Morrill Memorial Library’s Busy Bee Reading Club Concludes Summer Season Highlighting Top Young Readers-September 8, 1970

The Morrill Memorial Library’s Busy Bee Reading Club—a popular summer program designed to encourage elementary school students to maintain their reading habits during vacation—has successfully concluded its seasonal activities.

Program Structure and Creative Expression

Administered by Children’s Librarian Hope Anderson at the main library on Walpole Street and branch librarian Mrs. Fraser at the South Norwood branch, this year’s club featured a unique creative twist. Rather than submitting traditional book reports, participants were encouraged “to do their own thing” in expressing ideas or core messages gleaned from their reading. This freedom unlocked a tremendous amount of artistic and imaginative talent among local children.

A standout example occurred at the South Norwood branch, where young reader Robert Drake borrowed a cookbook and successfully prepared a complete, multi-course lunch for Mrs. Fraser and library staff in July. The menu featured sliced ham topped with sliced pineapple and maraschino cherries, accompanied by a lemon jellied salad and iced tea.

Reward System and Top Readers

The reading incentive program was structured around a beehive milestone system:

After reading an initial 12 books, participants earned a paper “bee” bearing their name, which was prominently displayed on division bulletin boards in two categories: Honey Bee (kindergarten through grade 2, directed by Mrs. Fraser) and Worker Bee (grades 3 and up).
For every additional 10 books read, participants earned another bee for the display board.

At the conclusion of the summer session, library administrators announced the top-performing young readers:

Main Library (Walpole Street):Allan Comeau captured top honors by reading an astounding 92 books (earning nine bees), followed by Michael Sullivan with 72 books (seven bees), and Amy Solomon with 62 books (six bees). Honey Bee division winners included Colleen Crawford and Nancy Dwyer, who tied with 42 books each (four bees).
South Norwood Branch:Robert Drake took top honors for reading the most books at the neighborhood branch.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger

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