GRAVETTE — Young readers enrolled in the summer reading program at the Gravette Public Library enjoyed an outing to the Gravette swimming pool on Friday. Youngsters involved in the program wore special bracelets which identified them as reading program participants and allowed them to enter the pool for an hour of free swimming. On Monday they enjoyed a firemen's muster at Old Town Park.
This year's summer reading program, with the theme, "On your mark, get set... READ!" has focused on a variety of sports since the sessions began on June 1. Young readers have learned about dancing, barrel racing, tennis, frisbee golf, tae kwon do and swimming.
Only two more sessions of the reading program remain. The next session will be held Thursday, July 22, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the library. It will be led by Chris Billings, D.O., from Ozarks Community Hospital in Gravette. The program will have a health emphasis and Billings will talk to the youngsters about the importance of exercise and keeping your body healthy. The final session will be a second frisbee golf session Tuesday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., led by Frankie Valdez, manager of the Gravette Gym, and Gary Long.
Readers participating in the library's summer program have been keeping a log of books read during the summer, and library manager Kim Schneider reminds youngsters to continue to keep their logs and turn them in until the program ends.
Marvin Lopez, 17, a library volunteer whose younger brother and sister are enrolled in the summer reading program, believes the sessions are very beneficial and were a big help to him when he took part.
"The reading program really benefited me," Lopez said. "I wasn't a very good reader, but as I came to summer reading program my reading skills improved. Then I did better in my school work. I'm encouraging my younger brother and sister to participate because I know it will help them become better readers."
Community on 07/13/2016