Summer reading begins this month
Summer reading begins later this month at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest.
The kickoff event for children, which goes up to fifth grade, is set for May 20 at 11 a.m. at Wald Park. It will feature a bike parade, and kids can bring bikes, scooters, skateboards, tricycles or wagons and be part of the parade, said Todd Richardson with the library. There will be games, prizes, food, giveaways and other fun activities.
Readers can manage their reading logs online or on paper. The library’s website will have a link to the digital log, and paper logs can be picked up at the library. The library encourages children to count pages, especially younger readers. The online service will have a number of reading challenges and awards that are a lot of fun for kids, Richardson said.
There will be weekly prizes and the children’s department will stamp the reading logs each week. Most prizes will have a game attached to them, which will be posted in the children’s department. Children can go to the spot, do the challenge of the week and come back to the desk to get the prize, Richardson said.
The grand prize is a bike and each child will be entered automatically when they sign up for the program.
The teen kickoff event will be held on May 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the library’s community room and is for students in grades 6-12. The goal of the “Forest Quest!” event is to undertake quests and journey around the library “seeking fame, glory and fortune,” Richardson said. Teens can create their own teams or come and join with new friends.
There will be prizes, food and a “smattering of other things up for grabs,” he said.
Teens will count by the book, and there will be weekly prizes, one entry per book read, which can include books, ebooks or audiobooks. There will be reading challenges and awards as well. The grand prize drawing will be held in August.
While there won’t be a kickoff event, adults can participate in summer reading and count each book they read and participate in reading challenges for weekly prizes and grand prizes, Richardson said.
Other Events
A glow-in-the-dark party is set for May 30 at 2 p.m. in the children’s program room, and children are encouraged to wear clothes that will glow.
There will also be events centered on stories, songs, movies and more. For more information, visit vestavialibrary.org.
For teens, a Dungeons and Dragons One-Shot tournament will take place May 13 at 2 p.m. in the historical room. The “Tournament of Tokens” challenges players to emerge with the most tokens in the greatest speed to win a magical prize. To register, call 205-978-3683.
The library will have extended hours on May 18, 22 and 23 for high school final exams and stay open until 9 p.m. Exam breaks will take place at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. in the historical room. The teen department is offering 30-minute breaks with snacks and games.
For adults, Holly Parker will teach patrons how to make a shadowbox. The event is set for May 3 at 11 a.m. in the community room. Participants need to bring a favorite small photo. Register by emailing holly.parker@vestavialibrary.org or call 205-978-4674.
There is also an opportunity to build a pressed leaf pendant at 7 p.m. on May 19 in the community room. All materials are provided, along with snacks and prizes. Register by emailing terri.leslie@vestavialibrary.org or call 205-978-4678.
In the Makerspace lab, there will be an intro to the Nomad3, a CNC machine on May 22 at 4:30 p.m. The machine is used for milling and engraving a variety of materials. The class will discuss how to prepare projects and operate the machine.