June 22, 2005

Club offers recreational reading

TC District Library holds kick-off party for summer reading club

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer

       Oyez, oyez! The Traverse Area District's Library's summer reading club is off and running.
      With a theme of Dragons, Dreams & Daring Deeds, the club will draw at least 400 young readers to the library over the next eight weeks, despite the lure of outdoor activities. These readers will give Youth Services librarians or volunteers an informal oral report about their book, receiving token prizes for their efforts.
      The short reports are meant to have independent readers show that they read the book and share what they liked about it.
      "I like to read books, I think that's really fun," noted Emily Northway, 6, as she prepared to give her first report ever. "My brother did it last year."
      Emily's mother, Amy Northway, noted that the program is a boon to new readers like her daughter. This way, instead of losing ground on reading skills, Emily is motivated to reinforce and practice them all summer.
      "I love this program, I think it is so beneficial," said Amy Northway of Traverse City, whose son, Andrew, 11, gave his first report this year Monday.
      "Emily just finished kindergarten and she was just reading any book she picked up so this keeps it going," Northway said.
      For many families, signing up every summer is an annual tradition.
      "We've been doing this for years," said Lorraine Russell of Traverse City, whose four children enrolled in the program Monday.
      "They like books already but there's something special about coming to the library and having such a big choice of books," she said. "You'll never have that many at home."
      Russell's younger son, Abraham, 6, is now reading on his own and eager to give his own reports. He watched his three older siblings participate in the Summer Reading Club in previous years and looked forward to when he could join.
      "He's been disappointed to not be able to do it before," Russell said. "It does encourage him to read on his own instead of being read to."
      The Summer Reading Program 2005 kicked off Monday with a party on the library's lawn. A dozen members of the local Society for Creative Anachronism attended to lend an appropriately Renaissance ambiance to the affair. These history buffs demonstrated a variety of sword-fighting scenarios to attendees, including fighting with sword and daggers, sword and shields, swords and cloaks and with two swords.
      Inside, members of the Youth Services Department staff signed up additional participants to the program.
      The game is that each participant can read up to two books a week for eight weeks. They receive a certificate of accomplishment after completing five reports. Participants may sign up for the program throughout the summer.
      "That's why we have eight weeks, so people can go on vacation, have appointments, do summer things," said Bernadette Groppuso, Youth Services Coordinator.
      The Summer Reading Club winds up in August with an open house celebration at the library for readers and their families.
      "It's a lot of fun and there's quite a range of reports given," Groppuso said. "Some kids will just say they liked it, which is fine with us; other kids will tell us the whole story, almost word for word. Over time they will learn to summarize."
      For more information on the Summer Reading Program, contact the Youth Services Department at 932-8500 or stop by the Traverse Area District Library.