Library features magic, art, music and puppetry this summer

Check our Summer Reading Program Website for more info.

It is that wondrous time of year again when the kids are out of school, families are enjoying more time together and the library offers a myriad of programs and incentives to keep everyone reading throughout the summer.

The theme for this year’s summer reading is “One World, Many Stories” and to start off the summer Spearfish artist Dick Termes will put up a dozen of his Termespheres upstairs in the youth services areas as an exhibit throughout the month of June.

In a second year partnership with the Dahl Arts Center the summer reading kick-off celebration will take place on June 11, 10-11:30 at the downtown library followed by street activities between the Dahl and the library and a free Art Adventure inside the Dahl beginning at 1 pm. The party will move over to the Rapid City Public Library North location in the General Beadle Elementary School from 2-3:30 p.m.

Those attending the library event can make three different crafts including a Papua New Guinea mask with the assistance of Reptile Gardens Art Curator Lynda Mitchell, create a travel snack, listen to Celtic music by String Thaw and visit with Clifford the Big Red Dog. The library reading bags, logs and bookmark that contain all the summer event information will be given to everyone who attends.

We will have a 75 day reading log schedule with summer reading program participants turning in their logs at the 25, 50 and 75 day marks. Teens and adults are welcome to be a part of summer reading and can submit three book reviews to the library’s Facebook page. There will be drawings at the end of summer for prizes in both categories.

Special return guests the Orlando Chamber Orchestra will present the Teddy Bear series at story time’s downtown and General Beadle. This introduces young children to classical music with one or two instruments set to favorite children’s stories with popular classical themes. Dates are Friday, June 17 and 24 and July 15 at General Beadle and downtown June 28, July 12 and July 19. All performances are set for 9:30 a.m. A family concert will be held at 5 p.m. on July 20 at General Beadle.

Other summer performances include Amazing Arthur on June 22; Dragons are Too Seldom Markie Scholz who will perform Dragon Stories on Saturday, July 23 and Colin O’Brien on August 3rd. All of the programs will be held at 10 a.m. downtown and 2 p.m. at General Beadle.

Amazing Arthur specializes in magic, juggling, yo-yo’s and balloon animals. Markie Scholz is a puppeteer who has written her own storytelling fantasy about Zed the Dragon and his best friend Estelle the Mouse. Colin O’Brien is a banjo player who brings the children into his performance through song, physical activities, singing and hands on interaction with the banjo.

The end of the summer reading celebration will be August 27 and the last day to turn in logs would be August 31.