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Library's 'Putting through Pages' aims to encourage reading
By Jordan Cohen
WARREN
Rachael Reeves listened intently to instructions from her father as she eyed the challenge of hitting a foam golf ball through a miniature Hogwarts.
Moments later, the 4-year- old from Warren smiled broadly as she successfully drilled the ball through the hole and rolled it near the cup on the Harry Potter hole.
Rachael may be too young to have realized it, but “Putting through the Pages,” the temporary miniature golf course set up for two days on the second floor of the Warren-Trumbull Public Library, had a much broader theme.
“Each hole is based on a popular children’s book,” said Lori Faust, the library’s youth services manager. “We want to get people into the library, hopefully some who haven’t been here before.”
The last few years during the Christmas break, the library has hosted events designed to encourage children to read, but “Putting through the Pages” may have been its most intricate.
Designed for children age 3-12, the 10-hole course consisted of artwork reflecting the theme of various books. Dowel rods with Styrofoam covers and duct tape served as golf clubs, artwork from each book served as obstacles, while foam swim noodles marked the boundaries. Copies of each book cover hung over its associated hole.
“It took us [more than] seven hours to set this up on Thursday,” said Kaymoura Werner, youth services assistant, “and we’ve been working on the design since August.”
Each hole presented its own challenges. One of the toughest had to be the “Adventures of Captain Underpants,” which featured a large cardboard cutout of the title figure in his underpants and red cape along two rolls of toilet paper positioned in the center of the “fairway.” The cup was located in the center of a toilet seat.
Caleb Owsley, 10, of Warren took the golf challenge seriously as he went head-to-head against his 9-year old sister Casey.
“I can’t beat Tiger Woods, but I can beat her,” he said.
Even adults found the going a bit rough. Erin Thornhill of Howland supervised as her daughters Cameron and Madison played each hole, and decided to try a few as well. “I need warm-ups,” she said after taking on one of the fairways.
The children were more than familiar with many of the books. Cameron Thornhill said she likes “Charlotte’s Web” while Rachael Reeves shyly pointed to a picture of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” when asked about her favorite. Both books were elaborately displayed on the golf course.
“Putting through the Pages” concluded Saturday, but the course is not going into storage just yet. It will go on the road and be reassembled for two days at the Liberty library Friday and Saturday.