By GABRIELLE SHIOZAWA
Moapa Valley Progress
What’s the tallest building in the world?
The serious answer is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
But Moapa Valley librarian Naomi Harris was entertaining dozens of young readers who had flocked to the Overton library for the weekly Summer Reading Program. Her answer was a lot sillier than that.
“It’s the library!” Harris answered, “Because it has the most stories of all!”
Friday’s program, entitled “Build A Better World,” featured a variety of creative, architecture-themed activities for the kids to enjoy.
Librarian April Heath started out the festivities by reading “Iggy Peck, Architect” by Andrea Beatty and David Roberts. It is the story of an independent, expressive boy who loves to build.
Next, Harris took the enthralled readers on an imaginative ride with “If I Built a Car” by Chris Van Dusen. In this story, a young boy gives a tour of the car he’d like to build, complete with a snack bar, a pool, and deep-sea diving abilities.
When they were ready to try some inventing for themselves, the children headed outside for some hands-on activities. Some gathered around picnic tables in the shade, where they built towers and bridges out of toothpicks and marshmallows. Others, drawn to a collection of cardboard boxes laid out by the librarians, set to work designing and constructing houses, archways, and towers. Children also had the opportunity to assemble foam gliders in the shape of dragonflies, ants, and bees.
Back inside, a selection of wooden blocks and puzzles were set out to give kids another chance to exercise their creative power. Thanks to the Summer Reading Program, local readers will stay busy creating, learning, and playing all summer long.
