Reading around the world

Stuck in town for the summer? Children going to the Corning Library’s summer reading program may not think so.

Following this year’s theme, “Around the World at Your Library,” volunteers share favorite books and stories about their adventures to other countries. The weekly program starts at 10 a.m. Tuesdays.

“We hope with this theme not only to give the kids some fun, but to teach them things about the world we live in,” Tehama County children’s librarian Sally Ainsworth said. “We have five or six volunteers this year that are helping out with that.”

On Tuesday, Friends of the Library volunteer Judy Turner brought in several items from her two trips to China. She encouraged children to touch and smell different items so they could get a “feel” of what China is like.

“I really enjoy showing children actual, physical things. This helps them relate to another county better and it makes that other country alive and real for them.” Turner said.

According to Ainsworth, they have had up to 70 children attend ranging in ages from preschool to high school. Ruth Pauley of Corning said her three boys – Ralph, 6, Nathaniel, 7, and Jeffrey, 11 – like coming.

“It is pretty good and the boys enjoy it,” she said. Jeffrey said, “It’s been fun, and I learned about China.”

Dave Tollison of Corning brought his 2-year old granddaughter, Zoee Sloan, for her first trip to the library during Tuesday’s program.

“What a great idea,” he said. “I hoped it would continue through the summer after I read it about in the paper. She (Zoee) colored and did puzzles.”

Along with storytelling, children also participate in simple crafts. They fill out reading logs to help encourage them to read and keep track of the books they read.

The summer reading program runs from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays through July 28 at the Corning Library, 740 Third St. For more information, call 824-7050.

Contact Cynthia Monroe at 824-5464 or cmonroe@tcnpress.com.