June 1, 2007

Off the Shelf

Stay sharp for next school year with the San Jose
Public Library’s Summer Reading Celebration

By Vanessa Menor
Evergreen Branch Librarian

Different seasons have different songs. Christmas has carols, Valentine’s Day has love songs, and Halloween has creepy background music for haunted houses.

June’s song is “No more pencils, no more books, No more teacher’s dirty looks.” Many of us are familiar with the Alice Cooper song “School’s Out,” but the original song goes back to 1890 and is “One more day and we’ll be free, from this school of misery! No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks.”

The end of the school year is less than two weeks away, and now is the time to be thinking, “What’s next?” The day after school ends, June 16, is the start of the San Jose Public Library’s Summer Reading Celebration. The Summer Reading Celebration is a program that encourages recreational reading as a family activity. For the first time we are offering three separate reading programs to include everyone! Get a Clue @ Your Library is our program for children from birth through 5th grade. YNK @ Your Library is for teens 6th through 12th grade. Summer Sleuthing @ Your Library is for adults during the month of July.

Get a Clue @ Your Library and YNK @ Your Library are eight-week programs for children and teens from birth through the end of high school. Prizes will be awarded for reaching milestones, with a special prize for those who complete the program. Both programs run from June 16 – August 11. While the focus of our Summer Reading Celebration is to promote reading as an enjoyable, stress-free activity, there is also an academic benefit. Research shows that student learning remains stagnant or declines over the summer break. This “summer setback” affects all students. For students who find reading difficult and/or who are struggling to read at grade level, this decline is especially detrimental. The library’s Summer Reading Celebration is a great way to keep kids and teens reading when school is out and they don’t “have to.” Eighty percent of participants surveyed last year stated that they both read more and enjoyed reading more as a result of the Summer Reading Celebration. The Summer Reading Celebration is a great way to prevent summer setback, encourage recreational reading and to improve reading skills. Mark your calendar. June 16 is right around the corner!

Summer Sleuthing @ Your Library is our first ever Summer Reading Celebration for adults. Throughout the month of July, adults are invited to read books and win prizes through weekly drawings. At the Evergreen Branch Library we’ll be hosting a panel discussion on mysteries by three talented members of Sisters in Crime. Camille Minichino, Ann Parker and Louise Ure will lead a question and answer session about mysteries and mystery writing.

Summer Reading Celebration June Special Events

For more information about our special events, please visit the library’s website at http://sjlibrary.org/about/locations/evergreen/events.htm, or stop by the library to pick up a calendar of events.

- June 16 at 11:00 a.m. – Magic with Russell Turner
- June 20 at 6:30 p.m. – Evergreen Adult Book Club – June is Mystery Month
- June 21 at 3:30 p.m. – teensReach Meeting
- June 22 at 3:00 p.m. – Work on the “Get a Clue @ your library” Mural
- June 23 at 10:00 a.m. – Summer Reading Celebration Book Sale
- June 27 at 7:00 p.m. – Evergreen Garden Club Meeting & Lecture
- June 28 at 3:30 p.m. - Terrific Thursday Afternoon Craft
- June 29 at 3:00 p.m. – Music is Magic by Pam Donkin

Evergreen Library’s Calendar For Children and Families

- Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. – Preschool Storytime and Stay & Play
- Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. – Family Storytime
- Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. – Mother Goose Storytime and Stay & Play
- Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – Reading with Grandma Carol
- Fridays, 11:30 a.m. – Toddler Storytime and Stay & Play
- Fridays, 3:30 p.m. – Games and fun! We have new games! For all ages.
Watch the Movie & Read the Book - Harriet the Spy
- Thursday, June 7, 3:30 p.m.

Some of the best movies are based on books, and the books are usually better! In honor of our Summer Reading Celebration theme of "Get at Clue @ Your Library" we'll be watching “Harriet the Spy.” Don't forget to check out a copy of the book after the movie.

Keiki's Corner

- Wednesday, June 13, 11:30 a.m.

Discover the joys and benefits of using American Sign Language with children as Keiki's Corner shares the basics through song, books, and play! Using sign can help infants and toddlers communicate, reduce frustration, and increase language development - join us as we discover this together! This program is a special offering, which is being held during our normal Mother Goose Storytime slot.

Kids' Book Club

- Thursday, June 14, 3:30 p.m.

Bring a book to share with the group. Something that you're reading for fun, a book that you've loved, or even one you've hated! Let's vote on a book to read as a group. For kids ages 8-12.

Vanessa Menor is a Librarian at the Evergreen Branch Library, 2635 Aborn Rd, between Capitol Expressway and White Rd. Evergreen Branch is part of the San Jose Public Library. The Library’s phone number is 408-808-3060. For more information about the library, visit the website at www.sjlibrary.org.