Scandinavia library places first book
By Holly Neumann
The first book has been placed on the story walk at Jorgens Park Preserve.
Located on State Highway 49, north of Scandinavia, the story walk is a 0.4-mile loop trail located in the park.
The trail begins east of and downhill from the park’s picnic pavilion, said Meredith Miller, assistant director of the Scandinavia Public Library.
“As families walk the trail, they’ll read pages from a children’s picture book that have been placed sequentially along the path,” she said.
To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, and Arbor Day on April 26, the first book on display is Jeanette Winter’s “Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa.”
“Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work with the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation and women’s rights,” said Miller. “Her inspiring story shows how vision, passion and dedication can create great change in the world.”
A new book will be put up about every four weeks from April into early November.
A wvariety of books, from current stories to classics and non-fiction, will be featured.
New books on the 2019 story walk will include “What If You Had an Animal Nose?” by Sandra Markle, “My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: The Fin-Tastic Fish-Sitter” by Mo O’Hara, “The Pirate Jamboree” by Mark Teague, “The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin” by Julia Finley Mosca and “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.
“We post in the library and on the Facebook pages for the Scandinavia Public Library and Jorgens Park Preserve when a new book goes up,” Miller said.
Miller thinks this is a way to combine literacy and outdoor activity.
“Regular visitors to the story walk will enjoy the wide variety of stories and art available in children’s literature today. They’ll also gain a deeper appreciation of the park as they see it cycle through the seasons,” Miller said. “The story walk meanders along the lake shore, through the forest and through two meadows, and there are many different plants and animals that people might see as they walk.”
More information about the story walk and other activities at Scandinavia Public Library may be found on the library’s website, www.scandinavialibrary.org.