A chapter a day
When I was younger I had a dear
friend who was an avid reader and very much one who lived by the rules. She
could never understand how I could not finish reading a book. In the first place, I preferred non-fiction titles and
read for information and facts that I could use to drive people crazy. Second,
not all books spoke to me and I found many genuinely uninteresting. I could not
understand why she would insist on finishing a book that bored her to tears. I
would always argue that she could try reading it later, but she never adopted
that argument. So, we agreed to disagree.
I wonder if the Monroe County Library
System’s Online Book Club could have provided a middle ground between our
positions. Have you discovered it? Each day you can read book samples from any
number of genres. In a week, you can read two to three chapters from a given
book. If you like it, stop by a library and pick up a copy. If not, try another
title. New books in a variety of genres are offered each week. Fiction,
mystery, horror, romance, science fiction, business, teen reads, non-fiction
and even audio books — all are yours to try through the magic of email and
your local public library. Check out the Online Book Club at
http://www.libraryweb.org.
— Carolyn Schuler
This
week for families:
Arts in Action for Tweens Aug 16-20. For 10- to 12-year-olds, Hochstein School,
454-4596, www.hochstein.org
Brighton Memorial
Library Drop-in storytimes: Mondays, toddlers, 10:30 a.m.; Mondays,
preschoolers, 11:30 a.m., Thursdays, families, 7 p.m. | Movie matinee, Fri, Aug
6, 3:30 p.m. | 2300 Elmwood Ave. 784-5300
City Summer Kids Club
Mon-Fri through Sept 3. For ages 6-10, various recreation centers, 9 a.m.-5
p.m. $50 per week. 428-6767, www.cityofrochester.gov
Cool Kids Thurs,
Aug 5: Joe Caruso Variety Band, 7-9 p.m. | Fri, Aug 6: Belly Laugh Revue, 7-8
p.m. | Sagawa Park, Main and Erie Sts, Brockport. Free. 637-3984
Double Dutch Fun Jump
Fri, Aug 6. Girl Scout Program Center, 1020 John St, W Henrietta, 10 a.m.-1
p.m. 292-5160
Environmental Careers
Outdoor Camp Mon-Fri, Aug 16-20. For grades 6-8, Tinker Park, 8:30 a.m.-3
p.m. $50. 461-1000
Fred Costello
Baseball Camp Tues-Wed, Aug 10-11. For kids ages 8-12. For applications:
381-2144
Henrietta Public
Library Summer music concert, Wed, Aug 4, 2-2:45 p.m. | Cooking with
Sandra, Wed, Aug 4, 7-8:30 p.m. | Preschool storytime, Thurs, Aug 5,
10:15-10:45 a.m. | Movie, Fri, Aug 6, 2 p.m. | Jumbles, Tues, Aug 10, grades
1-3, 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Toddler storytime, Wed, Aug 11, 10:30-11 a.m. | 455
Calkins Rd. 359-7093
Girls Sports Festival
Sat, Aug 7. For girls ages 8-14, ESL Sports Centre, Monroe Community
College, 1000 E Henrietta Rd, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $15. www.monroecountysports.org,
428-3830
Kids Cafรฉ Mon-Thurs
through Aug 19. Meal program for kids up to age 17, Church of Love Faith
Center, 700 Exchange St, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Kids Club Mon-Fri,
Aug 9-13. St. Mark’s and St. John’s Church, 1245 Culver Rd, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
$25. 654-9229
Quad A for Kids Day Sat,
Aug 7. Edgerton Park and Rec Center, Bloss and Backus Sts, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
www.quada.org.
RMSC Strasenburgh
Planetarium 657 East Ave. A Trip to
Saturn and Pluto: 1 p.m. Mon-Sat; Pulse:
A Stomp Odyssey: 2, 3, 4 p.m. Mon-Sat; 11 a.m. Tues-Fri; 8 and 9 p.m. Sat; I See the Sky: 9:30 a.m. Sat; The Sky Tonight: 10:30 a.m. Sat; The Beatles in Laser Light: 10 p.m. Sat.
Reserve seats. Tix: $4-$7. 271-1880
Rochester Museum and
Science Center 657 East Ave. Surprise!
It’s Science, through May 2005. | Rochester’s
Frederick Douglass, through January 2006. | Live Science! demos and
theater, 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m. Mon-Fri. Wed 2 p.m. show sign-interpreted. |
Ongoing exhibits include: AdventureZone,
Carlson Inquiry Room, At the Western Door. | Hours: Mon-Sat 9
a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $5-$7. 271-1880, www.rmsc.org.
Seneca Park Zoo 2222
St Paul St. Bob Romanet, Hammer n Picks, Sat-Sun, Aug 7-8, 3 p.m. | BugZoo,
through Wed, Aug 18. Hours: daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tix: $5, $4 seniors, $2 kids.
467-9453, www.senecazoo.org.
The Stinky Cheeseman Sat,
Aug 7. Storytime, ages 6 and up, Barnes & Noble, 3349 Monroe Ave, 7 p.m.
Free. 586-6020
Strong Museum 1
Manhattan Square. Summertime musical fun, through Fri, Aug 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. |
Long-term exhibits include National Toy Hall
of Fame, Can You Tell Me How To Get
To Sesame Street? and Super Kids
Market. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-5
p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $7; $6 seniors, students; $5 children. 263-2700
Seussical the MusicalFri-Sat, Aug 6-7. Aquinas High School,
1127 Dewey Ave, 8 p.m. $10. 234-5636
Summer Food Service
Program Free lunch and breakfast for kids under 18, Mon-Fri, various sites.
Call for registration and info. 428-7872, 325-1440
Vacation Bible Camp Mon-Fri,
Aug 9-13. Ages 4-11, Guardian Angels Church, 2061 E Henrietta Rd, 9 a.m.-12:15
p.m. 334-6412
Volunteers of America
Universal Pre-K Programs Openings available, for 4- and 5-yr-olds, free to
city residents, 100 State St or 214 Lake Ave, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. 647-1344,
263-3103
Family story hour grows up
I well remember bedtime stories
shared with our two young daughters. They would snuggle next to us,
sweet-smelling from their bath, tuckered out from a full day of play. We’d pull
the stack of library books to us and dive in.
As our children learned to read
themselves, our family reading sessions became fewer until they stopped
altogether. I missed that family time when we came together for a short while
after a busy day not only to read, but to catch up with each other.
After a hiatus of a few years, we
began our family reading times again, sometimes fiction — the Harry Potter
books are fantastic for reading aloud — and sometimes non-fiction — Bill
Bryson is always hilarious. Instead of mom or dad doing all the reading, we all
take turns.
A recent Newsweek Magazine article declared that fewer people are reading as
more turn to electronic entertainment. But I know we aren’t the only family in
Rochester that reads together. Several of our friends with children in the 10-
to 15-age range say they do as well.
We aren’t able to do it every night.
During the summer, with its long days, we hardly read together at all. But I am
looking forward to the days becoming shorter and cooler, when we will gather
around one of these books again and pick up where we left off a season ago.
— Marjorie Sangster Rolleston
This article appears in Aug 4-10, 2004.
