ROCKINGHAM — Read Across America kicks off next week, Monday, March 2, through March 6, and Richmond County Libraries has events planned to help celebrate reading and Dr. Seuss’s birthday.
“Read Across America is a great time for us to celebrate reading and everything that it does in our lives and in our children’s lives, said Sydney King, director of children’s programs at the Thomas H. Leath Memorial Library. “We try to do events here in the library that really celebrate reading, but it’s also a celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and so we like to also do a lot of things that are Dr. Seuss-related, because he is kind of foundational in a lot of our experiences with reading—it’s really just a time to celebrate it. Here in the library, we love to celebrate reading in any way we can.”
On Thursday, March 5, the Leath Memorial Library will host a storytime at 10 a.m. to celebrate Dr. Seuss, featuring stories by the author, crafts, activities and reading. On Friday, March 6, from 2:30-4 p.m., The Cat in the Hat will visit the Leath Memorial Library, where children can take pictures, play games and do crafts.
“The kids have a lot of fun. It’s a time for the community to get together. Last year, we had a really good turnout, and so this year, we’ll be doing it out in the [Calvin] Little Room, so we can have a bit more space,” King said.
This year, Read Across America’s theme is “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers,” emphasizing inclusive literature, empathy and seeing oneself in books.
For Easter, the Leath Memorial Library is hosting an Easter egg hunt beginning the week of Easter. Each day at 3:30 p.m., eggs will be hidden in the children’s room. Children who find a golden egg will receive a grand prize, and those who find other eggs will receive prizes as well.
The Richmond County Beekeepers will return to the Leath Memorial Library during the summer in June. Summer Reading will also kick off during the season, with this year’s dinosaur-themed program titled “Unearth a Story.” The Leath Memorial Library hosts storytime every Thursday at 10 a.m., and Richmond County Libraries continue to host STEAMFEST.
King said she aligns storytime with upcoming holidays whenever possible.
“I love storytime. It’s a time for the families to come together. The parents get to talk and the children get to play together. Different ages come to storytime and it’s really nice to see the older kids get to teach the younger kids,” said King.