“Dream Big: Read!” at Randolph library this summer

“Dream Big: Read!” during the Randolph County Public Library’s nighttime-themed Summer Reading Program, which kicks off June 11 with over 130 storytimes, performances, movies, special events and more at all libraries through early August.

The aim of the annual program is to keep kids reading while school is out, but teens can get in on the act with the return of LegoMania and other events, while adults can hear a lineup of authors and join in book discussions. All ages are eligible to register for reading rewards and prizes.

“Library summer programs are exciting, entertaining and educational. They’re close to home and they’re all free,” says Children’s Librarian Myra Long.

  

The summer starts of with a bang – a Big Bang Boom, to be exact, as the children’s rock ‘n’ rollers from Greensboro bring their high-energy, parent-friendly power pop to each library during the week of June 11 in a show that’s guaranteed to get kids moving and cheering. There will be magic, too, as Fish the Magish visits the Asheboro library in early July and the ever-popular Magical Storyteller Mark Daniel appears at all libraries in late July.

Kids: Dream Big!

Each library will host one or more weekly events for children. At the Asheboro library, weekly storytimes include All Ages Storytime, 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and 10:30 a.m. Thursdays; Family Storytime, 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Spanish/English Storytime, 6 p.m. every other Wednesday beginning June 13; and Toddler Time, 10:10 a.m. Thursdays.

              

The Asheboro library also invites kids in grades K-5 to school-age programs at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Special guests will include steel drummer Tracy Thornton, Ronald McDonald, Loretta Brady the Butterfly Lady and poet Pat Riviere-Seel.

Over the summer, the Archdale library will present “Nocturnal Animals: Cold Blooded Encounters”; Liberty will host Carolina Tiger Rescue; Ramseur will bring in bluegrass musicians Just N Time; and Liberty and Randleman will “Dare to Dream” with Steve Somers, The Amazing Teacher – among many other exciting events. For details and schedules for all libraries, go to www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingkids.html, visit your local library or call 318-6804.

Teens: Own the Night

The library also is lining up big events for teens, including the 4^th Annual Lego Mania on Thursday, August 2, at the Asheboro library; survival skills; making zombie masks; monster cartooning with Rich Powell, screen printing with Derek Toomes and more. A public mural project also may be in the offing for Asheboro teens.

Archdale will host Carolina Supernatural Investigations and Dr. Phil Senter, the Dinosaur Guy, and Randleman will offer weekly “Mad Science” programs at 4 p.m. Wednesdays beginning June 20.

Register to participate and for reading rewards at any library, and find schedules and details at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingteens.html.

Adults: Between the Covers

Adults can bolster their summer reading with book discussions and author appearances. Our State Editor Elizabeth House will visit the Randleman library, and Ghosts of the Triad authors Michael Renegar and Amy Spease will haunt the Asheboro library.

Poets Pat Riviere-Seel and Bill Griffin will read their work and share the floor with local poets as part of the Poetry of Conservation project, and “Ebooks on the Go” workshops will provide guidance on ebooks and e-readers. Find full schedules and details at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingadults.html.

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library supported in part by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. Local sponsors are Kiwanis International, Weston’s Feed and Seed, Something Different Restaurant and Advisors Financial Center. Prizes, reading awards, programs or program materials are provided as of this writing by  Chick-fil-A, Hardees, First Bank of Archdale, Lowes Foods,  North Carolina Aviation Museum, McDonalds, North Carolina Zoological Park, Walmart and Wendy’s.