Our Laguna: Children rewarded for good reading habits

Young book lovers were honored recently for completing the Laguna Beach Library Children’s Summer Reading Program.

Fire Captain Gary Ganger and Firefighter Chris Ornelas presented medals to the youngsters who had read or whose parents had read to them for at least 10 hours between June 24 and Aug. 3.The ceremony was held at Bluebird Park.

“This was our best year yet,” said Rebecca Porter, children’s librarian for nine years. “We had the most kids ever — 392, and 167 of them recompleted the 10 hours — and a lot of support from their parents. Our parents are committed to having their children grow up to be readers.”

Adeline and Dustin King are prime examples.

One or the other reads every night to their 3-year-old son, Sebastian.

“He was born on Dec. 13, and on Christmas Eve, we read ‘The Night Before Christmas to him,’” said Adeline, who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education.

Caroline Coleman, 5 1/2, who will begin kindergarten at Top of the World Elementary School in September, was accompanied not only by her parents but also by her brother, Nick, a 2010 graduate of Laguna Beach High School, and his girlfriend, Sophie, a 2013 grad.

Other young participants included Douglas Nottage, who celebrated turning 3 on Aug. 25.

Snow White, otherwise known as Ravelle Haddy, has been a library patron since she was 6 months old, when her mother, Jessica, first took her to storytime.

Now 3, Ravelle has begun memorizing the books her mother reads to her. Her favorite this summer was “Surfer Chick.”

Sisters Rebecca and Kate Storke both received awards.

“‘Dork Diaries was my favorite,’” said Rebecca, 8. “It is a really thick book and I read it in one week.”

Kate, 7, preferred “Happy’s Big Plan.”

“She read more than 10 hours,” said the girls’ mother, Laura Storke.

Kate was also the recipient of a Festival of Arts/PIMCO Foundation Award for her three-dimensional entry titled “Noelle and Charlotte,” awarded on Aug. 18.”

Both girls attend Top of the World Elementary School.

Ty Karsan, who woke up at 3 a.m. the day of the awards ceremony to celebrate his 8th birthday, and his brother, Darin Patel, 11, both received awards.

Other than the awards presentation, the biggest attraction of the day was the Worm Race. Ryan Davison, 11, took home the trophy.

“I heard so much about the race, but I couldn’t even picture it,” said Jon Gilliom, Laguna Beach librarian since October.

Library volunteers Madi Grege and Natasha Keckes, both sophomores at Laguna Beach High School, and Library Page Michelle Spellman organized the race.

Setting up the race was among Spellmam’s last duties as a library employee. She will be leaving soon to go to college in Utah.

A large rectangular paper made up the competition arena. Three large circles were outlined in red, with an smaller inner circle painted green. The worms were placed in the smaller circle and the first one to cross the red circle was the winner.

The kids chose the worms they wanted to back. They were allowed to spray the worms to encourage them to move, but not to propel them.

“We have been buying the worms for years from Hogan’s Tackle in Dana Point, but this year they donated them,” Porter said.

Porter also praised the parents, the school district, the Boys and Girls Club and Friends for supporting the program.

That is Friends with a capital F.

The Friends of the Laguna Beach Library funded the annual event, which included a barbecue. Board members Randy Ray and Howard Pink cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. Nancy Pink, also a board member, was Howard’s sous chef. Friends’ web master Justin Myers barbecued veggie burgers.

Board Vice President Sandy Hovanesian was in charge of snow cones. Longtime board member Angela Irish also attended.

Besides the summer reading program, the Friends fund annual book purchases and other library needs. In recent years, Friends paid for painting and refurbishing of the exterior and interior, new landscaping, lighting and carpeting.

The Friends also have friends. Laguna Outreach for the Arts created two beautiful ocean-themed tiled works of art, which hang in the children’s section, through a donation in 2010 by the Draper family of Laguna Beach.

Funds are raised by donations, grants, the annual membership dinner, Ladies Who Lunch … and Read, and the sale of donated books at the Friends Book Store, which opened in 1972. The bookstore is staffed by volunteers, including Magda Herlicska, Dorothy Gaither, Terry Smith, Wayne Peterson, Barbara Ring and Marv Johnson, among many others.

Newcomers are welcomed — and needed — said Friends perennial President Martha Lydick.

Membership in the Friends is free to all Laguna Beach residents.

“Everyone should be a Friend,” is Lydick’s motto.

For more information about Friends activities, call (949) 497-7053. For information about volunteering at the bookshop, call (949) 497-1733, Ext. 6. For information about the library activities, including children’s activities, call (949) 497-1766

OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Call (714) 966-4608 or [email protected] with Attn. Barbara Diamond in the subject line.