Grand Terrace Gets a "Wacko" Magic Show

The Community Room at Grand Terrace City Hall was chock full of young participants and their parents who turned up for a truly magical event. As part of the statewide Summer Reading Program, the Friends of the Grand Terrace Library and the Grand Terrace Library welcomed dozens of children to the July 9 program, "The Wacko Show" Magic Show, to witness a few out-of-this-world magic tricks and get a chance to win several prizes. Thursday morning's show was one of several put on by the Friends of the Library group, longtime member Barbara Khacherian told the Grand Terrace City News. The Friends of the Library regularly fundraises through its annual Book Sale at the Country Fair to help bring summer programs - this year, there are a total of seven - to the community. The interactive, free events include an animal presentation, magic shows, juggling shows, and even chemistry and planetarium demonstrations. Virginia Figueroa is a longtime Colton resident who, along with her husband, has been bringing her daughters, Audrey, 8, and Natalie, 6, to the Grand Terrace Library to enjoy these programs and shows for many years. The library's reading programs and its close proximity to their home are just two reasons that keep them coming back, Figueroa said. "The kids absolutely love the events. Afterward, they check out books and it helps keep their reading on track during the summer. They have their own weekly reading goals that they set themselves, so it's not just us (the parents) asking them to read," said Figueroa. Khacherian has previously told the Grand Terrace City News that the Friends of the Library continue to put on these events in the summer for the benefits they provide to young readers. "They get here, they see something they're interested in and then they visit the library and check out books," Khacherian said, noting that even children who haven't yet learned to read on their own can check out books to have an adult read to them. This year, Figueroa brought along her friend Veronica Torres and her two children, Emily, 4, and Sebastian, 2, to enjoy the program for the first time. Torres said, "I thought it was great. It gets the kids interested in everything about the library." The summer reading program encourages kids to set reading goals while incorporating fun and interactive activities to engage them. Khacherian explained readers who accomplish their goals receive various prizes, including book bags and gift certificates to places such as Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour. The programs sponsored by the Friends of the Grand Terrace Library run mostly Thursday mornings. Upcoming Friends-sponsored events at the library include: * Abbit the Average - Magic and Juggling Show, Thursday, July 16 at 10:30 a.m.; * Full Spectrum: Crazy About Chemistry, Thursday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m.; and * Full Spectrum: Portable Planetarium Show, Saturday, July 25 at noon.