Berkeley County Supervisor Dan Davis and Berkeley County Council will proclaim March, 2013 “Berkeley Reads” Month at February’s Council meeting. This year’s theme is World War II, an important time in American and world history.
Berkeley Reads, an annual community reading program, is now in its sixth year. Each year a committee specially selects four to five books. This way all ages and reading levels can participate. In 2008 the first program had county residents of all ages reading Marley and Me, a story about a man and his dog. Over the next four years, program themes were Mysteries, Pirates, Heroes, and Letters.
For this year’s theme – World War II – the committee chose these four books:
- Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson – One boy’s love of flying leads to his service as a Tuskegee Airman – for kids up to Grade 3.
- The Greatest Skating Race by Louise Borden – A young Dutch boy skates to guide two young friends to freedom. Adults will enjoy this book as well, making for some great family reading. For grades 4 – 6.
- Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes – The parallel stories of a young German soldier and a young American soldier culminate in their inevitable meeting on the battlefield. For middle-school and above.
- The Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac – An account of the Navajo code talkers who used their native language to transmit secret messages for the US Marines. This inspiring fiction book reads like a true story. For ages high school to adult.
These books can be checked out at your local Berkeley County Library Branch or purchased at cost, thanks to the Friends of the Berkeley County Library.
Berkeley Reads WWII
Saturday, March 2nd
Cane Bay High School at 2:00 pm
WWII veterans will be on hand to talk about their experiences; the BHS Jazz band will perform music from the 1940s. Students from Marrington Middle School of the Arts will be “Swing dancing.” WWII re-enactors are bringing WWII Jeeps. Come and see the numerous WWII displays and exhibits, including “Junk on the Bunk,” the contents of a WWII Marine’s sea bag laid out for inspection.
The Berkeley County School District has WWII – themed activities planned for the month, including an essay contest.
The Friends of the Berkeley County Library in conjunction with the Berkeley County Library System and the Berkeley County Schools sponsor this program each March. This program is unique because of its strong partnership between the library system and the school district. We encourage the community to read one or more of the selected books and to participate in special events and book discussions at the local libraries and schools. Community reading programs foster a love of reading and aid in the fight for literacy. People, especially families, can enjoy reading and talking about books together. A program like Berkeley Reads reminds us of the vital importance of public libraries in our communities. Public libraries are a source of education and enjoyment.
