‘Fish the Magish’ kicks off summer reading at Randolph libraries

Local educator/entertainer Fish the Magish will invite kids to “Dig Into Reading” as the Randolph County Public Library’s 2013 Summer Reading Program gets underway with over 100 storytimes, performances, hands-on activities, movies and more.

The program runs June 10-August 3 and all seven libraries are participating. Children can sign up to tracks books, hours or pages read in return for reading rewards, and teens and adults can register for prizes and other reading incentives.

Schedules and complete details can be found at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer and at your local library.

For children and families, Fish, a.k.a. Mike Fisher, will perform at the libraries as follows:

·        Archdale, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 19 (at Archdale Parks & Recreation)

·        Asheboro, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 19

·        Franklinville, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 20

·        Liberty, 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 18

·        Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 20 (at the Ramseur Municipal Building)

·        Randleman, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 27;

·        Seagrove, 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 18.

In July, kid-oriented, parent-friendly rockers Big Bang Boom will take the stage at six of the libraries. In between, all the libraries will offer a range of activities, from educators such as The Amazing Teacher Steve Somers to a celebration of International Mud Day, to regular storytimes suited to the “Dig in to Reading” theme.

Meanwhile, teens can go “Beneath the Surface” for a Summer Reading Program of their own. In addition to the very popular Lego Mania competition, which  returns for its fifth year, Asheboro will offer lessons on how to draw pirates, make bamboo robots and more, as well as hosting weekly movies.

Teens in Randleman can join in weekly science-themed events to learn about volcanoes, venomous snakes and spiders, fossils, robotics and more.

Adults can explore “Groundbreaking Reads,” and find out  from Andy Griffith Show expert Dr. Gary Freeze “How Andy met Opie’s Mom.” They can learn about Naomi Wise from writer Sandra Redding and get a helping of Randolph County humor from Warren Dixon, among other fun and informative events.

The Summer Reading Program is primarily sponsored by Friends of the Library with support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, through the Randolph Arts Guild. Many local businesses and organizations help out also: see a complete list at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

The reading program is part of a national effort to keep children reading during the break from school; research shows that kids who read during the summer do better in school the next year.