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'Reading Rocks' at the library

The San Marcos Public Library is ramping up to rock out this summer with a “Reading Rocks!” Summer Reading Program kickoff party on Friday, June 8 from 9 a.m. to noon. The Summer Reading Program – which started June 4 – runs through Aug. 15 and helps children maintain and build reading skills. The program can also help prepare children and teens for the upcoming school year and a successful academic future, according to library Division Manager for Public Service Suzanne Sanders. “It is a fact that children who don’t practice their reading over the summer, lose what they learned the year before,” Sanders said. “If they don’t practice the things they learned in school, their reading skills will take a backslide.” But Sanders said the Summer Reading Program and the kickoff party serve another purpose, to encourage kids to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning. “Summer is the opportunity for kids to read what they want to read,” Sanders said. “So often during the school year they’re pressured to read, but with summer they can have the freedom to read, instead of the assigned reading. And that’s why summer reading is important, not just for keeping up their skills, but encouraging that freedom of thought and freedom to explore; and that’s how they develop a lifelong love of learning.” It’s simple to participate in the Summer Reading Program. Kids just need to pick up a reading log at the Reading Rocks kickoff party or at the library anytime before the first week of August, check out books, and keep track of them in their log. The more books read, the better the chance to win grand prizes. Drawings will be held at the end of July for special ticket prizes and mid-August for other prizes. Reading Rocks will embrace the call of all things rock – from rock music and crafts to rock walls and rock collections. Anyone 5-18 years old can try their hand of reaching the top of a 26-foot, four-sided rock wall. Laurie Jasinski will be entertaining with her songs about the Jurassic – and Triassic and Cretaceous periods. Andy Hartsock and the Ninjas will be regaling with their songs about adventure and fun. There will be marble painting, bean bag tosses, a create-your-own pet rock station with lots of yarn and googly eyes, a cookie walk, and Texas State University Geology Department has provided some of their extensive rock collection for kids to identify and observe for the Reading Rocks kickoff party. Bozo the HOZO the Clown – also known as David Bryant, father engagement coordinator for Community Action Inc. – will be out reading, singing and making balloon animals for kids throughout the kickoff party. Bryant, who has used the HOZO – “HOZO” stands for Hilarious, Original, Zany One – character for 15 years to entertain children at events like the San Marcos Children’s Park Grand Opening in May. He says the character is part of his greater initiative to help foster creativity in children and in their parents. “Children should foster their imaginations throughout life, so one of the things I like doing is getting the parents involved in being silly too and giving parents the opportunity to connect in that imagination world,” Bryant said. “Because sometimes I think adults think they don’t need to use their imagination, but your kids need that and they can just pretend and be fun and to go there with their kids and HOZO allows me to ‘go there.’” For the little ones, the library will have a sandbox, water splash pool, an obstacle course and homemade playdough to play with. All the programs, crafts and activities at the summer reading kickoff party are free and open to the public. The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the San Marcos Kiwanis and Friends of the Library. For more information about Reading Rocks kickoff party or the Summer Reading Program, call the San Marcos Public Library at 512- 393-8200.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666