Reading Bug a Success

"Reading Bug A Success"
to appear in a future printing of the Westville Weekly Times

Did you “Catch the Reading Bug?” The numbers are in and 980 people attended the action packed programs at the John F. Henderson Library this summer. 369 of those were children who enthusiastically registered for the summer program and ‘Caught’ the Reading Bug. Every child who registered got a special bag filled with stickers, bookmarks, pencils, body art and a reading log to fill up. The first hundred children to register received a bug catcher, although we’re not sure how many were brave enough to catch bugs with it.
With entertainers from all over Oklahoma and Missouri, the diligence and hard work of our library and Friends of the Library certainly paid off. Every person who walked through the double doors of the library learned something new about the world around them...and about bugs. There were magic tricks, countless stories, real bugs to hold and examine, and mealworms to eat. Don’t worry; they tasted just like peanuts…sort of. There were puppets and ventriloquists, a book fair and a party, Critters to pet and a Big Magic Book. Vouchers for Tater Tots and ice cream from Sonic were handed out to eager participants. Children who were ambitious enough to read 55 books, completing their reading log, had their name entered for the end-of-program drawing for all sorts of prizes, including two brand new bicycles.
And that was just the children’s program.
Things really got cranked up during Teen Week in July. All of the teens received a backpack and bookmarks. There were movies and a pizza party and the debut of the library’s newest technology as the teens faced off in the library’s first Nintendo Wii Bowling Tournament. The winners of the bowling tournament received numerous prizes including autographed books by author Meg Cabot (“Princess Diaries”, anyone?).
The deadline for reading logs was the end of July. Children and parents waited in the library for the drawing. The last 2 minutes were so quiet, every tick of the clock echoed around the room. Little slips of paper were drawn and loud exclamations rang out as Sue Ann read the names. Morgan Alverson’s face beamed with shock and delight as her name was drawn for one of the grand prize bicycles. “Morgan, that’s you!” her mother, Jessica, exclaimed. All Morgan could do was smile. Lauren Cole’s name was chosen for the other grand prize bicycle. The girls got to choose their own bicycle from Wal-Mart in Stilwell. Other special prizes for readers whose names were in the bug catcher (some names were in there several times!) were t-shirts, bags, puzzles, bug lanterns and signed books.
How did this wonderful program come to be? The 2008 Summer Reading program would not be possible without the financial support of state and local sponsors. We would like to heartily thank the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Sonic Corp., Eastern Oklahoma District Library, Adair County United Way, Friends of the John F. Henderson Public Library, Westville Sonic Drive-In and Stilwell Wal-Mart. We would also like to give a big round of applause and thanks to Adair County 4-H for volunteers (loved the face painting!), the Westville Town Council, the library patrons for all their support and the parents for bringing their children to the programs. If you and your children enjoyed catching the reading bug, let some of these fine people know. And if you’re sad you missed it, make sure you try those barbequed meal worms next time you’re at the Science Museum of Oklahoma. Tell them the John F. Henderson Library sent you.