Media Contact: Leanne Ingle, Communications Specialist, 360-704-4508, or outside Thurston County calling area: (877) 284-6237, ext. 2508; e-mail: lingle@trlib.org.

All summer long, children and teens will be crossing the threshold of imagination and entering the Middle Ages, an era when castles towered, knights quested, and people believed dragons and wizards were real. The Timberland Regional Library’s 2005 Summer Reading Program, with its themes "Dragons, Dreams & Daring Deeds" for children and "Joust Read" for teens, offers exciting opportunities to read tales of adventure and enchantment, attend special presentations, join in creative activities, and pick up prizes. Participation is free of charge.

Young dreamers and doers of daring deeds through high school ages, can sign up at their local Timberland library in Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Pacific or Grays Harbor County just as soon as school is out in their area. Parents and caregivers can sign up their babies and other pre-readers and share vital language and literacy activities by reading stories and rhymes to their little ones and bringing them to the library for story times and other programs for the very young. All will receive a book bag with complete program materials so they can get started right away.

School-age children will hone their reading skills while having a great time. As Governor Christine Gregoire wrote early this month: "Reading shouldn’t stop in the summer when school is out. I encourage children and families to join in a library or school summer reading program to make sure reading is part of their summertime activities."

The hundreds of programs being offered districtwide will include two headliners who will appear in all 27 Timberland library communities, usually at the library. Magician Jeff Evans will take young sorcerers on an imaginary trip inspired by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Books in his interactive presentation, "Secrets of Wizards". "Anything can be learned from books when you combine imagination with the power of magic!" said Evans.

In "The Dragon Who Came to Visit" Mad Scientist Dr. Cranium will ask audience volunteers to help him show a dragon that the forest might be a better home for him than a castle. Their scientific methods will explore machines, heat exchange, molecular properties and more.

This year, the acclaimed artist and children’s book author, Steven Kellogg, has created exclusive detailed art for the children’s program. Kellogg is the creator of hilarious picture books such as his series about a lively Great Dane named Pinkerton. Participants will find the art on program folders, posters, door hangers, activity sheets and more. A careful search of the program poster will reveal Pinkerton and other beloved Kellogg characters. Award-winning Seattle multimedia artist, Doug Keith, has created dramatic artwork for the teen program.

Every participant will receive coupons for free pizza and admissions to area attractions when they turn in their prize claim form to their library in July or August. Library branches will also award extra prizes from local businesses, Friends of the Library groups and other organizations to be awarded at various times during the summer.

For more information, please visit the Timberland website at www.trlib.org or contact your local Timberland library.

Timberland Regional Library serves the information, reading and lifelong learning needs of the Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston county public at 27 community libraries and 4 school-based cooperative library centers. The library system is funded by local property taxes. For information on any subject, the public can telephone Timberland’s Central Reference Service librarians at 704-INFO (704-4636) in the Olympia area or 1-800-562-6022, toll-free, from all other areas. Or they can "Ask a Librarian" online at www.trlib.org. Anyone needing special accommodations to participate in a library’s program may contact the library 4 days in advance.