New book walk at Cooperation Park aims to encourage children's literacy

Kortny Hahn, Cheboygan Daily Tribune
·3 min read
Tuesday afternoon, the Indian River Area Library, along with several other community partners, unveiled a new book walk around the children's playground at Cooperation Park.
Tuesday afternoon, the Indian River Area Library, along with several other community partners, unveiled a new book walk around the children's playground at Cooperation Park.

INDIAN RIVER — On Tuesday afternoon, the Indian River Area Public Library and several community partners hosted a grand opening of the new book walk at the children's playground in Cooperation Park.

The walk is designed to get more kids reading and exercising.

"Our book walk at Cooperation Park is up and you can take a look at that whenever now," said Indian River Area Library Director Kelsey Rutkowski. "The first story is 'Walk on the Wild Side' by Nicholas Oldland."

Rutkowski said people can take their children to the playground and book walk in the northwest corner of the park at 5454 S. Straits Hwy, or they can go themselves.

"You'll see the podiums all the way around the playground. You can read the story a page at a time and do the activities between each page," she said. "So, it's really fun."

The event at the new book walk included free cookies, books and summer goodies for children and their families to take home. The families were also able to sign up for the Indian River Area Library Summer Reading Program, which encourages families and children to read while doing fun activities like camping and hiking.

Pedestals with different pages of a book for children and their families to read are placed all around the children's playground at the northwest corner of Cooperation Park.
Pedestals with different pages of a book for children and their families to read are placed all around the children's playground at the northwest corner of Cooperation Park.

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The story will be changed each month, to give those who use the park an opportunity to read a new story every four weeks.

"The picture book series will change periodically throughout the spring through fall, with a hiatus during the winter months," said Rutkowski. "The Cooperation Book Walk offers our community the opportunity to combine literacy skills with physical activity and nature while venturing beyond the four walls of the library building, and we are thrilled to be a part of it."

Pages of a book are mounted in each of the podiums around the park and can be enjoyed and read by people of all ages.

As the children and their families move along the book walk, they get to read a new page of the book, as well as complete little challenges such as running to the next page, or smiling, or guessing who has the shortest legs.
As the children and their families move along the book walk, they get to read a new page of the book, as well as complete little challenges such as running to the next page, or smiling, or guessing who has the shortest legs.

The book walk is made possible by a grant through the Michigan Department of Education and the Great Start Collaborative and a collaborative effort with the Indian River Area Library.

The Great Start Collaborative for Cheboygan, Otsego and Presque Isle counties, Great Lakes Services, White Tail Drilling, and Up North Tree Service also had a hand in bringing the new attraction to the park. Several families, including John and Peg Herring and Dawn and Hudson Fenstermaker, also contributed to the book walk.

"We would like to extend our thanks to the Friends of the Library, COP-ESD, and the Tuscarora Parks and Recreation Department for all of their help and support during this process. I personally would like to thank my amazing team of staff as well, for their dedication and hard work at the library, which makes opportunities like this possible," said Rutkowski.

Everyone who completes the book walk is encouraged to come into the Indian River Area Library and get their very own library card, allowing them to check out books, movies and other materials from the facility in downtown Indian River.
Everyone who completes the book walk is encouraged to come into the Indian River Area Library and get their very own library card, allowing them to check out books, movies and other materials from the facility in downtown Indian River.

More information about the book walk, summer reading program and other programs the Indian River Area Library has to offer can be found on its website, www.indianriverlibrary.org, or by calling (231) 238-8581. More books and other materials can also be found at the library, 3546 S. Straits Hwy in Indian River.

Contact Reporter Kortny Hahn at khahn1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @khahnCDT.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cooperation Park book walk promotes reading with exercising