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Well it is officially the start of summer. I know this because I saw the Harvey Rabbit show at the library yesterday. For the past four or five years my children and I have marked our calendar early in the spring for the summer Harvey Rabbit & Friends show, and this year's performance was as good as ever. If you are not familiar with the act, a husband and wife comedy duo from Lafayette perform a ventriloquist act at the East Baton Rouge Parish library branches to get the children excited about the summer reading program. This year's theme is "Be a star," so Harvey (the rabbit), Cecil (the orangutan) and T-Bone (the Cajun alligator) put on a wonderful 45-minute show with a positive message about doing your best and being a star.

Apparently it worked because in less than 24 hours my oldest daughter has read five books on her reading level. Of course, they have a pretty good incentive to read. We signed up for the summer reading program while we were there. This means that if they reach the individual reading goal we set for each child, then they will receive "rewards" donated by local food establishments (Popeye's, McDonalds, etc.) and kid-friendly places of interest (LASM, USS Kidd, Don Carters, etc.).

It was also a big day for my youngest child, who we decided was responsible enough to have her own library card -- a big step in the Chenevert household. Remember that no late fees are charged on children's books checked out on children's library cards (of course, you must pay for the book if not returned), so there is a little forgiveness as they learn to be responsible for the books they check out.

If you can't catch the Harvey Rabbit & Friends show at another branch of the library, look for some of the other activities going on in the children's section. This summer's activities include ballets, story times, library movie viewings and guest entertainers. For a complete schedule of events click here. Happy Reading!