By Staff
"Dragon, Dreams and Daring Deeds: Fire Up Your Imagination @ Your Library" is the theme of this year's summer reading program which begins June 6 and runs through July 30. Summer reading is for all ages- kids through adults.
As in past years, readers keep track of the number of minutes they read on a calendar which is available at the children's desk in the library. Kids earn prizes for each hour they read, up to 10 hours and raffle tickets for each hour after that. Prizes include balloons, yo-yos, key chains and crowns.
Teens are rewarded with coupons from local restaurants for each two hours of reading, up to 12 hours and raffle tickets for each hour after that. Adults earn one book for every five hours of reading, up to 20 hours and raffle tickets for each hour after that.
Prizes are given out during "check-in" weeks. These, along with dates for raffle drawings, are noted on the calendars.
Story times during summer reading are Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.
Weekly themes include "Castle Capers," Damsels in Distress" and "Dragon Tales." Craft bags and color pages are also available each week.
As always, the grand finale for summer reading will take place during Riverfest. On Sunday, August 7, "Jetta and the Jellybeans" will perform at 1:00 and again at 3:00. Grand prize drawings for kids, teens and adults will take place between shows.
The following are a few of the newer children's books available at the library.
The Queen's Dragon by Anne Cassidy
When the queen gets tired of her dragon, Harry, and starts to look for a replacement, the royal parrot tries to help him reclaim the queen's affections.
The Perfect Knight by Catherine Klein-Gousseff
When a damsel asks a knight what he did to make himself perfect, she discovers that he has made war and tells him that he is, therefore, not as perfect as she believed.
Don Quixote and The Windmills by Eric A. Kimmel
Immersed in tales of knights and dragons and sorcerers and damsels in distress, Senor Quexada proclaims himself a knight and sets out on his first adventure against some nearby windmills that he thinks are giants.
Measle And The Dragodon by Ian Ogilvy
Twelve-year-old Measle Stubbs sets out to rescue his mother from the wrathmonk wizards who have kidnapped her, battling an ancient dragon, as well as carousel horses and various stuffed animals that have magically come to life, in an amusement park.
The Loathsome Dragon by David Wiesner
A wicked queen casts a spell over her beautiful stepdaughter, turning her into a loathsome dragon until such time as her wandering brother shall return and kiss her three times.