Scoville wraps up summer reading

SALISBURY — The summer reading program at the Scoville Memorial Library was wrapped up Saturday, Aug. 23, with prizes, games and bubbles.

Lots of bubbles.

Kyla DeRisi, the Children’s Services Coordinator, and Julia Hobart from Circulation Services led the way.

Children and parents wandered in and out, taking advantage of the popsicles on offer.

There were ice cream sandwiches at the end as well.

On the bubble front, there were two bubble-making devices that churned out small but serviceable bubbles.

But they functioned as an appetizer. The main course was whacking the big bubbles that could be realized with a steady hand, proper blowing technique, and infinite patience.

The procedure was as follows: The aspiring bubbler grasps two rods which have a length of absorbent cord attached, forming a rough circle.

The cord is dipped in a tub of bubble solution, and carefully lifted out. If all goes well, there is a latent bubble within the circle, waiting to be formed and released.

It’s tricky. A sudden move, however slight, causes the thin sheet of bubble material to vanish, and it’s back to the tub.

Isabella and Audrey Yoo, who have been fixtures at the library since childhood, took the lead on the bubble-making.

Anna Schaufelberger, age eight and a determined child, kept at it until she too cracked the code.

Forrest Beattie, age nine and his sister Tessa, age seven, had a vinyl globe that needed inflating.

That took some time, but it was worth it, as the Beattie children, with their mother Susie and young Anna,improvised a game of “Bat the Globe Around in the Air” on the library lawn.

At 3 p.m. it was raffle time, and the eager readers crowded around DeRisi, who read off the names and the children picked their prizes.

There were books and more books and tickets to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts and gift cards to local businesses and kazoos.

But mostly books.

Gus Tripler, age 13, walked away with an armful of Dungeons & Dragons items, including the unique dice used in the game, a character notebook and a spell card organizer.