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READFIELD — Readfield community members of all ages recently gathered to celebrate the grand opening of a permanent StoryWalk on the wooded trail behind Readfield Community Library thanks to Melissa Small, librarian at Readfield Community Library.
Small first learned of the StoryWalk activity in the summer of 2020 when library board member Pat Clark suggested they borrow Eric Carle’s “From Head to Toe” StoryWalk from Healthy Communities of the Capital Area Let’s Go! program to use for the library’s summer reading program.
Inspired by how much the children loved engaging and moving around to read the story, Small decided to install a permanent StoryWalk along the trail behind the library. She applied for a mini grant from HCCA’s Let’s Go! program and received $800 to fund the project.
Pam Mitchell, library board member, joined Small to plan the project and the Readfield community quickly stepped up to get involved. High school students from Kent’s Hill and Maranacook High School designed and built 18 podiums, while two local businesses, By the Board Lumber and Portland Glass, supplied the wood and Plexiglas for the podiums.
Community members and businesses participated in a Sponsor a Book campaign to buy 24 books that will feature movement and activity.
Ellen Bowman, a retired teacher and community member performed an animated reading of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” at the Aug. 25 grand opening. Kent’s Hill School teacher Jordan Gehman cut the ribbon and Clark led the group along the trail and engaged children in reading aloud and pretending they were on a bear hunt through the woods.
At the end of the trail, the group met up with drummer Aaron Neily, who played his djembe while leading the group back to the start of the trail where the children met to do a craft project.
The StoryWalk will be open year-round.
