Reaching for the Stars…
Abbie Phoenix (left) with Sinead Quinlan, Cassie White, Aoife O’Connor and Alisha Donegan (right) 4th Class Pupils from St. Joseph’s GNS, Finglas pictured at the launch of the “Be a Summer Star” national reading programme. Pic. Robbie Reynolds
Dublin City Libraries has launched a National Summer Reading Programme entitled “Be a Summer Star”, which calls for the involvement of children and families all over the city.
This programme will run until Wednesday August 31st in all local libraries and is free of charge. In order to participate, children are required to obtain reading cards from their local libraries and read six books over the summer holidays. Boys and girls can also win prizes to encourage continued reading, with participants being invited to an event in their local library in September to celebrate their involvement. At these events they will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement and a goodie bag.
With popular classics such as Roald Dahl’s The BFG and Eithne Massey’s The Secret of Kells available, children have a wealth of material with which to discover what an engaging pastime reading can be.
Dublin City Librarian Margaret Hayes spoke about the possibilities that one can find within their local library:
“Obviously reading is at the heart of the library programme but there are also plenty of activities to be enjoyed at your local library along the way. Children will have a chance to go on adventures with the click of a magic stick, hear about the fourth little pig, make a dream box, do some samba drumming and see the No Strings puppet show.”
Library events are free but need to be booked early to secure a place. Dublin City Council’s Arts Office brings several programmes to libraries throughout the year, aiming to engage children’s imaginations and encourage them to create their own stories and art. Anyone wishing to learn more about these events, including where they will take place, can check the Library Events page at www.dublincitypubliclibraries.ie.
By Kevin Carney
