MEDIA RELEASE

In celebration of the HSPLS 2015 Children’s Summer Reading Program, HouseMart Ace Hardware and HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts will present “Super Hero Academy,” a free event at five selected Big Island public libraries from Wednesday, June 24 through Wednesday, July 8.

Keiki ages 5 and older, accompanied by a parent or caregiver, are invited to experience a special “Hardware Science” program featuring demonstrations, two interactive stations for exploring Hardware Science experiments such as making secret messages using lemons, and a super hero craft activity station to make-and-take a hero craft item. In this one-hour program, participants will receive a stamp card to record the completion of all three activities and receive a Super Hero Academy Graduation Certificate and a chance to enter a free prize drawing.

In this year’s Children’s Summer Reading Program theme “Every Hero Has a Story,” pre-kindergarteners through 6th graders are invited to discover the “superheroes” within themselves as they read and learn about real life, fantasy and everyday heroes among us who do extraordinary things! Weekly reading incentives will include items such as school supplies, tasty treats, and a Super Hero Activity Kit for young readers to assemble Super Library-Ann, Captain Read-A-Lot and a superhero of their own creation. Free lucky drawings will also be conducted at each library for a chance to win a Back-to-School Backpack filled with handy school supplies for registered children (two prize winners per library).

The “Super Hero Academy” program will be presented at these libraries:

• June 24, 2 p.m. – Keaau Public & School Library (tel. 982-4281)
• June 25, 10 a.m. – North Kohala Public Library (tel. 889-6655)
• June 25, 3 p.m. – Thelma Parker Memorial Public & School Library (tel. 887-6067)
• July 1, 10 a.m. – Mt. View Public & School Library (tel. 968-2322)
• July 8, 3 p.m. – Kailua-Kona Public Library (tel. 327-4327)

The event schedule is subject to change. Contact the hosting library as soon as possible if a sign language interpreter or other special accommodation is needed.

Sponsors for the 2015 HSPLS Summer Reading Programs include the Friends of the Library of Hawaii, Hawaii State Federal Credit Union, HEI Charitable Foundation, Meadow Gold Dairies, HMS Host, Hansen Distribution Group, DFS Hawaii, Roberts Hawaii, Toshiba Business Solutions, The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, National Football League Charities, Aloha United Way, The Islander Group, First Hawaiian Bank and local Friends Chapters.

Corporate sponsors include Hawaii Pizza Hut, McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii, First Insurance Company of Hawaii, HouseMart Ace Hardware and HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts, HONOLULU Family, Frito-Lay of Hawaii, Starbucks Coffee Company, Wholesale Unlimited and Diamond Bakery. In addition, these programs are funded in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in Hawaii by the State Librarian.

Performing artists from the Statewide Cultural Extension Program are co-sponsored by the University of Hawaii’s Outreach College, the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information about this event or about the 2015 HSPLS Children’s, Teen, or Adult Summer Reading Programs, please visit www.librarieshawaii.org/summerreading like us at www.facebook.com/HSPLSHIgov follow us on www.twitter.com/HSPLSHIgov or call the hosting library.