FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Where would someone find beach towels and bags, floats, fishing poles, bubbles, sun hats and puppets' That sounds a lot like a super center, however, that's not the story at the Grant Library, which is hosting its Make a Splash Summer Reading Program.
For more than 30 years the library has hosted reading programs during the school year and summer months for children ages up to 12 years old.
Grant librarian Kimberly Fox heads up the summer program. After years of the staff being storytellers, Fox realized that the children had more enjoyment with civilian storytellers from around the community because they had a different interaction with the children.
This year's summer theme was water and everything related to water fun or activities. Each reading program is given themes to promote curiosity among readers and library regulars, which brings more children and parents to the reading programs each year.
Parents also helped get the word out by discussing it in parenting classes, schools, play groups and child development centers.
Fox said, "The reading program is growing in size every year."
The first story-time for the summer Fox counted 30 children and half of them are returning from previous reading programs.
Fox also mentioned that rewarding the children for their reading commitment to the program would increase popularity with children and parents, too.
The children are given reading logs to document their reading progress, after every five books they read the children take their logs to the library to collect their prize.
Their prizes could be one of the following items: beach towel, beach bag, Frisbee, sun visor, money and coin protector or a colorful bracelet.
Meilia Taylor, 4 years old said, "It's my first time, it was fun and I liked it alot."
Sgt. 1st Class James Taylor, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, said that it was great to see his daughter interact with the storyteller.
Fox brought in professional storytellers Denise Gard performing "Make a Splash" and Shadow Puppetry and Mark Weidhaas, "Inspector Magic Lobster Tales."
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo representatives will present animals from "North American Hike" which will give the children the opportunity to see four different animals and their habitats.
Professional storyteller Gard performs "McElligot's Pool" by Dr. Seuss, "A Treasury of Mermaids: Mermaid Tales from Around the World" by Shirley Climo and "The Boy Who Ate Too Much," a Native American folk tale.
Gard used puppets of the sea of fish, sea lions and whales, and included props, such as water guns, fishing poles and an inflatable pool.
Nicole Cowan said, "I think it's great to sit with my daughter (Elizabeth Cowan, 3) and watch Gard bring out the puppets so the kids can interact with them."
"Grabbing the imagination of the children can be hard sometimes, however, bringing the children into the story breaks that barrier" said Gard.
Hana Omari, 6, and William Mays, 4, both said, "more, more we like it more," as Gard finished up her act for that morning.
On June 30, Gard will perform shadow puppetry, a Chinese art form, which backlit puppets are placed behind a screen projecting the shadow on the screen. The shadow of the puppet appears clearly to the audience on the other side. The puppet has three rods attached to them for movement. The puppeteer uses one hand to control the rod attached to the neck and the other hand to control the rods attached to the wrists to bring the puppet to "life."
Weidhaas will perform at the final storytime at 10:30 a.m. July 21 with a "lobster tale" of a story and a small party for the children to end the summer reading program.
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