The Summer Reading Program at the Troy Public Library will kick off May 1 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. A special kickoff event, a Children’s Theater for Youth production, has been planned from 5 until 5:30 p.m.
Teresa Colvin, TPL director of programs for children and youth, said Troy University students of Tori Lee Averett will present a short production and drama activities for children of all ages.
“The production will feature several stories that are popular among children, such as ‘Stone Soup,’” Colvin said. “This dramatization of stories will be a great way to kick off our summer reading program. And, it will be a good time for parents to sign their children up for the TPL Summer Reading Program, which is designed for ages four to 18.”
Signup will begin on May 1 but will continue until all slots are filled.
“Parents must come to the library during regular library hours to sign up their children,” Colvin said. “Space is limited for all age groups. Forty slots are available for ages four and five, 100 slots for ages six through 11 and 20 slots for ages 12 through 18.”
The children’s Summer Reading Program will begin June 9 with ages four and five on Mondays and ages six through 11 on Tuesdays, both from 2 to 3 p.m.
The young adults day and nighttime programs will meet weekly June through July 8.
“The four- and five-year-olds, will be introduced to the delights of creativity through story time, crafts and puppetry,” Colvin said. “For ages six through 11, the electric cooperative will present their Vandergraff Generator. The McWane Center will present a program on ‘Really Cool Science’ and magician Gary Ledbetter will be back with his amazing magic show.
“For the young adults, we’ll have an illusion workshop and a mad scientist will be on the loose and, as always, the mystery lock-in.”
Top readers in each age group will be recognized and invited to a special celebration. Reading logs are due no later than 5:30 p.m. July 15.
“The Troy Public Library hopes to inspire kids to read during the summer,” Colvin said. “Educational studies prove that summer reading is necessary to prevent a decline in reading achievement scores from spring to fall. The great news is that, with our new library and great collection, we should have books flying off the shelves in record numbers.”