Reading bug caught this summer

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Elizabeth Hahn of Austintown (seen here on the left) is trying to keep the bug away from her during the parachute activity.

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Sara Churchill entertains the children at Austintown Library with various activities

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L-R Brock Baker of Canfield and his brother, Blake, participate in games at Austintown Library.

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Makenzie Fink and Angelina Jannone both of Austintown watch as Sara Churchill entertains them.

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The audience watches as Sara Churchill puts on a small performance to entertain them.

By ASHLEY LUTHERN

The library saw increases in the number of children registered and program attendance.

AUSTINTOWN — Something buggy was going on at the library.

More than a dozen children attended “Library Ant-ics” — the last summer reading program at the Austintown Library — to participate in relays, listen to stories, watch a flea circus and play games that followed the summer reading theme: “Catch the Reading Bug.”

“When they know we’re on our way to the library, they scream, ‘Library, library!’” said Tammy Fink of Austintown, who brought her granddaughters Makenzie Fink, 5, and Angelina Jannone, 2, to the Thursday morning program.

Fink had barely completed the sentence before Angelina bounced over to her and announced that she “liked the library.”

Brock Baker of Canfield was easy to spot among the other children watching the flea circus. The 4-year-old came dressed as Batman, but that didn’t surprise his mother.

“Brock’s imagination is off the charts, and I’m sure all this summer reading has helped,” said Kym Baker. “He’s wearing his Hulk shirt under all that and Spiderman shoes. He likes checking out the superhero movies, too.”

Not only do summer reading participants come to the library for interactive programs, but they also have more incentive to bring the books home.

“We all read together, and then after they read for so many hours, they’ll earn a voucher for bowling or ice cream, which makes for a nice family outing,” said Kate Foley of Austintown, who brought her four children, Tommy, 10; Dominic, 7; Nicholas, 4; and Mia Foley, 4 months, to the program.

Reading before bed is a nightly ritual, and the regular reading has helped her children’s literary skills, Kate Foley said.

“Dominic was just learning how to read on his own before school let out last year, and this kept him up on his sounds and alphabet,” she said. “He didn’t lose anything over the summer, so he’ll be ready for school.”

That was what the summer reading program was designed for, said Josephine Nolfi, manager of children’s services at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.

“The purpose is for kids to avoid that summer gap, so they can keep reading on their own and go back at the same level where they left off,” she said.

The library saw a 6 percent increase in the number of children registered and a 12 percent increase in the summer reading program attendance.

In 2007, 4,751 children registered for summer reading. Thus far, 5,054 have registered this year. The program isn’t officially over until Labor Day, but it is expected that at least 50 percent of those registered will finish the program by reading for eight hours or more, Nolfi said.

Many things contributed to the success of this year’s summer program, including the kickoff event.

“I think when you have such a high-caliber author at the opening, like Eileen Chistelow this year, that draws people in, and once they’re here, they get hooked,” Nolfi said, adding that Bruce Coville will be next year’s kickoff speaker. Coville is the author of “The Unicorn Chronicles” and “Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher.”

The tightening of family budgets also brought more people to the public libraries.

“Parents are spending extra money on everything, not just gas,” said Janet Loew, library spokeswoman. “All our programs are free and have excellent entertainment. We hope that more people take advantage of them in the future.”