Reading-and-activities program teaches

By Denise Dick

Grandfather and grandson plan their day around the Poland library activity each week.

POLAND — Gene Mills, of Ravenna, brings his 4-year-old grandson, Mitchell Bogan, to enjoy children’s programs at the library every week.

“We’re at the library,” explained Mitchell as he looked up from his construction-paper birthday cake.

Birthdays were the topic of this week’s program at the Poland Branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.

“It’s red,” Mitchell, of Struthers, said, pointing to the four candles on the cake.

Mills has been making the trek from Ravenna to Struthers to Poland for close to a year. Grandfather and grandson make a day of it, going to a restaurant and bakery to complete their time together.

Mitchell looks forward to the weekly outings. “I’m going to come back to the library next week after school,” he said.

Mills expects to bring his younger grandson, Mitchell’s brother, to the library sessions when the 18-month-old gets a little older.

Fun Time for 4s and 5s is a weekly program at various library branches throughout Mahoning County including Canfield, Poland, Austintown, Springfield, Boardman and the main library in Youngstown. The children’s programs aim to make children become successful readers. Check the library Web site at www.libraryvisit.org for more information.

Children’s librarian Amanda Kollar read stories and performed interactive activities with the children.

She led them through the motions of making a birthday cake as seven children pantomimed mixing, baking and icing the cake and then blowing out the candles.

“My birthday is in November,” offered Mitchell.

“My birthday is in April,” said Liam Fisher, 3, of New Middletown.

Liam was at the event with his mother, Maria.

He got SpongeBob and Curious George books on the most recent anniversary of his birth.

Diana Szenborn, 4, of Struthers, accompanied by her mom, Kelley, intently colored in her construction-paper birthday cake but took a break to talk about her experience.

She said she had fun at the event. Her birthday, by the way, is in July.

denise_dick@vindy.com