DINOSAURS, TRAINS, BEACH PARTY HIGHLIGHT RIVERSIDE LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

Children made visors, stamped paper and hula hooped during Riverside Regional Library's "Beach Party" in the Jackson City Park on June 19.

Keith Haddrill, left, and Michael Graefe, his assistant from the audience, did a trick.

Faith Revelle walked off stage with her put-back-together paper necklace.

Jeremy, a fifth-grade dinosaur, and Keith Haddrill, the puppetdude, entertained at Riverside Regional Library on July 19.

One of the highlights of the summer schedule at Riverside Regional Library was playing in the tent. This prop was used as part of the "Camping" program presented on June 12. Camping was part of the theme for "2001 Places to Go!" this summer.

Summer Reading Programs have really been great this year. Riverside Regional Library in Jackson has had programs on trains, dinosaurs, a beach party and a magic show this summer.

Ann Scheper from the St. Louis Science Center visited on June 25 to present a program on dinosaurs. Scheper arrived in a brightly colored "vanasaurus," equipped with all kinds of dinosaur paraphernalia. She described how dinosaurs ate.

She said, "dinosaurs had stones in their stomachs to help them digest food." The food actually got mashed up by the stones.

On Thursday, July 19, at 4 p.m., Keith Haddrill presented "I Love To Read!" Haddrill is a ventriloquist, magician and puppeteer.

Haddrill introduces himself as a live performer, not TV. It is obvious Haddrill is no stranger to "Saturday Night Live." He had the youngsters, as well as adults, laughing, almost from the start.

Haddrill's sidekick, Jeremy, a fifth-grade dinosaur, entertained the audience with his misinterpretation and mispronunciation of words like extinct and ventriloquism. Later, Haddrill asked "how would you learn more about ventriloquism?" The answer came from the audience: books.

Haddrill fashioned his performance around reading, books and the library. After all, his presentation was entitled "I Love To Read."

Faith Revelle, Haddrill's lovely assistant from the audience, participated in the magic trick that pointed out that once you tear paper up or damage a book, it cannot be restored. As with most magic tricks, the unlikely occurred and the paper was restored. However, the trick most certainly got the point across.

Michael Graefe was set up on a makeshift bed with the intent of pointing out to kids that reading before bedtime can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Before the audience knew it, Michael was floating on air!