Welcome to Summer Reading 2017! We hope you will have a great time with us this summer. We have reading incentive prizes for children and teens, plus special drawings for prizes for adults.  The theme this year for all ages is “Build a Better World.”

We have a great lineup of performances for all library locations with storyteller/actress Daphne Thomas June 6th through 8th, magician Mitch Richard June 13th through 15th, our own Thelma Fontenot with “Fun with Spanish” June 20th through 22nd, Gebo the Clown/magician June 27th through 29th, Evangeline Soil and Water Conservation’s Chantelle Johnson with “Planting Plants” July 11ththrough 13th, and various managers’ programs July 18th through 20th (Turkey Creek Fire Department and Mayor Cloud, Ville Platte pinwheel and straw crafts, Pine Prairie crafts, Mamou birdhouse craft, Basile Cajun fun, and Chataignier crafts). All events are FREE to the public, but remember space is limited and adults must accompany children younger than 12. 

No programs are scheduled for the 4th of July week.

This year we are not selling T-shirts.  The funds to purchase them have been channeled into purchasing more incentive prizes to encourage reading.

Early registration begins May 22nd. No prizes are given out until June. When you register, you will receive a FREE special themed plastic drawstring bag with bookmark, event calendars, reading log, pencil, tattoo, and a Summer Reading brochure explaining in detail how the program works. You can also download the reading logs, event calendars, and brochure from this webpage. You can also view more information about each of our special grant-sponsored performers.

To earn a treasure chest drawing, each reader reads 10 books. For older children, we encourage them to read at least 2 of the 10 books on their reading level. The other 8 books can be shorter books read to younger brothers or sisters or cousins, etc. This helps in two ways: 1) it keeps older children from being discouraged by having to read too many pages before they become eligible for a prize. 2) It helps foster the love of reading by encouraging older children to read to younger ones, and it makes this a family project.

 As a special item this year, readers also earn bookmarks provided to us by Raising Cane’s in Opelousas.  Each completed bookmark is good for one Free Kids Combo at any Raising Cane’s location.

After a reader earns a prize, he or she then reads another 10 books to be eligible for another prize. Again, older children/teens are encouraged to read at least 2 of the 10 books on their reading level and also read aloud to younger children 8 shorter books on the younger child’s level.

We limit treasure chest prizes to no more than two per week and no more than twelve maximum. The last day to turn in reading logs and receive treasure chest prizes is Friday, July 28nd except for TURKEY CREEK which is Thursday, July 27th. Sorry, no exceptions. To find out more, download our special Summer Reading brochure and our calendars of June and July events. We also have reading logs available on line as well as at each library branch.

For adults, we have prize drawings in June, July, and August.  Three lucky adult winners per library branch per month will receive drawing prizes.  For more information about how to participate in the adult Summer Reading program, please call 363-1369 or the branch nearest you, or download our Summer Reading brochure on this webpage.

I would like to especially thank our sponsors for Summer Reading 2017:  Louisiana Decentralized Arts Funding as administered by the Acadiana Center for the Arts (performer grants) and Cabot Corporation, Friends of the Library, Basile State Bank, and Raising Cane’s of Opelousas for prize and supply grants. Extra special thanks to our wonderful summer volunteers for working with the library staff to help make this a fantastic summer for all ages!

 

We welcome additional donor support for Summer Reading and for our year round “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program. Please contact outreach coordinator Suzy Lemoine at 363-1369 or [email protected] for more information.

Come join us and help make this a great summer!

Mary Foster-Galasso
Library Director

[email protected]

 

 

ABOUT OUR PERFORMERS


Daphne Thomas
was born in New York’s Harlem Hospital but was raised in and currently resides in New Iberia. She is a storyteller, freelance writer, published author, illustrator, flutist, photographer and storyteller who calls upon the cultural experiences of Louisiana to develop and tell her original stories. Daphne has been performing for children in Louisiana schools and libraries for several years, and is currently developing new characters designed to help children recognize and embrace the joy of reading. The title of her latest book is “I Love to Imagine”. Visit her website for more information: http://daphnethomas.weebly.com.

DAPHNE THOMAS PERFORMANCES

June 6: Turkey Creek Library 10 a.m., Ville Platte 2pm and 6pm
June 7: Pine Prairie Library 10 a.m., Mamou Library 2 p.m.
June 8: Basile Library 10 a.m., Chataignier Library 3 p.m.

Mitch RichardMitch Richard discovered that telling jokes in high school was his passion. Mitch learned to make balloon animals at the age of sixteen from a local balloon artist. He never thought that that moment in time would be the guiding force of creating an entertainer. At 22 years old he went to work traveling the country with the the Rennaissance Festival. There he learned to juggle and make people laugh with his comedy. Mitch was 27 when he asked a local magician to teach him some magic and the rest, as they say, is history. Nowadays Mitch lives in Lafayette and owns MLRmagic.com, a family entertainment company.

MITCH RICHARD PERFORMANCES

June 13: Turkey Creek Library 10 a.m., Ville Platte, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
June 14: Pine Prairie Library 10 a.m., Mamou Teen Center 2 p.m.
June 15: Basile Library 10 a.m., Chataignier Village Hall 3 p.m.

Gregory Guillory was born in Lake Charles, La, but since 1988 he has performed as a seasoned bilingual clown, juggler, face painter, balloon sculpturer and magician in Los Angeles, California. He has performed as “Geebo The Clown” aka “El Payaso Loco” in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernadino County, CA, Harris County, TX and in Calcasieu Parish, LA. His performances include fifty or more animal balloon sculptures and forty-five minutes of illusions featuring live animals such as birds, rabbits, and baby chicks. Many of his performances have aired on You Tube. He performed for us in 2015 and is being invited back by popular demand.

GEEBO THE CLOWN PERFORMANCES

June 27: Turkey Creek Library 10 a.m., Ville Platte 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
June 28: Pine Prairie Library 10 a.m., Mamou Teen Center 2 p.m.
June 29: Basile Library 10 a.m., Chataignier Village Hall 3 p.m.