By CONNIE NOLEN / Community Columnist

Pelham Public Library sponsored its Summer Reading Ice-Skating Kick-Off Party at Pelham Civic Complex on Tuesday, June 7. The crowd was excited to have a cool place to celebrate the beginning of the summer reading program as a welcome diversion from the heat.

Excitement began at the Summer Reading sign-up table and continued with the free skate session. Summer adventures at Pelham Public Library are for sharing this year.

When readers are in town, they’ll have age-appropriate reading activity sheets to complete for fun prizes.

And when Pelham’s younger readers leave town, Pelham Public Library is sending them off with a traveling companion. On Saturday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m., Children’s Librarian Mary Campbell will host the city’s first Flat Stanley Library Party.

Based on author Jeff Brown’s “Flat Stanley” book series, the character of Flat Stanley has existed for more than 45 years.

In the first Flat Stanley book, the character is flattened by a bulletin board. Becoming flat empowers Stanley. Once he’s flat, Stanley travels inexpensively by mail.

At Pelham Public’s Flat Stanley Party, library patrons will have a chance to color and decorate their very own Flat Stanley characters.

When families travel, they can take Flat Stanley and photograph him in front of landmarks from their travels.

Children can also mail Flat Stanley to family and friends and have them photograph Flat Stanley in front of landmarks. Campbell hopes to have many well-traveled Stanleys by the end of the summer.

Flat Stanley will be available at the library all summer for anyone unable to attend the Saturday, June 11 event.

The library is also hosting The Zinghoppers Show: One World Dance Party at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 28. According to Campbell, “The Zinghoppers are soon to have their own show on Tennessee Public Television and their website says that they are a mixture akin to ‘Barney meets the Black Eyed Peas.’ When I saw that comparison, I knew that we had to have The Zinghoppers in Pelham.”

With Movie Mondays, Pelham Brick Brigade Fridays, unique crafts and presentations by the McWane Center, Grebel Dance and entertaining storytellers, you’ll want to stop by the library, either in person or in cyberspace, to get a copy of the Summer Reading calendar and start planning the rest of your summer fun at Pelham Public Library.

Connie Nolen can be reached by email at CNolen@Shelbyed.k12.al.us.