Summer Fun @ Your Library!!

With schools closed for summer vacation, many children will be stranded at home desperately searching for something to keep them entertained---and out of trouble. Parents, likewise, will be straining their brains to think of creative activities their children will enjoy. Luckily for both, the Columbus Public Library is offering its annual Summer Reading Program, entitled “Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales.” The event kicks off with a magic show, featuring Jeff Quinn, The Magician, on Friday, June 9, at 2 p.m.

Every weekday has a terrific event lined up. On Mondays, from 1:30-3:15, participants are invited to watch animated feature like Finding Nemo, Brother Bear, and the newly released Chicken Little in the library’s auditorium.

Presentations are scheduled on Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30. These seminars are intended to be educational, so children will leave each forum with new insight on a variety of furry topics. Some of the programs planned involve the Platte Valley Humane Society, Norfolk State Patrol K-9 Unit, local 4-H clubs, and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Regular Story Times will be offered on Wednesdays at 1:30 and Thursdays at 10:30. Children attending these events will have the pleasure of listening to stories by local guest readers like Kathy Brenner, Peg Roth, Amy Sokol, Melodee Pedersen, and Jan Fremarek. These gifted readers have selected a wide range of tales sure to engage children of all ages.

Though the Summer Reading Program is geared for children in preschool-fourth grade, individuals going into fifth grade and up can still be a part of the fun by becoming volunteers. This is a great way to give back to the community and library by donating time to a worthwhile cause. Anyone interested in volunteering for the library’s summer reading program need only contact me.

If you are looking for great activities that are sure to keep your children busy during the summer months, stop by the Columbus Public Library during the week of June 5 and register your children for the Summer Reading Program. This program is absolutely free, and children are sure to have a great time. Remember to drop off your child’s chartreuse colored library bag, so a new animal patch can be sown onto it.

Also, when you sign your children up for the summer reading program, consider signing them up for the R.E.A.D. Program. This program is designed to improve the reading skills of individuals who are reading chapter books. Children will have the opportunity to spend twenty minutes reading to a certified therapy pup. This four week program meets every Wednesday, starting June 14. The R.E.A.D. program is free; however, there is only space for 12 participants. Sign up is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

If you have any questions regarding this year’s summer reading program, feel free to contact me at 564-7116 opt. 4.