Eileen Heinzel, Pennington Borough Council liaison to the Pennington Public Library
This summer will mark the fifth summer of special programming for children at The Pennington Public Library. The Wednesday Game Craft and Story program was started by volunteers in 2003 and has since been a summer tradition at the library. The program, modeled each year on the State Library Summer Program is a rich blend of local interest, good books and quality crafts. This year should be no different. Bugs and insects are the theme and we have several highlights planned, including a trip to the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association, a visit from a local beekeeper and a homemade insectarium.
The Wednesday program will commence on June 25 at 1:30 – 3 p.m. with the unveiling of the winning “buggy” ice cream flavor that will be featured this summer season at Jann’s Sweet Shoppe.
Summer programming will be expanded this year to include reading groups exclusively designed for older students. Book groups coordinated by High School Honors Students will be meeting at the Library to discuss selected books from the 6th, 7th and 8th grade summer reading lists. This program is open to all Timberlane Middle School students.
The sixth grade book selections, “Walk Two Moons” by Sharon Creech and “Chasing Vermeer” by Blue Balliett are scheduled for July 18 and will be coordinated by Joy Frederich and Kelsey Greener respectively.
The seventh grade book selections are “Al Capone Does My Shirts” by Gennifer Choldenko, which will be lead by Sarah Toussaint on July 25th and “The House of Scorpion” by Nancy Farmer, which will be lead by Eric Tengi on a date to be announced.
The eighth grade book selection is “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card and will be coordinated by Rob Meyer on August 22, 2008. If you will be a sixth, seventh or eighth grader this fall, all you need to do is read one of the selected books and come to the discussion! (Registration is preferred, but not required). All meetings will take place at the Library from 7:00-8:30. Refreshments will be served. Contact the library, 737-0404, for more details or check out the library’s website, www.penningtonlibrary.org.
The Pennington Public Library is a community space – thanks to all of the volunteers who have given their time and talent to make library programming unique and exceptional. Special thanks this year to the teen volunteers who will be assisting with the Wednesday program or leading a book discussion. Our library wouldn’t be the same without its volunteers.