The Sweet Home Public Library summer reading program gets under way today with a theme promoting creativity.
In addition to the annual reading game, activities will include everything from music acting to painting and other crafts. Don Ross will work with children in painting while John Wiens provides watercolor instruction.
For teens and tweens the theme is “Express Yourself @ Your Library,” For the younger children, the theme is similar: “Be Creative @ Your Library.”
Because the program has grown so large, it has been divided into five age brackets this year, with two on Tuesdays and three on Wednesdays throughout July.
Age groups include the tots, ages 0- 2; preschoolers, ages 3-5; juniors, kindergarten through fourth grade; tweens, fifth and sixth grade; and teens, seventh grade and up. Programs are scheduled for Tuesdays for tots and preschoolers. The other three groups meet on Wednesdays. Tuesday’s program runs from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday’s program runs from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. for juniors. Tweens start at 11 a.m., and teens start at 1 p.m.
The Library Dragon will be hiding at downtown businesses again this year, and the first three children ages 3-12 to show up at the library and tell the staff where it’s hiding will receive a prize from the library’s treasure chest, said librarian Sandi Leonard.
Again this year, a question will appear weekly in The New Era. The first teen to provide the correct answer at the library will receive a $20 gift certificate from Wal-Mart.
Last year, the reading program drew 294 children, Leonard said. “That’s why we had to break it up.”
Teens and tweens will be able to participate in a reading game that gives them a 4×4 grid of reading choices. To successfully complete the reading program, they must complete a row of four, with choices ranging from “read a book of your choice” to “read a chapter aloud to someone” and “read a comic book.” Prizes will be determined by chance among those who qualify.
The top prize for the reading game is a portable DVD player for tweens and teens. Other prizes have been provided by local businesses.
The other three divisions have to read or listen to reading for 28 hours over the month to earn a prize. They will earn prizes for each increment of four hours as well.
The Friends of the Library will give a free book to anyone that completes 28 hours of reading, Leonard said, and all students who sign up receive a free library card for the summer.
Leonard thanked local businesses for their generosity, especially given the economy, she said. Everyone who gave last year gave again this year, and Figaro’s Pizza offered to provide a pizza party for teens and tweens.
“We’re really excited about summer reading and all the kids coming out for it,” Leonard said.
New this year, the program will reward adults for reading. Adults who read three books in a week will receive a cloth book bag.
Call the library at 367-5007 for more information.
Schedule
July 1: Teens and tweens experience an art almost lost with a Salem Classical Fencing Company demonstration. Juniors learn about famous artists and paint in their style.
July 7: Tots will get creative with colors while preschoolers will learn about three famous painters and paint in their styles.
July 8: Teens and tweens will create water color masterpieces with John Wiens. Juniors will be actors, acting out superheroes and pirates and playing charades.
July 14: “Tree-mendously Creative Kids” is the program for tots while Mitch Hider teaches preschoolers to make an instrument and helps tell a musical story.
July 15: Teens and tweens will hold a talent show. Juniors will have music fun with Mitch Hider, learn to play water glasses and dance to famous music.
July 21: Tots are “Hats off to Being Creative” while preschoolers can be a part of a puppet show and make their own puppets.
July 22: Teens and tweens will paint with Don Ross, who provides everything they need. Juniors can create their own mosaic masterpiece, draw animals and create a shadowed painting.
July 28: “Sensational Creations” for tots, and preschoolers have making their own pictures with sand art, scratch art and tear art.
July 29: Teens and tweens will play “Jeopardy,” testing their knowledge of movies, art, music and quotes. Pizza party follows.
Juniors will experience an epic poem, rhyme their own poetry and trip their tongues over a limerick.