Kids! Get Ready to Start Your List of Summer Reading
by Edd Merritt

Once again Children’s Librarian Margaret Woodruff has spearheaded the planning for the Charlotte Library’s Summer reading program for children of all ages. The Vermont Department of Libraries through its partnership with other states in the Collaborative Summer Library Program will provide a choice of high-quality materials for this summer’s program. As in past years, the budget for the summer program is underwritten by The Friends of the Charlotte Library.

This year’s theme is mystery and how to solve it. Each week has a slightly different twist on the theme. Of course things start off with a party on June 23 at 11:00 a.m. The Jam Band with Peter Alsen will entertain while the audience tests its wits and gets into the spirit of the season with book mysteries and picture puzzlers. The participants will also be able to register for the program and pick up their reading logs—forms to list what they’ve read. They will learn about how to maintain their logs during the Kick-off, because they may record not only how much they’ve read but how long they’ve read as well. Oh, and, of course, the Kick-off party is the time for unveiling Jennie Cole’s latest mystery, too. Do you remember the dragon last year and dogs with dog houses before that? Who knows what Jennie’s been up to this year?

Margaret and the other planners have prepared a different theme for each week through the end of July. “Codes and Ciphers” week starts things rolling on June 25, followed by “Sleuth” week, then “Mysteries of the Pharaohs” where you can meet your mummy. The program culminates with “Quest” week which includes a span of activities from a nature quest of the area around the library, a Beanie Baby quest, to a farewell send-off with the Red Wing Puppet Theater. Each week will have its own special question—to be answered through what people read. Some of the weekly activities are geared to specific age groups. Others are for all ages. A complete program available in the library describes each week’s schedule, the leaders, and the suggested age range for participants.

Overall, the program is designed to get folks reading, to tie books and stories to people through a fellowship that comes together in the library. As Margaret says, “That’s what we’re here for. We’re a community library.”