Get outdoors and get reading! Stroll the path at Newcastle's Lake Boren Park to read Bea's Bees by Katherine Pryor, illustrations by Ellie Peterson. Story pages are printed out and installed page by page along a half mile loop, July 17 - August 6, 2020.
We realized in May that our annual Summer Reading Program was going to look a lot different, due to the pandemic. We would miss handing out KCLS’ Summer Reading logs at the branch, visiting school classes with book recommendations, and challenging our kids, teens and adults to read 1000 minutes over the summer in our typical fashion. We wondered how we could continue to promote reading and literacy during the summer months? However, when our branches are closed and social distancing measures are in place, it makes it a little more challenging.
But we found a way when we had the idea for a Story Walk! KCLS hired local company PopUp Storywalk to install an outdoor reading activity at Newcastle’s Lake Boren Park, featuring the story, Bea’s Bees. In the story Bea discovers a wild bumblebee nest on her way home from school and finds herself drawn to their busy world. When her bees mysteriously disappear, Bea hatches a plan to bring them back. Can Bea inspire her school and community to save the bees? Take a socially distanced walk around Lake Boren Park and find out!
Thanks to KCLS and the City of Newcastle for working with Newcastle Library to find the perfect solution to promote summer reading during a pandemic. Now get out there and read! You can keep track of your reading minutes online and yes your walk around Lake Boren Park counts!
