By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— Participants in the Pelham Library’s summer reading program were in for a treat June 21 when Lew-E the clown dropped by to host a Read Olympics program.

Dozens of children gathered around as Lew-E juggled balls, worked his magic with flags and scarves and humorously entertained with jokes.

“I’ve seen his performance before, and he is just silly and funny,” said Rebecca Burchfield, the children’s librarian. “It’s a nice break for some of the moms and dads and grandparents to bring them here and have something fun that can be fast-paced enough to keep the kids entertained.”

The summer reading program—dubbed “On your Mark, Get Set, READ!”— features live presentations every Tuesday.

To incorporate the reading theme, Lew-E shared stories with the students, such as “The Tortoise and the Hare,”  “One Fish-Two Fish,” and “Have you Filled your Bucket Today.”

By comparing the library to the Olympic games, Lew-E showed the students how both bring people of all cultures and nationalities together for one common goal.

“We’ve already had several people hanging out upstairs picking out books asking about the program,” Burchfield said before the program. “I know everyone is excited for him.”

This isn’t Lew-E’s first visit to the Pelham Public Library. Burchfield said he has performed for Pelham’s students for a few years now, and he seems to do a good job of entertaining the kids.

Kids were also invited to interact with Lew-E, acting as his helpers for some of the tricks.

“(Lew-E is) not one that I ever got a chance to have perform at the library I used to work out of,” Burchfield said. “So he’s one I’ve only seen bits and pieces of the show, so it’s exciting for me too.”

Next week, the library is hosting a guest from Animal Tales on June 28 at 10:30 a.m. for a live animal performance titled “Ready, Set, Reptiles!”

For more information, visit Pelhamlibrary.com or call 620-6465.