Summer Reading Club Starts Soon

The popular Summer Reading Club program at the Barrington Public Library kicks off on Monday, June 20, with a special 6 pm performance.

The Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum's executive director, Loren Spears, will fill an early evening with stories, music, dance, and a short film. Children 4 and older are invited to attend. No registration is required.

Then on Tuesday, June 21, between 9:30 am and 7:30 pm, children may sign up for the Summer Reading Club program, which runs through August 10. Sign-ups will continue on Wednesday during the same hours, and children may return to log in their first completed books on Saturday between 9:30am and 4 pm.

The theme for this year's reading club is One World, Many Stories, and features special prizes and coupons for both junior and independent readers. 

Mary Harty, Children's Room librarian, said junior readers will be encouraged to keep a reading log at home, and will receive stickers for every 15 minutes that they read or listen to a story. For every three hours logged, they will receive a prize, with successful completion of the program when they reach 12 hours.

Independent readers will have the chance to spin a game wheel in the Children's Room to determine which category they may choose a book from. When they finish their book, they will choose a cap from the 'Caps For Sale' tree located in the program room.

The chosen cap will have a question the reader gets to answer about the book. Independent readers are expected to read or listen to at least six books to qualify for successful completion of the program.

Harty said it's important that readers return on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays if they wish to register for the program (which can be done throughout the summer), or to report their reading activity, as these are the only days that more staff will be available to provide assistance.

As participants log their reading time, Harty said, they will be eligible to receive discount coupons from local area attractions, as well as fun prizes. When children actually complete the program requirements, they will receive a ticket to the special completion celebration on August 12 that only ticket holders are permitted to attend.

During the final celebration, there will be songs, stories and musical games, performed by musician and storyteller Greg Cooney, and refreshments will be provided.