Rockville Centre dives into books

This summer, a wave of reading is again washing over Rockville Centre. The public library’s annual summer reading programs are officially under way, with more than 100 children and teen volunteers already signed up.

“The library’s summer reading club is the best way for kids to maintain the reading level they’ve learned throughout the school year,” said Maureen Chiafolo, director of the library, at 221 N. Village Ave. “Reading at least 20 minutes each day keeps their mind well-oiled and makes them more prepared for the upcoming academic year.”

“Make a Splash READ,” the reading program for infants to sixth-graders, began on June 17 with a concert by the Deedle Deedle Dees, an educational rock band from Brooklyn.

The teen program “Make Waves @ Your Library” also began on a musical note with a Battle of the Bands on June 29.

“It’s all very exciting,” Anita LaSpina, head of Children’s Services at the library said, of the active summer schedule. “We have many wonderful upcoming events.” They include weekly movie matinees, writing workshops for teens and an interactive visit from a renowned artist. A schedule of events is included in the Herald's Community Update section every week.

While the library is no longer accepting new teen volunteers (more than 70 are already working), children who want to participate can still sign up for the summer reading program.

According to Young Adult Librarian Erin Lavery, the ever-popular Book Buddies program is back once again. A part of “Make Waves @ Your Library,” Book Buddies involves more than 50 teen volunteers who share their favorite childhood tales with young listeners twice a week.

Also returning to the schedule are the Teen Helpers volunteers, who assist children involved in the Lego Club and the Games & More evenings.

A first for both Long Island and the Rockville Centre library is an anime conference set for July 24. With the help of librarian-in-training Marissa Wolf, the Anime Tosho-Con will focus on manga, a comic style printed in small books and magazines, and anime, animated cartoons that typically run on Japanese television.

The day-long event, which is free and open to the public, will feature keynote speaker Misako Rocks!, an anime cartoonist from Brooklyn. It will include screenings of anime films, a panel discussion on the history of anime, a Japanese brush art workshop and display and an anime trivia game.

The Anime Tosho-Con is not the only addition to the library's summer reading programs. Another noteworthy event on the schedule was the Pop Art Extravaganza, held on July 13. It featured New York artist Michael Albert, who is known for his collages made of cereal boxes — a style of art aptly dubbed "cerealism." Children in grades 2 and up joined Albert to create their own posters and murals.

Both youth and teen summer programs end on Aug. 17 with a juggling and magic show performed by the Flow Circus Company, and an end-of-summer party for the library's many teen volunteers..

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