Randolph County Public Library NEWS

ASHEBORO – “Every Hero Has a Story” – and you can learn about them this summer as the Randolph County Public Library’s 2015 Summer Reading Program gets underway with appearances by storyteller Kali Ferguson at all seven libraries, and 164 more storytimes, performances, hands-on activities, movies, author appearances and more for children, teens and adults.

The reading initiative runs from June 15-July 31 at the Archdale, Asheboro,  Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur and Seagrove libraries (the Randleman library got a jump and began its program in May).

During the summer, children can sign up to track and report minutes read in return for reading rewards. Last year, 2,507 local children reported reading for a total of 912,688 minutes.

Teens and adults can get in on the act too, and keep track of their summer reading for chances to win prizes such as Kindle Fire HD tablets and gift cards from booksellers.

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

Storyteller Kali Ferguson (photo by Courtney James)

For children and their families, the dynamic Ferguson will energize, educate and entertain with participatory stories, poems, dances and songs from Latin American, African American and African traditions. She will appear at the libraries as follows:

·        Archdale, 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 24;

·        Asheboro, 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 17;

·        Franklinville, 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 23;

·        Liberty, 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 16;

·        Ramseur, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 25;

·        Randleman, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 18;

·        Seagrove, 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 16.

In July, Steve Somers, a.k.a. The Amazing Teacher, will engage young readers with magic, puppets, audience participation and humor in a performance entitled “Stand Tall: Celebrating the Hero in Us All.” In between, all the libraries will offer a range of weekly storytimes, performances and other activities, from a Superhero Training Camp to Fish the Magish and “The Snake Man.”

Real life heroes – including fire fighters, law enforcement officers and armed services members – will make appearances, too. Another special guest will be therapy dog Susie, subject of the film “Susie’s Hope.”

Meanwhile, teens are invited to “Unmask” with weekly events featuring aikido, comic book illustration, conservation, hands-on science and more – along with the 7^th annual Lego Mania competition.

Adults can “Escape the Ordinary” with Miss Julia author Ann B. Ross, as well as former Gate City Gourment John Batchelor, PEN/Hemingway writing award honorees Stephanie Powell Watts and Marjorie Holmes, author and centenarian John Q. Pugh, Andy Griffith Show expert Gary Freeze, and more.

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by Friends of the Randolph County Public 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. It’s 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.