Things to Do @ Your Library
“Catch the Reading Bug!”
Join Children’s Summer Reading Program @ the Library
TulsaKids
Books column
May 2008
By Jackie Hill
Kids can earn coupons for free admission to local attractions and free food items from area restaurants, plus enter a drawing for computers, bicycles and other great prizes, by reading books and visiting the library this summer.
Tulsa City-County Library’s summer reading program for children is a fun way to keep kids reading throughout the summer and help them retain the reading skills they learned during the school year. Young children may participate by having books read to them.
The free program is ongoing May 19-Aug. 3. This year’s theme is “Catch the Reading Bug!” The Tulsa Library Trust, Tulsa World, NewsChannel 8, Tulsa Zoo and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries are the presenting sponsors.
To get started, pick up a reading log for your child at any public library in Tulsa County and bring it each time your child visits the library. Children will use the reading log to record the titles of the books they read and the visits they make to the library during the summer.
Each child who visits the library four times and reads eight books will earn a medal of achievement and a booklet of coupons for free entertainment and food items, including:
- One Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut
- Cinnamon sticks from Mazzio’s Italian Eatery
- Hamburger and milk or apple juice from McDonald’s
- Kid’s meal from Mimi’s Café
- Admission to the Oklahoma Aquarium
- Admission to Tulsa 66ers game
- Admission to the Tulsa Air and Space Museum
- Round-trip bus ride on Tulsa Transit
- Admission to the Tulsa Zoo
- End-zone ticket to University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane football game
- Chicken nuggets from Wendy’s
Plus, medal winners who have completed kindergarten or are in first through sixth grade may enter a drawing for exciting prizes. Prizes include:
- Computers with printers and Internet service, provided by the Tulsa World
- Bicycles with helmets, provided by the Tulsa World, with special assistance from Lee’s Bicycles
- Fishing trip with KOTV Channel 6 meteorologist Dick Faurot, including fishing gear provided by Bass Pro Shops
- Season subscription for a family of four to the Imagination Series, featuring national children’s theater productions, provided by the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust
- Tickets to the 2008 Kids’ World Festival, provided by Tulsa Global Alliance
Children who read 12 more books will receive a plush, stuffed ladybug as a bonus award.
All summer reading program participants will receive a free ticket to “Library Summer Reading Program Night” at Drillers Stadium on Aug. 8. Tulsa Teachers Credit Union, NewsChannel 8 and the Tulsa Drillers are providing the free night at the ballpark. The first 1,000 kids age 14 and younger to arrive at the ballpark will receive a free Drillers sling backpack. Please bring school supplies to donate to TTCU’s Project School Supplies.
To complement the summer reading program, Tulsa City-County Library locations will offer hundreds of free fun-filled, action-packed events during the summer, including performances by the Mad Science group; magicians Brad “Bradini” Evans, Chris Capstone and Jeff Cauthen; musician Monty Harper; juggler Paul Phariss; American Indian storytellers Will Hill and Jehnean Washington; and balloon artist Stephen Smith. For event listings, pick up a children’s summer reading program event guide from your local library or click on www.tulsalibrary.org/eventguide and search the online calendar.
The summer reading program culminates with the Tulsa Library Trust’s Anne V. Zarrow Award presentation to Louis Sachar, author of the Newbery-winning Holes. He will receive the 2008 Zarrow award at 7 p.m. on Aug. 22 at Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue. On Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. at Central Library, Sachar will present awards to winners of the library’s 2008 Young People’s Creative Writing Contest and talk about his experiences writing award-winning books.
Other sponsors of the children’s summer reading program are Circle Cinema, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Radio Disney AM 1380 and Sonic Drive-In. For more information, contact your neighborhood library, call 596-7977 or visit the library’s Web site for kids at http://kids.tulsalibrary.org.
A Tulsa City-County Library Web Site
