Summer is a great time for a good read

By Cathy Spaulding
Phoenix Staff Writer

June 03, 2008 12:04 am

— The Muskogee Public Library is going buggy trying to get people to read this summer.
“The Nature Hut from Greenleaf State Park is coming to talk about native bugs, we’ve got an entomologist coming, people talking about gardening, crafts about bugs,” said Children’s Librarian Liz Hanley. “Our younger readers, ages 0 to 4, will be the Caterpillars.”
Such focus on the insect world is part of a statewide library summer reading program, Catch the Reading Bug, she said. As in the past, kids who read 25 books get a patch and a coupon for food from Sonic Drive-In.
Muskogee librarians hope the bug spreads to adults and have come up with their own suggestions for an adult reading program.
“I don’t know if people read like to read more in the summer, but they do read more,” said Jan Bryant, chief librarian at Muskogee Public Library. “People try to pick up books for when they are on vacation, like teachers.”

To keep adults reading, the library came up with its own adult summer reading program, featuring 24 books recommended by the library staff.
“We have them read a minimum of three books,” she said. “They don’t get prizes, just a party.”
Bryant said the library had participated in a statewide “Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma” program from 2003 to its conclusion in 2007. The program focused on nonfiction books and novels about Oklahoma.
This year’s reading program features favorite titles from library staff. Some, such as Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” and Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” are considered classics.
“A lot of people do keep up with best sellers but might have missed some of these titles,” she said.
Women checking out books Friday at the library said they are year-round readers.
“I just read when the mood strikes,” said Dixie Bandy of Fort Gibson, who had four books stacked on a fiction shelf as she skimmed through a fifth book. She said she likes Danielle Steele and Barbara Taylor Bradford.
“I like Nora Roberts, when you can find her, mystery and suspense,” she said.
Lou Readdy of Muskogee said she reads all the time, “not just in summer.”
She said she likes a variety of books and comes to the library every two weeks or so.
In the children’s section, 12-year-old Lloyd Oulds of Eufaula said he probably will read more than the 25-book standard set by the reading program.

“I like kids’ books, fiction,” he said after reading Jeff Kidney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” with his younger brother, Chris, 9. “I like reading a lot.”

Pershing Elementary sixth-grader Jalee Smith said she doesn’t really have a favorite book.
“I like a whole bunch of books,” she said. “I was reading Tiara Club yesterday.”
Hanley said about 850 kids participated in the Summer Reading program last year, with nearly 400 completing the program by reading 25 books or more.
“The Muskogee Public Schools lunch bus will be back with us this year,” she said.
The Summer Reading Program begins Monday.

Reading List

Muskogee Public Library Adult Summer Reading Program
Nonfiction
• “Audrey Hepburn,” Sean Hepburn Ferrer.
• “Aunt Carrie’s War,” Karrie Barefoot Dickerson.
• “Cleora’s Kitchens,” Cleora Butler.
• “Geronimo,” Angie Debo.
• “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou.
• “John Wayne, American,” Randy Roberts.
• “Tuesdays With Morrie,” Mitch Albom.
• “Wah’Kon-Tah,” John Joseph Mathews.
• “We Were There, Too,” Philip M. Hoose.
• “Wild Blue,” Stephen Ambrose.

Fiction
• Any title by Agatha Christie.
• Any title by Zane Grey.
• “Circle of Grace,” Penelope Stokes.
• “Cotillion,” “Frederika” or “Grand Sophy,” Georgette Heyer.
• “Florian’s Gate,” “Amber Room,” “Winter Palace,” T. Davis Bunn.
• “Joy Luck Club,” Amy Tan.
• Key Trilogy, Nora Roberts.
• “The Firm,” John Grisham.
• “The #1 Ladies Detective Agency,” Alexander McCall-Smith.
• “Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas,” James Patterson.
• “The Old Man and the Sea,” Ernest Hemingway.
• Wheel of Time series, Robert Jordan.
Reach Cathy Spaulding at 918-684-2928 or Click Here to Send Email

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