Garden of Opposites: Summer reading at the Library

Jun 23, 2019

Kids can explore a “Garden of Opposites” at the Wareham Free Library this summer during the summer reading program.

Starting on Monday, June 25, story times created for toddlers and kids up to age six or seven will be held three times a week: at 10:30 a.m. on Mondays at Spinney Library, and at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Main Library. Storytime at the Main Library will follow Garden Time at 9:30 a.m.

“Every story time, we start with garden time,” said children’s librarian Marcia Hickey. “Something to look at, something to pick.”

She said that many children especially love using the salad spinner to clean the herbs and vegetables they pick — so much that she has had to establish a time limit for salad spinning per child.

“Our food and vegetables that we pick are the cleanest in the world,” Hickey said.

After exploring the garden, kids have a story time, and often make a craft. Then, they get to help make a snack using food from the garden, like a dipping oil with herbs to go with pita bread. Hickey said that many kids grow to love the herbs, asking to pick a sprig of mint when they come to the library to chew on, or wanting to smell the lemon thyme that grows in the garden.

Hickey encourages the children to explore the garden, and not to worry if they make mistakes by pulling up a plant by accident.

“What grows, grows,” Hickey said. “This is a kid’s garden.”

One of the highlights for the young gardeners is digging up the little potatoes, which Hickey said is like buried treasure for them.

“Our purpose is to make reading fun right from the get-go,” Hickey said.

It seems like her approach has been working, as Hickey said that she has seen an increase in the number of older kids who are coming to the library. Graphic novels have been especially popular. Kids are also very interested in the “Who Was?” series of biographies, which covers everyone from Norman Rockwell to Che Guevara. 

Another fun event coming up at the library is a performance by the Toe Jam Puppet Band on July 2 at 10:30 a.m.