Summer Readers still have time to earn their t-shirts

These special t-shirts are sponsored by the Umpqua Bank.

Newport’s young readers who set a Summer Reading goal at Newport Public Library have until August 31 to reach that goal and receive a Fizz! Boom! Read! T-shirt.

Summer reading is a long-standing tradition at Newport Public Library. Some families still have t-shirts from their children's participation in the late ‘80’s, and now their grandchildren are earning their t-shirts.

Don't miss out on this year's shirt. Read on!

Electrified Puppet Show at Literacy Park

Puppet shows are an audience favorite in Newport and one of our favorite puppet companies is Dragon Theater Puppets from Portland. Jason Ropp and his cast of characters come to Literacy Park this Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. for You're Electric, an original show written especially for this summer's Fizz! Boom! Read! library program. All children and families are invited to attend this free program.

You're Electric brings the history, science, invention and safety of electricity to life using puppets and props designed and constructed by Jason. Show topics include the light bulb, how batteries work, how to stay safe around electricity, and how our own bodies use electrical responses. Featured characters are Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein and more!

Jason is a very talented performer who writes the scripts, makes all of his puppets and performs all the roles. Something this librarian appreciates about him is the time he takes after his shows to talk with the children and show them how things work behind the scenes. If folks have young visitors in town, this is a great show to bring them to.

This is the last show in Literacy Park for this summer. Young readers still have until August 31 to finish their reading contracts and get their t-shirts, courtesy of Newport's Umpqua Bank.

Mad Scientist Madame Chaos at Literacy Park

Fizz, Boom, Read! summer reading programs continues the science theme this week in Literacy Park. Madame Chaos, a member of Portland’s Mad Science team, whips up experiments and fun this Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. All children and families are invited to attend this free program.

“The purpose of what we do is to show kids that learning about science is fun,” Madame Chaos says. “In fact, it is the most fun subject that anyone can even imagine.”

 Madame Chaos has been with the Portland franchise of Mad Science for about five years. “My background, you ask? I have a degree in psychology, which helps in this line of work - but my first love is science. Loving science, loving the kids, and having fun, is what it's all about.”

This summer program is sponsored in part by Ready to Read grant funds from the Oregon State Library and the Sylvia Beach Hotel.

Science of the Sea

Our Fizz, Boom, Read! summer reading programs are all about science this summer. That makes it even more important for the young ones in our community to learn as much as they can about the science of the sea. Who better to teach this than the education staff at the Oregon Coast Aquarium? So, this week, that's exactly who will be in Literacy Park at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

We have such an incredible and generous resource in Oregon Coast Aquarium. It’s been four years since we’ve had an ocean science program with the Aquarium so the children are really looking forward to learning from its outstanding educators. There will be hands-on learning as well as the Aquarium staff's usual lively presentation.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium website has more information about the many wondrous things families can do there. To find out more about the Aquarium show or other summer reading presentations, please check out our summer schedules.

Get your rhythm on in Literacy Park

We've been so lucky to have dry weather during our first two Summer Reading programs in Literacy Park. Now we're going for three dry Wednesdays in a row with this week's featured performer, Aaron Wheeler Kay. 

Aaron uses dance, rhythm and lots of audience participation to entertain and educate them about the physical science involved in the art he makes. He promises to Fizz! Boom! Move! at Wednesday's program. You can see him in action on YouTube.

Aaron's lodging while in Newport is provided by Newport's Sylvia Beach Hotel.  Funding for his show is provided by a Ready to Read Grant from the Oregon State Library and Ready to Read funds from the Lincoln County Library District.

For more information about Newport Public Library's summer programs for readers of all ages, check out our website.

Book Bingo Returns to Literacy Park

Book Bingo began over 20 years ago at Newport Public Library and continues to be a very popular part of our annual Summer Reading program. Played like regular Bingo with pictures of book jackets instead of numbers, it is used to promote books to young readers that they may not have seen before. This year’s books pertain to science because the theme is Fizz! Boom! Read!

My favorite part of Book Bingo is the prizes. We save children’s books that people donate to the Library throughout the year, then put out the best ones for our young readers to select from when they get a Book Bingo!  I so appreciate that people donate such lovely and popular books. The children love to get a free book of their choice to take home and the happy smiles on their faces are simply priceless.

Book Bingo happens in Literacy Park at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 25.  This program, like all Newport Public Library programs, is free and open to all who want to attend. Bingo playing, except as a helper, is limited to children 11 and under.

Oregon Fossil Guy Comes to Newport Library

On June 24 at 6:30 p.m., Guy DiTorrice, also known as the Oregon Fossil Guy, will be giving a presentation at the Newport Public Library on the fossils found right here on the Oregon Coast. Along with seeing a variety of specimens, attendees will learn how to find and identify beach fossils as well as the rules and regulations for collecting them. 

DiTorrice’s presentation is part of Newport Public Library’s 2014 Adult Summer Reading Program. The theme this year is “Literary Elements,” combining science and literature in a variety of events sure to pique your interest. All programs are free of charge. For more information, call the library at 541-265-2153 or check out our website at newportlibrary.org 

Jugglemaniac Rhys Thomas returns to Newport Library

Jugglemaniac Rhys Thomas is a favorite with audiences in Newport and around the world. His deft hands are capable of juggling diverse objects all at one time while he also entertains with jokes and comic asides. He’s been a staple of Newport Public Library’s summer reading programs for over a decade and is back again this summer. His amazing show starts at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 18 in Literacy Park. Come early for a good seat because last time he was here almost 400 people came to see him.

According to Rhys’ website, www.jugglemania.com, he learned to juggle in high school to impress a girl and then lost the girl and juggled to forget. With nothing more than a college education and thousands of hours of practice, Rhys taught himself enough juggling, comedy and physics to go from Seattle street performer to international stage sensation.

Rhys has performed on television, been an Artist in Residence at The Smithsonian Museums, and opened shows for such artists as The Smothers Brothers, James Taylor, Leon Redbone, Weird Al Yankovich and Al Gore. He performs every year at the Oregon Country Fair in Veneta and during NBA half time shows. He is the author of two obscure juggling manuals first published in Japanese, but now available in English, and he teaches the physics of juggling in such diverse places as Trinidad, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.


Rhys puts on a great show and, now that we have the Park, there is plenty of room for all to enjoy his antics and, unbeknownst to the children, learn a lot about physics through his juggling. Rhys puts some Fizz! Boom! Read! into our summer of library programs for families.