He sits quietly while countless stories are read to him at Decatur Public Library – never correcting, never critiquing.

He’s a confidante and a friendly, furry face when the words are hard and the story seems long.

Earlier this month, he and his owner, Madolyn Congdon of Alvord, made their first appearance at the library for Story Tails with Jack, a program where school-aged children read to him for fun and to improve their reading skills.

Youth services librarian Katie Morris said it’s another opportunity to get kids excited about books and reading.

“(The first program) went really well. All the kids were so excited and happy,” she said. “We heard great comments from parents who felt it encouraged their children to read.”

Bree Neal, 9, of Decatur said she liked reading with Jack because “he was actually listening to me.”

A 4-year-old Husky mix, Jack greeted Neal with a series of sniffs before curling up on a giant floor pillow with Congdon on one side and Neal on the other.

It took a minute to gather in his long legs, but he settled in to listen to “How Rocket Learned to Read,” by Tad Hills. Occasionally he perked up an ear, as Neal absentmindedly scratched his shoulder while reading and sounding out words.

Jack and Congdon are a registered therapy team with Delta Society and Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).

Congdon said prior to being screened and completing their certification in April, Jack had to undergo obedience training, and she said he was “pretty much unflappable.”

“He’s not excitable; he’s very calm,” she said. “Jack is very obedient, and he listens very well. I have quite a few other dogs, but out of all of them, he was the one because of his temperament.”

Congdon adopted Jack when he was only four months old, and she’s known for a while he would be a good therapy dog. She was just waiting for him to mature.

Monica Lopez of Decatur said her kids, Juliana, 9, and Carlos, 6, continue to talk about Jack since reading with him almost two weeks ago.

“Carlos is good at reading, but he has a hard time calming down,” Lopez said. “Just watching him sit down and read is a great thing.”

She said it also benefited her daughter, who is dyslexic.

“Juliana said she felt so relaxed (when reading to Jack),” Lopez said.

Congdon said results from the READ program have shown that a child’s blood pressure actually goes down when reading to a dog, and over time they can improve by three reading levels, depending on the circumstances and frequency in which they participate.

Amy Davis of Alvord said she hoped this made reading fun for her daughter, Hannah, 8.

“She doesn’t like to read and is struggling,” Davis said of her daughter. “As much reading as I can get in with her, I want to do. She loves animals and I hope this will help her enjoy reading more and encourage her to make it fun.”

Story Tails with Jack for the month of July is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Fridays July 1 and July 15. Call the library at (940) 627-5512 to sign up for a 15-minute time slot.

Kristen Tribe

Several have planned a fun schedule of entertainers and activities that will inspire your kids to pick up a good book.

Each library’s schedule is listed below, and they welcome children from across the county.

Alvord

The summer reading program at Alvord Public Library begins June 1, and the theme is “Dig Up a Good Book!”

The program is 10 to 11 a.m. every Wednesday in June and is for kids ages 3 to 12.

The schedule is as follows:

• June 1 – Sign-up and kickoff event
• June 8 – Fourteen14, a youth band
• June 15 – The Amazing Mr. K, a magician
• June 22 – Picnic and train ride

The library is at 117 N. Wickham St. Call (940) 427-2842 for more information.

Bridgeport

The Bridgeport Public Library’s summer reading program is on Wednesdays June 15 through July 20. There will be two sessions, one at 1 p.m. and one at 3:30 p.m.

Librarian Pat Stegall said the program is aimed at kids in kindergarten through fourth grade, and each week’s activities will include special guests, crafts and prizes for reading.

“The object is to keep them reading when they’re not in school,” Stegall said. “When they’re out of school for almost three months, if they don’t read, they begin to lose those skills.

“Like any skill, you don’t use it, you lose it,” she said.

The library is at 2159 10th St. Call (940) 683-3450 for more information.

Chico

The theme for the Chico Public Library summer program is also “Dig Up a Good Book!” and library director Michelle Slonaker said all the entertainers will incorporate the theme into their act.

Although the program is open to all kids, it is primarily aimed at elementary-age children.

The program is at 11 a.m. on Thursdays beginning June 2.

The schedule is as follows:

• June 2 – Introduction
• June 9 – Creature Teacher
• June 16 – Tharpo the pirate
• June 23 – TBA
• June 30 – The Bubble Lady
• July 7 – Cool School with Miss Maria
• July 14 – Outdoor fun day

The library is at 109 W. Jacksboro St. Call (940) 644-2330 for more information.

Decatur

The summer reading club at Decatur Public Library will be on Tuesdays, and the theme is “Dig Up a Good Book.” Every week library staff will host two sessions, one at 11 a.m. and another at 12:30 p.m.

The schedule is as follows:

• June 14 – Mad Science
• June 21 – Critterman presented by Devon Energy
• June 28 – Juggler
• July 5 – Story time
• July 12 – Margaret Clauden Variety Show
• July 19 – Magic with Brett Roberts
• July 26 – Zooniversity
• August 2 – Music with Andy Mason

Librarian Cecilia Barham said they are also hosting the fifth annual online teen summer reading club.

Kids in fifth grade or older can enter to win a Barnes and Noble Nook reader just by reading a book and reviewing it in the library’s online form.

To enter, go to www.tinyurl.com/TSRCentryform.

The library is at 1700 S. Farm Road 51. Call (940) 627-5512 for more information.

Newark

The Newark Public Library’s summer program is on Tuesdays, June 14 through July 26, at 3:30 p.m.

Janine Castillo, a child advocate with Wise Hope Shelter and Crisis Center, will lead the programs and plans to share books that promote good values and morals. There will also be an emphasis on not bullying.

The program will include craft projects and other fun activities.

Library director Megan Suffling said the library is again participating in Reading with Ringling Brothers. Children earn a ticket to the circus based on the number of hours or books read. A clown will visit the library at 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 1.

The library was to move to its new location, 207 Hudson, this month. Call (817) 489-2224 for more information about summer activities.

Although that’s not my title, it’s a topic I’ve claimed as my own here at the Messenger.

Most of the book mail is less than interesting, but Thursday’s mail rendered a treat – a Texas Tech University Press catalog.

University presses traditionally publish works with intellectual or creative merit. They also often focus on regional history and culture, whereas a commercial house publishes books for a popular audience and those that are pegged to make money.

I think university press books are often overlooked by the general reader because they’re assumed to be too scholarly or simply a textbook.

I always assumed the same thing until I worked in the marketing department for the Texas A&M University Press while in college. I was surprised to find books on a wide variety of topics and on subjects that were of interest to me.

Readers are selling themselves short by automatically striking university press books from their lists.

As I flipped through the Tech catalog last week, I immediately found a few books I wanted to read, including “Will Rogers: A Political Life” by Richard D. White Jr., which is about, you guessed it, Will Rogers.

Another book that caught my attention was “The Notorious Dr. Flippin: Abortion and Consequence in the Early Twentieth Century” by Jamie Q. Tallman. The catalog entry said Dr. Charles Flippin was a “godsend” in Kansas and Nebraska because of “his skill as a physician and willingness to help anyone, regardless of race or social class” in the early 1900s.

But Flippin’s reputation was scarred when people discovered the African American physician also performed abortions. Flippin avoided “conviction in several trials until finally pleading guilty in 1924.”

I also came across “One Page at a Time: On a Writing Life” by Pat Carr. I devour these books because I’m always curious about how others have made their way through a career in the written word.

While I worked at the A&M press, I was also taking a publishing class from the press director. Even though my job primarily entailed mailing catalogs and handling other correspondence, I felt like the class and job were good exposure to the publishing industry.

The A&M press is also a consortium press, which means they sell and distribute books for other presses, too, including the Texas Christian University Press, Texas Review Press, Texas State Historical Association Press, Southern Methodist University Press, State House Press and the University of North Texas Press.

Between all of these houses, several books caught my eye even though my schedule didn’t allow for much “extracurricular” reading outside of what was required for my classes.

One of great interest to me was “Whatever Happened to Jacy Farrow?” by Ceil Cleveland, published by the UNT Press. It is believed that Cleveland was the model for the character Jacy Farrow in Larry McMurtry’s “The Last Picture Show,” and in her memoir, she describes what it was like as a girl to grow up during this era in Archer City.

Cleveland has taught at several universities and currently serves as vice president for university affairs of the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

I’m happy to report that her book is still available from the A&M Press, and now that I have the means, and more reading time, I think I’ll order it.

I encourage everyone to give university press books a try. You might be surprised what you find on their shelves.

I take time to refocus with a clarity often absent in the chaos of day-to-day life.

You know the routine.

And even though I don’t regularly write down my goals, I’ve found myself making a list this year and have included several reading resolutions.

1. Read a classic. The last one I read was a re-read: “Little Women” by Louisa Mae Alcott, and that was a little more than a year ago. If I wasn’t suffering from literary guilt, I would happily re-read “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, but I should probably expand my horizons and read something “new.” Since I usually prefer American fiction, I’ll likely choose something by William Faulkner or Eudora Welty.

I took a literature class my senior year of college that focused on the works of Faulkner and Welty, and although I hate to admit it, I did more skimming than reading. Time was short.

But I promised myself I would pick the books up again one day. This is the year.

2. Re-dedicate myself to book club. I’m not sure how I got so out of sync with my book club, but I didn’t make it to many meetings in 2010. It’s one of my favorite “extra-curricular” activities, so I hated missing so many discussions and good times with friends.

By the time you read this column, I will have finished the selection for January 2011. So good news: I’m already ahead of the game.

3. Read ahead of my kids. I miss the days of picture books and stories told in rhyme. It seems like after my son learned to read, it was no time before he had advanced from simple readers to chapter books.

While it delights me to see him enjoying books, I was slapped by the realization that I have no idea what he is reading most of the time. I’ve read the back covers of books he brings home from the school library, but we would both be better served if I had at least skimmed his selections.

I haven’t found much he can’t read, and just because he can, doesn’t mean he should. Not all topics are appropriate for a seven-year-old.

So here’s to parental supervision!

4. Cover more school-sponsored reading activities. I know every campus in Wise County has them. From Battle of the Books to a million-word reading challenge, local schools do a variety of activities to promote reading, and I want to cover more of those for the paper.

This is where I may need your help, though. Shoot me an e-mail or give me a call to let me know when something is going on at your child’s school. I may even want you to submit photos on occasion. This one will require a little teamwork, but I know I can count on you to lend a hand.

5. And blog again. I’m actually cringing as I write this. Blogging has been a sore subject, mainly because I haven’t been doing it. I know you’re tired of my empty promises, but with the new year will be a recharged Shelf Space.

Feel free to encourage me with comments, criticisms and a kick in the pants if you see I’m slacking.

Happy New Year, and may 2011 bring you many blessings and books.

This year my family is especially grateful for good health, steady jobs and a place to call home. As I prepared to make pies, play with my kids and spend time with family, I was reminded of all the little things for which I am grateful, too.

This is a light-hearted look at what I’m thankful for in the literary world, or rather, my corner of it.

1. My book club.

We’ve been meeting monthly for a few years, and I’m continually surprised with how rewarding it is. Although we’ve been accused of meeting merely for a social hour of sorts, we do actually read and discuss books – good ones. And our discussions can be at once lively, even argumentative, and sometimes agreeable. We’re reorganizing for the upcoming year to freshen the format and refocus the group, and I’m looking forward to 12 more months of good books and good friends.

2. Local libraries.

I’m grateful for the efforts of local librarians and library directors to ensure Wise County residents have access to all types of information. Often, they are working with limited funds and even less space. But they’ve learned how to evaluate the needs of their respective communities and effectively manage their resources to meet those needs as best they can. If you haven’t visited your local library recently, do so. I think you’ll be surprised at what it has to offer.

3. My Texas A&M bookmark.

It’s silly, but true. A maroon, leather Texas A&M bookmark is one of my little treasures. I purchased it during my freshman year at A&M and immediately had buyer’s remorse – it cost $5. It was a steep price, but I loved it so. And still do. It can’t be recreated online or used with a Kindle. It’s a delightfully tactile object with its own story, and it makes my reading experience even more personal.

4. Rough-cut pages.

You know what I’m talking about, right? The uneven pages with edges that are well rough. I have a special edition of “To Kill a Mockingbird” with rough cut pages, and I absolutely love the texture. I guess it’s an aesthetic thing because I just like the way they look and feel. It lends an air of authenticity to a book at first glance.

5. My children’s love of reading.

I’m so grateful that my children enjoy books and are developing an appreciation for a good story. Besides being a shared interest, reading will help them better comprehend the world around them and introduce them to places and ideas that they might not have the opportunity to experience firsthand. Not to mention, it’s an enjoyable pastime. I don’t claim to know specifically how to raise “a reader.” But that’s one of my goals – to raise two.

6. A bookstore.

Any one will do. Browsing a bookstore is therapy for me in the same way that some people fish or play golf. Wise County is sorely lacking in this area, so it does require a trip across the county line. But I can spend hours perusing the shelves, the cover of each book promising a captivating tale.

7. Nancy Drew.

I have to give credit to the teenage sleuth for helping to foster my love of reading. I discovered the series at my grandma’s house, and her adventures introduced me to the fun of a good mystery. And for that, I will always be grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Although I realize this is the inevitable destination of the publishing world, I’ve been slow to adapt. I’ve fiddled around with an e-reader, but while pushing buttons and gazing at the screen, I missed the aesthetic pleasures of a real book.

But I realize that while my “real” books may be my treasure, the digital formats are the medium in which I will likely be working and reading on a day-to-day basis in the future.

Until this point, ebooks may have seemed out of reach or intimidating to many, but librarian Cecilia Barham at the Decatur Public Library is hoping to change that and ensure that Wise County readers keep up with publishing trends.

Patrons will soon be able to check out ebooks and downloadable audio books from the library, and last week she gave me a sneak peek of the system.

Barham began considering the digital plunge last spring, and after a lot of research, legwork and fine-tuning the site, she expects it to “go live” by mid-November.

Even though Barham admits she prefers a real book in some cases, she said, “at the end of the day, there is no way I can deny that this is the direction books are going to go.

“I think it’s part of the future of literacy and reading in libraries, and we can’t be left behind,” she said. “And we can’t let the community be behind because we’re not leading the way.”

As part of the North Texas Regional Library System (NTRLS), Barham had the opportunity to join the North Texas Overdrive Consortium, which gives the Decatur library, along with 13 others, access to a collection of 400 ebooks and 2,182 audio books.

Overdrive is the software used to distribute digital books, and the consortium program allowed Barham to have access to the software for a greatly reduced price. New releases and bestsellers will be added to the collection every month, and Barham said if there are leftover funds, that money will be used to purchase “special request” titles from specific libraries.

The ebooks or audio books can be downloaded to your computer and put on a Sony e-reader, iPad, nook, iPod, and most smart phones. The software is not compatible with Amazon’s Kindle because the company is not working with library vendors to distribute content.

But even if you don’t have an e-reader, you can read the books directly on your computer, whether it’s a Mac or PC, and you can even burn the audio books to CD if you don’t have an iPod.

Barham said just like a physical book, these items can only be checked out to one person at a time, but holds can also be placed on items, just like with things from the regular stacks.

Barham walked me through a checkout, and the process seemed intuitive. The site will be accessible from a link on the library’s main page, and it resembles a book-buying site with books divided into categories.

Users will log into the system with their library card number and PIN number. To get started, everyone has to download the Overdrive software and Adobe Digital Editions, which is easy with step-by-step instructions.

Each checkout is for two weeks, and at the end of that time, the title “disappears” from your device.

In addition to checking out books through Decatur Public Library, there will also be a links to Project Gutenberg and Blio, two other sites with digital content.

Barham said like any library service, she and her staff will support it 100 percent, and they will be able to guide patrons through the process.

“It is the way reading is going to go,” she said. “If we can make it accessible, then when it’s the most common way, people won’t be afraid of it.”

There was usually a rainbow theme, haunted house initiations and of course, notepads and pens for everyone.

But once it was organized, the club usually floundered. There was no other business to address.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to be a founding member of a book club.

This was my dream come true.

Not only have I enjoyed the camaraderie of a “club,” but it’s also centered around one of my favorite things – books.

When we first started meeting, I was a stay-at-home mom.

Admittedly, I was looking forward to the adult conversation as much as the book discussions.

It also gave me a good excuse to read something besides toddler board books.

Many of us were already friends so before talking books, we compared notes on kids, school, work and day-to-day life.

We meet once a month, and it’s become a mini-retreat for me, an escape from the to-do list and a fun time with friends. Over the last year or so I’ve had to miss a few meetings as my family has gotten busier, but I’ve come to treasure book club even more because of that.

Since it was first started, the group has grown in numbers, changed locations and evolved in general, as needed.

It’s become an avenue for me to make new friends and helped me get to better know those already in my circle.

And despite our husbands’ suspicions, we really do talk about books.

Anyone can start a book club. You just have to make a few basic decisions to get going.

1. Who will be in the club?

2. When and where will you meet?

3. What types of books will you read?

Some clubs are specific to mysteries or Christian fiction, for example. Our club reads all types of books, and we’re casual in our proceedings.

One member usually leads the discussion, but even if you haven’t read the book, you’re still welcome. Some clubs have strict rules about attendance, and if you didn’t do the required reading, you can’t come.

These issues will be ironed out easily once you form a group, depending on the members’ personalities and goals for the club.

In the meantime, check out my blog, Shelf Space, for tips on how to form a book club. It’s on the Messenger’s website at www.wcmessenger.com/blogs/shelfspace.

I like a lot of things, so I always had this internal struggle. I never could decide “what” to collect.

I’ll never forget the time my mom suggested I collect souvenir spoons. You know, those little bitty ones that have tiny pictures or engravings on them. I think I have one, which is possibly more useless than a whole collection of them.

Looking back, maybe I was forcing the issue because like so many other things in life, once I quit thinking about it, a collection naturally developed.

Readers may recall this discussion from my blog, Shelf Space, where I outlined the virtues of my signed book collection, albeit small. Although few in number, each book is special to me for the memories I have associated with that book or meeting that particular author.

I mentioned in the post that my most treasured signed book is Elmer Kelton’s “The Time It Never Rained.” Just last month, I had the privilege of hearing Mark Bowden, best-known for writing “Black Hawk Down,” speak, and I got him to autograph a copy of the book for my husband.

Usually my book-signing adventures require a trip across the county line, but fellow bibliophiles will have the opportunity to meet an author at a local book-signing next month.

Jill Greenwell, of Decatur, will be signing copies of “The Adventures of Giji the Giraffe: The Beginning ‘Who Am I?’” 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, at Memory Lane on the Square in Decatur.

Known as “Mo Cookie” to her granddaughters, Greenwell described the book as “a Christian character-building book.” In the story, little Giji, a young giraffe, learns how to love God, give Him the glory and how to love, trust and accept others.

“God’s done so much for me, and I want to give back. As long as He gets all the glory, that’s my goal in life,” Greenwell said. The author is donating most of the profits to purchase Bibles for missionaries around the world.

Greenwell wrote the book for her granddaughters, and she said all the characters are based on people in her life. Her mother, Marie Wilson, illustrated the story, creating a family heirloom, but a book that can be treasured by all children and families.

Soft-cover books are $14, and hard-cover books are $20. You can preorder books by calling (940) 627-5521.

“The Adventures of Giji ” is the first in a series. When the second book is released, its sales will benefit a children’s charity.

One of those people is Larry McMurtry.

Technically, the author splits his time between homes in Archer City and Tucson, Ariz., and although he’s had a tumultuous relationship with his hometown, he is inarguably its most famous native son.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of his most popular book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Lonesome Dove,” making this the perfect time for a summer road trip to his unlikely literary oasis.

Archer City is 25 miles southwest of Wichita Falls at the crossroads of Farm Road 79 and Farm Road 25. Thousands of visitors trek to the tiny town to visit Booked Up, the bookstore McMurtry opened in 1986.

Hundreds of thousands of books fill four downtown buildings. Patrons wander between the buildings and tote their treasures back to Building 1 to where the only cash register is located.

It’s like Barnes and Noble, but with character and creaky floors.

The most-often asked question: “When will Mr. McMurtry be here?”

The answer: “At his whim,” according to the store’s website.

Although it’s rare to run into the writer, I have several friends who have caught a glimpse of him moving books or getting into his car.

The July issue of Texas Monthly has a story on the anniversary of “Lonesome Dove,” and interviews were conducted with people associated with the book and later the movie.

Dave Hickey, an art critic, professor of art practice at the University of New Mexico and a longtime friend of McMurtry, described the author’s public self this way:

“If you leave Larry alone, he’ll write books. When he’s in public, he may say hello or goodbye, but otherwise he is just resting, getting ready to go write.”

Booked Up does not sell any of McMurtry’s books, and it’s unlikely that he would sign anything for you if you did see him.

But when I visited in 2006, I’ll admit, I hoped to run into the famous author, and perhaps even more, sought the palpable inspiration that must lie in the local landscape.

My visit was spurred by a story assignment. I was writing a feature on the Royal Theater, made famous in McMurtry’s “The Last Picture Show.”

My husband and I rolled into town just after lunch with plans to explore before my interviews that evening. We perused the bookstore, each and every building, before making a stop at the local watering hole – Dairy Queen.

The Dairy Queen’s walls are decorated with posters of McMurtry’s book covers. There were only a handful of patrons there that afternoon, but you could tell most of them were from out of town.

“Are the bookstores open today?” asked one man, between bites of his ice cream cone.

The gal behind the counter wrinkled her nose and looked quizzically at her co-worker, as if she had never heard of Booked Up.

As if “Lonesome Dove” was a country song.

As if the name Larry McMurtry didn’t ring a bell.

Their seeming indifference was infuriating to me.

But maybe the feeling is mutual. McMurtry doesn’t exactly ooze affection for his hometown.

He’s been described as a “demythologizer,” and as such, probably the last thing he would want was for his hometown to pay homage to him.

He probably appreciates the indifference and is glad for the distance.

So even though I want to tour his family home and visit “the sites” on which many of his fictional settings were based, I realize that’s not going to happen.

I must be satisfied to know him through his books – those he has written and those he has collected.

For information about Booked Up, visit www.bookedupac.com/index. The store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and there is a summer sale of 25 percent off.

It unlocked a literary world with characters and cultures vastly different from those I’d encountered in Wise County.

A teacher brought a group of us, all Alvord students, to the Decatur Public Library, which was located at the corner of Church and Shoemaker at that time.

I remember painstakingly signing my name in the awkward, large cursive of someone who is required to write on wide-rule notebook paper.

Although details like my age and grade escape me, I remember the first book I checked out – “The Borrowers,” by Mary Norton.

Published in 1952, it is the first in a series of children’s fantasy novels about tiny people who live in the homes of regular-size people and “borrow” things to survive while keeping their existence unknown.

This is where it gets fuzzy again.

I have a vague memory of the cover, but I don’t remember much about the story or the main characters – The Clock family. In fact, my memories of the tiny characters begin to overlap with memories of “The Littles,” a series of books by John Peterson, which is perhaps best-remembered by my generation as a cartoon television series in the early ’80s.

I may not recall a shred of “The Borrowers” plot or the details of these tiniest characters, but I do remember an overwhelming sense of pride returning home with my card and book.

A library card could be the simple encouragement, or magic key, your child needs to build good reading habits.

If your child doesn’t already have a library card, now is a great time to go get one. Local libraries are gearing up for their summer reading programs that offer not only great stories, but also entertainment, education and the opportunity to interact with peers.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find in area communities:

Bridgeport Public Library

The program has two sessions every Wednesday June 16 – July 21. Session one is 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and session two is 3 to 4 p.m.

Students who have completed kindergarten through fourth grade may participate, and registration was to begin May 26. Sign up at the library or call (940) 683-3450.

Librarian Pat Stegall said Critterman is scheduled to appear June 30, and Dan Gibson, the banjo-playing storyteller, will present his program July 14.

Expect other interesting performers and fun crafts.

Chico Public Library

Library staff want their youngest readers to “Catch the Reading Express” every Thursday 10 to 11:30 a.m. June 3 – July 8.

The schedule includes:

• June 10 – Creature Teacher
• June 17 – Miss Maria will perform live and interact with the audience as she entertains with upbeat music, puppets and games.
• June 24 – Singer and storyteller
• July 1 – Fire safety
• July 8 – End of program party

For information call (940) 644-2330.

Decatur Public Library

The summer reading program in Decatur is sponsored by the Decatur Library Foundation, and it’s every Tuesday at 11 a.m. June 15 – Aug. 3. Students can pick up a reading log, and those who participate in all eight weeks will have a chance to win a ride to school in a fire truck.

The schedule is as follows:

• June 15 – Come see how exotic animals move with Zooniversity
• June 22 – Do some crazy cool experiments with Mad Science
• June 29 – Cool School with Ms. Maria
• July 6 – Puppet show with Ms. Katie and Ms. Diane
• July 13 – Climb around on huge vehicles at Rolling and Reading
• July 20 – Get on your feet for a good time for Xtreme Kidz with Debbie Day!
• July 27 – Decatur Fire Department Clown Brigade
• Aug. 3 – Critterman

The library is also hosting a Teen Online Summer Reading Club June 14 – Aug. 5. Teens in fifth grade and up can participate and even have the chance to win an iPod Touch. Visit www.tinyurl.com/TSRCentryform to enter.

Call the library for information at (940) 627-5512 or e-mail kmorris@decaturtx.org.

Her teacher, Jean Smith, a longtime educator in the Alvord school district, loved reading to her class. Jones recalled hearing the adventures of The Bobbsey Twins and The Boxcar Children.

“She started an interest in reading in the fact that books and stories were out there,” Jones said. “She encouraged everyone to read, more by actions than words.”

And today, Jones is doing the same.

She started volunteering at the Alvord Library in 1995, and by 1998 she was involved with the library board. For the last 10 years, she’s been board president and has concentrated on maintaining and expanding the library’s collection and has focused on how it can best serve the community.

She said the library has 300 to 400 users per month who check out books and DVDs and use the computers.

One of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering, according to Jones, is when a child recognizes her elsewhere. “Look, Mommy. There’s the library lady,” is something she’s heard before.

“It’s good to be known in that way,” said Jones. “It’s also nice to know you’re helping the community. Even though it may not seem like it, you’re helping it grow and move forward.

“I wish everyone would (volunteer) at least for six months to find out what it’s like to give yourself for something else. Most people don’t because it interrupts your life, but eventually it becomes part of your life.”

Jones said almost every library in the nation could use more volunteers. Here are the needs in Wise County:

Library events
Bridgeport

Decatur

Or two.

Road trips mean reading time for me. My husband likes to drive, and I don’t, so it works out.

Before every trip, I gather my stack of reading materials. It usually consists of whatever book I’m reading at the time, a handful of magazines and now, books for my kids.

Sometimes I find a bag for my travel collection, but usually the car is already running by that stage in the packing, so I dash to the van with an armload of literature.

They end up stacked precariously between the two front seats of our van, wedged between a CD case and my purse. The slick magazine covers make the stack slip and slide, and inevitably the Post-It, doubling as a bookmark, falls out and I have to skim several pages of a novel to find my place.

All of this could be resolved with an electronic reading device, like a Kindle or a nook.

They, along with Sony’s e-Readers and Apple’s iPad, allow users to purchase, download and store hundreds of books, newspapers and magazines on one small device.

E-readers will hold 350 books, while the Kindle boasts enough storage for 1,500.

If I had one, I could eliminate my stack of books by storing them all on a gadget the size of a paperback book. Only the iPad is ridiculously huge.

The devices are a little pricey. The cheapest is an e-Reader for about $170, and the most expensive is an iPad at $499. It was just released last week. The most popular devices, the Kindle and nook, both retail for $259.

Electronic books are about $10, even for new releases, and they can be purchased, downloaded and ready to read in minutes, which is appealing.

There are also many out-of-print or public-domain books that can be downloaded for free, like “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” by Lewis Carroll or “Little Women,” by Louisa May Alcott.

The screens on the devices are surprisingly easy on the eyes. The Kindle and nook use a technology called E-ink, making the reader feel as if they’re looking at words on paper and not on a computer screen. You can even use them to read outdoors because there is no glare.

Only the iPad has a full, LCD screen, which is like reading on a computer screen.

Last weekend I borrowed a friend’s Kindle, and as I scrolled through her list of books, I was giddy with so many choices at my fingertips. It was fun to explore its features and easy to use.

But I’m still not convinced I need one. I missed the tactile pleasures of reading.

You can’t feel the weight of a big book in your hands, and I missed the feel of paper pages. iPad features a touch screen, and users do actually swipe the screen with their finger to turn a page, but that doesn’t elicit the same feelings as a browned, brittle page or a crisp, brand-new one.

While the idea of having books instantaneously is appealing to me, it also saddens me to think it could eliminate trips to the bookstore – one of my great joys in life.

And if all of my books are electronic, I could never loan my favorites to family and friends. The Kindle and nook have made feeble attempts recreating the act of sharing a book, but it’s limited.

The nook allows users to share books between devices, but a book can only be shared once and for just 14 days. The Kindle allows you to sync five devices (other Kindles, phones or computers) to it and share books with those devices, but that’s a limited circle when you consider how many times an actual book can change hands.

Also, I don’t want my reading to depend on electricity. Although many of these devices can be used for days on a single charge, reading is supposed to be a simple pleasure – no batteries required.

Many of my friends have Kindles and absolutely love them, but for me, the experience was cold. I’m not ready to turn over another facet of my life to the virtual world.

I like scanning my bookshelf and seeing an array of colors, shapes and sizes. When a friend asks to borrow a book, I like looking for the one I know would be “just right” for her.

And besides, even though my husband groans about everything I lug to the car, it must be somewhat endearing now because he said, “It just wouldn’t be you without your ‘stack of books.’”

I started a book blog, “Shelf Space,” for the Messenger in October and have taken great delight in interacting with readers and generating “book talk.”

This column is an opportunity to further the conversation in newsprint.

When I was a kid and first learned to read, I couldn’t wait to share this newfound love with my little sister, Jennifer.

I didn’t really want to teach her to read. I wanted to read – to her.

I remember filling a blue duffel bag with books. I’d clear the shelves.

Then I would find Jennifer. I’d make her sit in my dad’s recliner, and I’d squeeze in beside her, the duffel bag just below our feet.

She would blindly pull books from the bag, and I would read them to her, one by one.

Of course, my plan was to read every book in the bag to her. We would usually make it through about five or six before she wriggled free.

I think this was the start of “my stack of books” – a stack I carried everywhere.

I guess back then it wasn’t always a stack but usually just whatever I was reading at the time.

I took books on vacation, lugged them to doctor’s visits and carried them between classrooms. And I still do.

Reading is comforting to me. If I have a bad day or am worried about something, I read and let the characters’ problems engulf me, washing away my own.

I love to watch the movement of my bookmark, closer and closer to the end, and I like the way it feels to turn a page, especially brown, brittle ones in aged volumes. I even like the smell of books: the scent of new paper in a recent purchase or the dusty smell when uncovering an old favorite.

The invention of electronic reading devices could eliminate “my stack of books,” but for all the reasons listed above, the e-reader is an anomaly to me.

It takes away the tactile pleasure of reading.

Friends tell me differently. They promise it’s not like reading on a computer screen. They also boast of having millions of books at their fingertips because in an instant they can purchase and download a book directly to their devices.

This I can appreciate, but I’m still not convinced I need an e-reader.

Check back with Bookends later this month as I develop a more informed opinion of electronic reading devices and compare some of the most popular, including Kindle, nook and the Sony Reader.

Kristen Tribe is assistant editor at the Wise County Messenger. Her blog, “Shelf Space,” can be found at www.wcmessenger.com/shelfspace, and you can e-mail her at ktribe@wcmessenger.com.