Summer reading progam ends with 'Island Sailing'

Participants in the Summer Reading Program enjoy a visit from Jester during the Island Sailing activities. The theme of the Summer Reading Program has set free a lot of creative activity in the Whitehouse Community Library. The last three weeks had the participants:

• making and launching rockets - sometimes with hilarious results;

• having a bird and his caretaker visit and mingle with the youngsters;

• enjoying a day devoted to island sailing.

The rockets were based on a pattern that library director Sandra Knackstedt learned in a NASA outreach workshop. The rocket engines were film canisters powered by water and Alka Seltzer. Some of the rockets flew very successfully but others just sat and fizzled on the launching pad.

Many of the "engineers' went home to show their dads how to make a rocket and eager to talk about the solar system and its components about which they also learned.

"Sailing with Birds" brought Jester and his caretaker Kara from Petland for a visit. He is a very tame and people-oriented bird. He sat on shoulders, walked up arms, whistled and bit his nails. The activities for the day included a flying dove created by the younger children and a floating swan created by the older group. (Thanks to Kiepersol Estates for supplying the corks.)

Library director Sandra Knackstedt helps a young fisherman hook a prize. During the Island Sailing activity, the children created an ocean scene, went fishing in an island cove, made their own necklaces, and discovered real sea shells. The discovery of the sea shell took place during the island walk where paper "islands" were laid out like a cake walk. The snack for the day was, of course, fruit.

All children who participated in the Summer Reading program will receive a certificate signed by Gov. Rick Perry, Texas State Librarian Peggy Rudd and Knackstedt.

The finale for the reading program will be a Prize Auction on Saturday, Aug. 25 for those children who registered for the Summer Reading Club before May 30 and turned in their final reading logs by July 31.

When the children arrive for the auction they will also receive the "library bucks" they've earned.