On Your Mark… Get Set… Read! at Randolph libraries this summer

ASHEBORO – “On Your Mark, Get Set… Read!” as the Randolph County Public Library’s 2016 Summer Reading Program gets underway with a focus on sports, fitness and nutrition.

The reading initiative runs thru June and July at the Archdale, Asheboro,  Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur Randleman and Seagrove libraries, and features over 180 exciting events for children and families, as well as fascinating speakers and activities for teens and adults.

Children can sign up to track and report minutes read in return for reading rewards. Last year, 3,940 local children and teens registered, and reported reading for a total of 1,013,887 minutes.

Teens and adults also can keep track of their summer reading, and teens have a chance to win Kindle Fire HD tablets.

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

For children and their families, Zelnik the Magician will appear all the libraries in June. The Charlotte-based performer will use magic to coach kids on the importance of fitness, nutrition and reading, and have everyone laughing, clapping and participating in the magic.

Zelnik’s schedule is as follows: 

• Archdale, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 29;
• Asheboro, 10: 30 a.m. Tuesday, June 28;
• Franklinville, 3:30 p.n. Thursday, June 30;
• Liberty, 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 29;
• Ramseur, 1 p.m. Thursday, June 30;
• Randleman, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 30;
• Seagrove, 2  p.m. Tuesday, June 28.

In July, The Fettucini Brothers will engage young readers at all the libraries with a perfect mix of clean, original comedy blended with just the right amount of juggling and variety, and then served up with some intelligent, interactive fun.

In between, all the libraries will offer weekly storytimes and hands-on activities, as well as performers and special guests including Steve Somers (The Amazing Teacher), aerialist Amanda Durnell and the ever-popular “Snakes Alive” with Ron Cromer.

Teens are invited to “Get in the Game – Read” with activities ranging from comic book art classes to LEGO robotics and a blues music workshop, and the return of LEGO Mania.

For  adults, it’s “Exercise Your Mind – READ!” with fitness events, yoga, writing workshops and speakers.

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.