering their kids for the summer reading program at the Grant County Public Library now, according to Tammy Wollschlager, library director.
This year’s theme, color our world, focuses on encouraging children to be creative.
The theme, used by many libraries around the country, was created by Collaborative Summer Library Programs which has been creating summer reading program themes since it began in 1987 when 10 Minnesota regional library systems developed a united summer library program, offering shared resources, artwork and ideas, Wollschlager said.
While there are many aspects to the summer reading program, reading is the most important. After the children are enrolled, each is given a welcome bag, which includes bookmarks to easily track the hours they read. Children may start to log their reading time on Sunday, May 25, and continue for six weeks.
“Each week, they can turn in the bookmark showing the number of hours read, and are given a book buck for up to seven hours per week. Those book bucks can be used to purchase prizes, toys and gift certificates in the Summer Reading Library Store,” Wollschlager said. The store is open from Monday, June 23, to Saturday, July 12.
All hours read are tallied and used to determine top readers. A champion and reserve champion will be named in each grade from kindergarten to fifth grade as well as in the sixth to ninth grade division.
The library staff members are set to begin the summer reading progam with a special family kickoff event on Wednesday, May 28, at the Grant County 4-H grounds. The “Bubblepalooza” event starts at 5:30 p.m. and will include a touch-a-truck event, a crafty activity using bubble wrap and a hot diggety dog dinner. After the meal, kids can enjoy bubble stations set by a “Bubbologist” from Absolute Science. The public can pop in and join the bubble fun.
Storytime gatherings children younger than kindergarten on June 4, 11, 25 and July 2 at 10 a.m. Children going into kindergarten through fifth grade will meet the same days at 1 p.m. with a finale carnival and awards event on Wednesday, July 9. The older group, those entering grades six to nine, will meet the same days with their finale scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, with an after-hours party and awards.
Each Wednesday will highlight a different area artist showing a type of art. Children will have fun with mosaics, murals, sculptures, chalk, paint and more.
“All ages will come together as the library’s summer reading program will hold special events as a part of Farley Fest at Lake Farley Park,” Wollschlager said. On Friday, June 20, at 5:30 p.m. the public is invited to a free family-friendly Phil Baker Show. Baker will sing the song, Better Together, which was a theme song for the recent program conducted at Milbank Elementary by Parents Promoting Education and the library. On Saturday, June 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the 605 Art Bus will be the library-featured Farley event. Again, open for all to enjoy, the bus brings fun and creative art projects. There is no charge to participate in either event.
“Almost 40 area businesses and individuals have contributed donations for the program. Each will be named on a display in the library, have a thank you poster to display in their place of business and will be named in a thank you in the newspaper at the conclusion of the program. Without these contributions, the summer reading program would not be possible,” Wollschlager said.
For more information, contact the library at 605-432-6543 or email gclibrary21@hotmail.com.
