Communications Department - (360) 943-5001 - Fax 586-6838 - 415 Airdustrial Way SW - Olympia, WA 98501
Reference & Information line: 704-INFO in Olympia area or toll-free 1-800-562-6022. 
TRL Web site: http://www.trlib.org  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts: Leanne Ingle, 360-704-4508, or Ellen Duffy, 360-704-4576. Outside Thurston County calling area: (877) 284-6237. E-mail: lingle@timberland.lib.wa.us.

Timberland Regional Library brings kids, teens and parents to the beach—and beyond—through imaginative interactive presentations, fun-time reading, story programs, crafts and activities, and world-expanding prizes, with the Library’s summer program, Sea Splash 2003.

The program is for youth of all ages from birth (with parents and caregivers’ help) through high school. Signup packets and book bags are in all Timberland libraries now. A sign-up form is also available online at www.trlib.org. Presentations and activities begin at each library as soon as school is out in each community. Kids can sign up now through July. Prize coupons may be turned in during July or August. All portions of the program are free of charge.

The staff of the Timberland library system want youth to have a lot of fun while developing a love of books and language and learning more about our planet’s vast seas and fascinating sea life. "As librarians who serve youth and families, we know that we hold a key to unlocking the world of reading, conversation and curiosity through books and stories. Even infants can participate in Sea Splash with parents and caregivers reading the books aloud and talking about the pictures," said Timberland Youth Services Coordinator, Ellen Duffy.

The library system will present two major guest performances at all 27 Timberland libraries. Seventeen of the libraries will also present a third guest presentation, open to all summer program participants in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties.

Last Leaf Productions, a professional touring children’s theater troupe, will present full-costume interactive adaptations of three favorite fairy tales, one at each library. In Puss ’n Boots, the audience follows a resourceful cat and its befuddled owner through their adventures and find out how even the worst situations can be overcome with confidence, intelligence and creativity. In The Nightingale, a simple bird with a beautiful song teaches a spoiled emperor about the true treasures of friendship, loyalty, and sincerity. And in The Wolf’s Tale, Wolf gets to tell his version of Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, and other tales to let the world know that he isn’t such a bad guy…or is he? Children are welcome to visit various libraries in their areas to catch all three productions.

Linda Severt’s high-energy performance, JuggleTunes, weaves stunts, music and puppets into creative and hilarious routines. Severt builds in lots of creative audience participation both off stage and on. In addition to her physical skills, Severt sings and plays her original songs on a variety of instruments, including guitar, concertina, and a junk drum set of various buckets and jugs. Severt’s tunes have been recorded by a major label company.

In Exploring Other Worlds: Beneath the Pacific Ocean, coming to 17 Timberland libraries, deep-sea diver Jacqui Stanley brings the audience to the dwelling places of the wolf eel, the leafy sea dragon, and the surprisingly sociable giant manta ray. Youth get a close look at professional diving gear and learn how to suit up for a dive. After learning hand signals for communicating undersea, participants dive via video across the Pacific to gain an understanding of its vastness and variety. Stanley’s presentation will likely inspire future underwater careers. Stanley has published two children’s picture books about some remarkable sea creatures.

To engage youngsters of all ages, librarians have invited other guest presenters to the libraries and have developed numerous programs. A complete calendar of all summer events at every library is on the Library’s website. Various Timberland libraries are hosting wildlife programs, puppet plays, singers, storytellers, musicians, magicians and more for the younger crowd. Preschoolers and school-age kids are also offered story time programs, crafts and activities.

For teens and preteens, there are beach-book talks, scavenger hunts, writing, cartooning and fish painting workshops, chess practices, contests and more, as well as diver Jacqui Stanley’s under-the-sea presentation.

For all, there are books and magazines to read or listen to—just for the fun of it. Signup packets include lists of reading suggestions for various age groups. Dozens of booklists for various ages and interests are online at www.trlib.org under the TimberKids and TeenZone banners. Special Sea Splash activities are also on the Timberland website, including humorous sea life pages to print off and color, and a chance to review favorite books online.

The Sea Splash reading record, included in the signup materials, will be handy for keeping track of reading. The record sheet will be also useful for kids participating additional reading programs such as the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge and Barnes & Noble’s summer reading program. Information about these and other programs is available at all Timberland libraries.

Sea Splash participants who return a prize coupon to the library in July or August receive a packet of districtwide prizes including coupons for free entry to zoos, theme parks and museums and pizza. Prizes and program support are being provided by Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium that has a new exhibit, Once Upon a Tide…a Seahorse Odyssey; Northwest Trek Wildlife Park; Hands-On Children’s Museum; Fort Clatsop National Memorial; Barnes & Noble Booksellers; Wolf Haven International; Papa Murphy’s Pizza; Pizza Factory; the Puyallup Fair; local business partners; and local Friends of the Library groups. Program partner, the South Sound Reading Foundation, encourages families to read aloud with their children 20 minutes every day all the way from birth through school.

Complete information about the prizes is included in the program signup book bag. For more information, call or visit your local Timberland library or long on to www.trlib.org and click on Sea Splash 2003.

Timberland Regional Library serves Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties at 27 community libraries and 6 school-based cooperative library centers. For information on any subject, the public can telephone Timberland’s Central Reference Service librarians at 704-INFO (704-4636) from Thurston County, Shelton and Oakville or 1-800-562-6022, toll-free, from all other areas in the district. Or they can "Ask a Librarian" online at http://www.trlib.org/asklib.htm. Anyone needing special accommodations to participate in a library’s program may contact the library 4 days in advance.

Revised 06/18/03