Arts & Humanities
Enjoy the summer at your local library, by Pam Christensen
‘Best of All Possible Tours’ hits U.P., by Elwin N. “Mick” McKellar, Jr.

Enjoy the summer at your local library
School soon will be out, and students will be enjoying summer activities. Some will be busy with sports, camp or cultural activities. Summer is a great time to relax, recharge and explore less studious pursuits. This idyllic life is one we would all like to enjoy, but teachers and librarians want parents to encourage their children to read during the summer months.
Summer is a wonderful time to read. There are no assignments, no book reports and no homework. Children and teens can read for pleasure and explore topics that might not be part of school curriculum.
It is no secret that children with excellent reading skills do better in school. As a child advances from elementary school to high school to college, reading becomes more critical. Students are expected to read textbooks, comprehend what they have read and be able to demonstrate that they understand the important concepts that have been presented. Children who struggle to read are at a disadvantage throughout their school years.
“Education professionals have found that the development and retention of reading skills is enhanced when children read during school vacations. This is one of the most important reasons many libraries offer summer reading clubs,” said Cathy Seblonka, youth services librarian of Peter White Public Library. “Reading is the same as any other skill. A baseball pitcher gets better with practice. An artist may paint on numerous canvases until she is satisfied with the result. The same goes for reading.”
Many children struggle to develop reading skills. They are tested over and over again. Parents are frustrated by test results that show their son or daughter is reading below his or her grade level. This frustration does not match that of the student who just can’t master the art of reading. Everyone wants to be in the advanced bluebird reading group rather than the starling group.
It is a struggle for many children to develop reading speed and comprehension skills. For these children, the school year is a constant cycle of reading and underachieving. Summer vacation seems like a dream come true. Who wouldn’t look forward to a three-month reprieve from reading—pure heaven? Unfortunately, this wonderful break results in a loss of important reading skills. Just like the pitcher who doesn’t practice or the artist who paints only one canvas, skills start to dull. The same happens with children’s brains that are allowed a rest during summer vacation.
Summer Reading Clubs are held all over the world. I searched literature about various summer reading clubs and found that Canada tracks summer reading by province and compiles copious statistics about the results. Uganda offers summer reading clubs under portable tents. Michigan educators and library professionals feel so strongly about the importance of summer reading clubs that Michigan participates, with other states, in developing a nationwide program. Each year, a team of librarians, artists and educators gathers together to develop summer reading club themes for the next several years. This theme is chosen to appeal to children and teens and to encourage lively, creative and fun activities. This year, the theme is “Get a Clue @ Your Library.” Libraries are not required to use the national theme, but using the theme gives them access to professionally designed promotional materials at a reasonable cost. In addition, libraries in the same geographic area often can share travel expenses for authors, musicians, storytellers and others who help make the program a success.
Summer reading clubs encourage children to read during vacation in a variety of ways—special events, parties, concerts and programs. These attract children, teens and families to the library, and hopefully, they will grab an armload of books to take home with them. Prizes have become a big draw for summer reading clubs. Prizes are donated to libraries or purchased by sponsors or the Friends of the Library. Most libraries give children and teens the ability to enter into a prize drawing for each item, certain number of pages or hours they read. These incentives sometimes can mean the difference between a child who neglects books during the summer and one who devours them.
“Get a Clue! @ Your Library” will be the summer reading club theme at the Forsyth Township Library, Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, Negaunee Public Library, Richmond Township Library and Peter White Public Library. A variety of events is planned at each location. Check for a schedule at the library or on the library’s Web site.
Forsyth Township Library director Kathy Holman plans to run the summer program for students in Grades 1 through 8.
“The program begins on Monday, June 18 and will end on July 28,” Holman said. “Children need a parent or guardian’s signature, and can start signing up on June 11.”
Participants can earn prizes when they read books from the recommended reading list.
Janet LeFeber, director of the Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, is looking forward to an exciting schedule of events for children from June 11 through August 3.
“We are partnering with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) this year, so each child will receive a free book that they can keep,” LeFeber said. “Books will be available during the month of June.”
Each child will make a detective kit that includes spyglasses, a top secret case book and other mysterious items.
“Other special events will be the always-popular talent show and summer reading club wrap up party scheduled for August 3,” she said.
“City hall construction may affect some of our programs and displays, but we will definitely be having a summer reading club this year,” said Kathy Thurner of the Negaunee Public Library. “Registration for summer reading club will begin on June 18 and run through the end of July,” she said.
Negaunee plans programming for children of preschool age through twelve.
“If an older child wants to register for the club, that is fine too,” Thurner said.
Negaunee Public Library has children record the number of minutes they read. Preschoolers take part by listening to an adult or older child read.
“In the past, we have had about fifty children participate in our program,” Thurner said.
Negaunee gives out prizes during the program—Pizza Hut coupons, puzzles, games and certificates of completion.
Peter White Public Library’s program is sponsored by the Friends of the Peter White Public Library and Upper Peninsula Reading Association. The program will begin with a kick-off party at 2:00 p.m. on June 15. The kickoff party will include games, crafts and refreshments. The summer reading club concludes with an ice cream social on August 16.
“Local organizations and businesses have donated prizes for our summer reading club,” Seblonka said. “Every time a child completes a book log, he or she can enter to win the prize he or she wants.”
Prizes include gift certificates from Book World, B. Dalton, Snowbound Books, Donckers Candies, HOTplate, U.P. Children’s Museum and Target.
Frosty Treats has provided a free ice cream cone certificate for the first 200 children, Fazolis and Country Kitchen have provided coupons for kid’s meals, MC Sports has given Frisbees and jump ropes.
“The big prizes are an iPod Shuffle and gift card to Snowbound Books,” she said. “We appreciate the support of local businesses and organizations in making our summer reading club a success.”
Special events at the library will be held throughout the summer reading club.
“This year we have a geocaching program, crime solving program with staff of the Michigan State Police Crime Lab, programs on turtles and snakes from MooseWood Nature Center, a live version of the mystery game Clue, concerts with the Pine Mountain Music Festival, Bergonzi String Quartet and Corrine Rockow,” Seblonka said. “The Marquette Kennel Club also will have a program to educate children about personal safety around dogs.”
Jan St. Germaine, director of the Richmond Township Library, is looking forward to a summer filled with programs for children, teens and adults from June 18 to August 10.
“Summer Reading Club events will be held weekly,” she said. “Each Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., we have a special program planned for kids ages five through twelve. Prize drawings, crafts and refreshments will be offered each week. Teen Nite programs will be held for ages thirteen through eighteen on Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.”
Some of the special events include comic strip day, where children and teens will plan, draw and publish their own comic strip; a library scavenger hunt; make a doggie bag and who is your favorite illustrator?
Richmond Township Library will celebrate the end of the summer reading club with two parties. Teens will complete the program with a You Never Know @ Your Library Bash on August 7. A Mystery Bash @ Your Library will be held for children on August 10.
Get A Clue @ Your Library is a great way for children and teens to maintain important reading skills as well as have a variety of educational and fun experiences. Who knows? They may even get a clue about how fun it can be to read.
—Pam Christensen

 

 

‘Best of All Possible Tours’ hits U.P.
As its seventeenth summer season begins, the Pine Mountain Music Festival will again tour the Central and Western Upper Peninsula with its treasure trove of opera, symphony and chamber music.
The season begins on June 9 in Calumet, and Marquette performances begin June 15, with Opera for Kids at the Peter White Library in Marquette and two one-act operas, Bizet’s Docteur Miracle and Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti at the Kaufman Auditorium.
It ends on July 13, when PMMF’s Resident Opera Artists (ROAs) appear in an imaginatively-staged production of Candide by Leonard Bernstein. This shining gem of the U.P. summer offers residents and visitors the very best in opera and classical music. The theme for summer 2007 is “The Best of All Possible Worlds,” words taken from Dr. Pangloss, a major character in Candide.
Tickets for all events are available through the Rozsa Center box office by calling (877)746-3999. Marquette area patrons also may purchase tickets for all local events—except the Cabaret Evening—at the Marquette Area Chamber of Commerce, at the door or at www.pmmf.org
Group discounts and subscriptions offer savings. Call (877)746-3999 for information and options.
Don’t miss such wonderful events as the David Jonies organ recital on June 18 at St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette, the Bergonzi String Quartet at Reynolds Recital Hall on the NMU campus on June 19, the Cabaret Evening on June 21, at Upfront & Company; and the Baroque Chamber Orchestra on June 29, Ana Vidovic’s exciting classical guitar recital on July 5, and the Votapeks duo piano recital on July 9, all at Reynolds Recital Hall. These events and others tour throughout the region, from June 9 through July 15. If you miss an event in your area, you may be able to see it in another area. Friends in communities from Land O Lakes (Wis.) to Ironwood to Iron Mountain to the Keweenaw can see PMMF events in their local areas, because the festival is committed to bringing the best of all possible festivals to our rural area.
PMMF events are supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, The Alden and Vada Dow Family Foundations, The Boldt Company, UPPCO/WPS Resources Foundation, The Phyllis and Max Reynolds Foundation, Cleveland-Cliffs and Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation, and numerous other corporate and individual donors.
For details, call 482-1542 or visit www.pmmf.org
MARQUETTE EVENTS
Friday, June 15
• Opera for Kids—2:00 p.m. at PWPL
• Two One-Act Operas—7:30 p.m. at Kaufman Auditorium

Monday, June 18
• David C. Jonies Organ Recital—7:30 p.m. at St. Peter Cathedral

Tuesday, June 19
• Bergonzi Children’s Event—2:00 p.m. at PWPL
• The Bergonzi String Quartet—7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU

Thursday, June 21
• Cabaret Evening—7:30 p.m. at Upfront & Company

Friday, June 29 
• Baroque Chamber Orchestra—7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU

Thursday, July 5
• Ana Vidovic Guitar Recital—7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU

Monday, July 9
• Votapek Piano Recital—7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU

Friday, July 13
• Candide—7:30 p.m. at Kaufman Auditorium

OTHER EVENTS
Times are 7:30 p.m. local, unless noted

Chippewa Club Gala
• June 9—Chippewa Club, Iron Mountain
                       
Miscowaubik Club Gala
• June 10—Miscowaubik Club, Calumet
           
Opera for Kids (free)     
• June 11—2:00 p.m., Portage Lake United Church, Houghton
• June 13—1:00 p.m., Dickinson County Library, Iron Mountain

Two One-Act Operas
• June 12—Ironwood Theatre
• June 13—Crystal Theatre, Crystal Falls
• June 14—Calumet Theatre

Timothy Noble ROA Master Class
• June 19—Portage Lake United Church, Houghton
                       
David C. Jonies Organ Recital
• June 16—First Lutheran, Iron Mountain
• June 20—St. Joseph Catholic, Lake Linden                 
Bergonzi Children’s Event (free)
• June 20—2:00 p.m., Norway-Vulcan Fine Arts Center, Norway
• June 25—2:00 p.m., Portage Lake United Church, Houghton

Bergonzi String Quartet
• June 20—Immaculate Conception Church, Iron Mountain
• June 25—Rozsa Center, Michigan Tech
                      
Cabaret Evening
• June 23—Rozsa Center, Michigan Tech
• June 24—Pine Grove Country Club, Iron Mountain
• June 25—Ironwood Theatre
• June 26—Covington Pavilion

The Diaries of Adam and Eve
• June 22—Crystal Theatre, Crystal Falls
• June 27—Calumet Theatre

Baroque Chamber Orchestra
• June 28—Immaculate Conception Church, Iron Mountain
• June 30—Calumet Theatre

Ana Vidovic Guitar Recital
• July 2—Maranatha Assembly of God, Kingsford
• July 3—Calumet Theatre
           
4th of July Musical Celebration (free)
• July 4—Rotary Pavilion, Houghton

Student Chamber Music (free)
• July 6—Portage Lake United Church, Houghton
• July 10—1:00 p.m., Iron County Museum, Caspian
• July 12—5:00 p.m., Ontonagon Theater, Ontonagon

PMMF Symphony Orchestra
• July 7—Rozsa Center, Michigan Tech
• July 9—Norway-Vulcan Fine Arts Center, 300 Section Street, Norway

Votapek Piano Recital
• July 9—Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU campus, Marquette
• July 12—Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Michigan Tech campus, Houghton

Candide
• July 11—Norway-Vulcan Fine Arts Center, 300 Section Street, Norway
• July 15—2:00 p.m., Rozsa Center, MTU

New Chamber Music
• July 14—Portage Lake United Church, Houghton
—Elwin N. “Mick” McKellar, Jr.