Published June 19, 2019
By AVA FIGUCIA
LYNNFIELD – The Lynnfield Public Library’s “A Universe of Stories” encourages children to read this summer through attending group events and setting personal reading goals.
The theme of this year’s Summer Reading program, “A Universe of Stories,” is sponsored by the Lynnfield Public Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The program events run from June 24 to August 16.
To kickoff the summer, the library is hosting a read-a-thon on Thursday, June 20 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The read-a-thon offers 20-minute slots for people to read books, magazines or graphic novels from personal collections or from the library. People may sign up for as many 20-minute sessions as they choose by contacting the Circulation Desk or by emailing Library Director Jennifer Inglis at jinglis@noblenet.org.
The Summer Reading program also invites children to continue reading this summer with planetary themed challenges. The program is split into two groups, a “Planet Passport” and the “Planetary Patches,” which is for older students. Both groups come with a pamphlet to keep track of children’s progress.
Younger children who participate in the summer reading program will receive a “Planet Passport” that tracks the amount of time children spend reading. For every 30 minutes of reading, children will earn beads of different colors and styles that will complete a necklace. Children can also earn beads for attending one of the library’s events.
The “Planetary Patches” program is offered to older children. This program rewards participants with patches when they complete summer reading challenges. Some challenges involve reading books and filling out reviews, while others encourage kids to volunteer in the community, learn a new skill, or create a piece of art or writing.
The library also keeps copies of the books on school summer reading lists for all of the grades. Most summer reading books will be on carts that are labeled as summer reading.
Along with offering copies of all the books, the library is hosting events for younger students. The first of these events is a Prismatic Magic Space Show. The show will feature lasers by Prismatic Magic, an entertaining and educational laser group. The event is on Monday, June 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
The laser show will teach students about the use of lasers in space exploration and about the Solar System and its components. The program is in collaboration with North Suburban Child and Family Resource Network, and is funded by a grant from the Lynnfield Cultural Council.
Later events of the summer reading program include other shows and sing-alongs. The Loony Lunar Magic Show, held on July 8 at 10 a.m., uses magic, comedy and songs to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing.
The magic show is followed by a series of singing events. On July 22 and Aug. 14 at 10 a.m., families can attend an event that teaches children to use American Sign Language (ASL) to sing classic songs of English, French and Spanish.
The final event of the summer reading program is a puppet show with Lindsay and Her Puppet Pals. This event, on Aug. 7 at 2 p.m., will bring memorable characters and charming stories. In between these larger events, the library will host story times and crafts, which can be found on their website’s calendar.
In addition to events for children, the library is hosting a “Dark & Stormy Discussion Group,” which will discuss true crime, dark mysteries and psychological thrillers. The discussion group is geared towards adults and will include discussions about books, podcasts and documentaries.
The first meeting for the discussion group will be held on Wednesday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Gaslight Restaurant at MarketStreet. To RSVP for this discussion group, email Inglis at jinglis@noblenet.org or sign up at the Circulation Desk.
For further information and to keep up with new events, visit the Lynnfield Public Library’s website at www.lynnfieldlibrary.org.
