Honolulu Weekly

The Honolulu Academy of Arts’ new program Read Me a Story is a program designed for families to start educating their keiki on art and culture. The program is offered every Tuesday through Saturday in the academy’s new Keiki Reading Room.

An academy storyteller will read a book aloud to the children from a collection of more than 100 children’s books. The room is also open during museum hours for families to browse the shelves.

Honolulu Academy of Arts, 900 S. Beretania St., Keiki Reading Room, Gallery 31 on the lower level of the Banyan Court, gallery hours: Tue-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun, 1-5pm, $7 general admission, $4 for students, seniors and military, free for children under 12, the Read Me a Story program is every Tue-Sat, 2:30pm, free for children 12 and under, free for parents with the price of museum admission, 532-8700, [www.honoluluacademy.org]

The Robert Allerton Research Library at the Honolulu Academy of Arts re-opened to the public last month after an eight-month renovation. The library, founded in 1927 with a starting collection of only 500 books, is the premiere source of art information in the state. It now houses more than 45,000 books and periodicals.

The addition of a database of digitized images of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, as well as a new reading room, make the library a worthy destination for learners and researchers. Stop for a bite at the academy’s Pavilion CafÈ and make an afternoon of it.

Library hours: Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm, Sat. 12:30-4pm, see above for museum hours and admission prices

The Hawaii Public Library System is joining the culture club with its Young Adult Summer Reading Program. This summer, local slam poet Kealoha is scheduled to perform at 11 O’ahu libraries as part of the free program. Someone call the librarian, it’s going to get loud.

Fri. 6/16, 10am, Kahuku (293-8935)
Sat. 6/17, 12pm, Hawaii State Library, young adult section (586-3490)
Tue. 6/20, 3pm, Waialua (637-8286)
Wed. 6/21, 2pm, ‘Aiea (483-7333)
Wed. 6/21, 6pm, Kapolei (693-7050)
Sun. 6/25, 3pm, Ka-ne’ohe (233-5676)
Sat. 7/1, 1pm, Waikiki-Kapahulu (733-8488)
Wed. 7/5, 2:30pm, ‘Ewa Beach (689-1204)
Wed. 7/12, 2pm, Wa-hiawa (622-6345)
Wed. 7/12, 6pm, Waipahu (675-0358)

Also part of the public library summer reading program is Creature Feature at Your Library. This program within a program highlights books about creatures, both real and mystical. Interested 7th- through 12th-graders will read one book per week on a related topic and be eligible for reading incentives (no word yet on what the incentives are) as well as the chance to enter themselves to win a $1,000 shopping spree at Pearlridge Center and a bunch of other stuff. Go to your local library at least once per week to check in and prove that you’re reading your weekly picks–we recommend The Dragons of Pern series–and don’t forget to enter the prize drawing by July 15.

For more information, visit [www.librarieshawaii.org] or call your local library