Sister Rotary provides books for kids

One hundred and twenty excited first-graders from Sisters and Tumalo filed into the Sisters High School auditorium on Friday, May 25, all set to have some fun with books. The 10th annual Books for Kids literacy event, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sisters, kicked off what Rotarians hope will be a reading-filled summer for the students.

Friday's gathering was the culmination of several months of anticipation that began in January. A selection of six hard-cover books, chosen by a Rotarian committee with help from the Sisters Library staff, were read to the children by their teachers over the course of a few weeks. The students each selected a favorite, and that list was given to Paulina Springs Books in Sisters. The books were duly ordered and upon arrival were packed into special bags at a Rotary meeting. The bags also included goodies from the Forest Service, Deschutes Public Library, US Bank, and Rotary. The City of Sisters had awarded Sisters Rotary a grant to help fund the project.

During the Books for Kids event, Master of Ceremonies Hal Reitmaier welcomed the students, then narrated a play of the story of the Good Queen Sue (dramatized by Rotary's Swiss exchange student Mirjam Ehrler and her host sister Quinlan Crowe).

The Queen's castle was infiltrated by an illiterate grinch who cast a spell and then tried to destroy the queen's library.

Fortunately some first-graders (played realistically by Sisters Christian Academy first-graders) caught the grinch in the act and used the spell's antidote, "Sniggledy-snead, I want to read," to stop the dastardly deed.

The auditorium echoed as the Sisters and Tumalo first-graders yelled it along with the actors.

The happy ending had the grinch reading along with her new-found first-grade friends.

If it sounds like a loud event, it was. But that was purposeful, to remind the children that reading, especially at first-grade level, is often interactive and always fun.

Sisters Library supervisor and Rotarian Zoe Schumacher continued with the theme of interactive fun by reading a selection of poems, highlighting the special ways that words connect with each other.

After the students opened their book bags and examined the contents, a very special guest from the Forest Service made his arrival. Smokey Bear gave each student a bookmark for their new books, along with a hug or high five.

The Rotary Club of Sisters is appreciative of the support from Paulina Springs Books, US Forest Service, Deschutes Public Library System, US Bank, Miss Sew it All (for the Grinch costume), and the City of Sisters.