Story Time with Mentor Firefighters & Smokey the Bear

Kids read to Smokey the Bear when Smokey and his friends from Mentor Fire Department visited on Thursday.

We don't often get bears visiting Mentor Public Library; but, then again, most bears aren't Smokey.

Smokey the Bear and his friends from Mentor Fire Department visited for a special story time on Thursday at our Main Branch.

They read books to kids about fire safety, including a personal favorite, No Dragons for Tea.

The moral of the story is, "If you invite a dragon to your home for tea, you're probably going to need a new home."

Then the kids had a chance to try on the firefighter's gear and read to Smokey the Bear.

Mentor firefighters joined us as part of our Local Heroes series.

Our summer reading program this year is dedicated to heroes, so we’ve got programs dedicated to Supergirls, Avengers, and more.

But not every hero wears a cape. A nurse, firefighter or 911 operator can be every bit as heroic as Spider-Man or Wonder Woman (or even more heroic, seeing as they’re real.)

That’s why we’re celebrating local heroes during our Family Story Times every Thursday in June and July. (The story times are 7 p.m. at our Main Branch. No registration necessary.)

Firefighter Nathan Peters was kind enough to let the kids try on some MFD gear.

Two weeks ago, Nurse Amanda talked to the kids about health during a Teddy Bear Clinic, and there will be more heroes each week including:

• 911 operator Suzy & Red E Fox on June 25
• Dentist Nicole, July 2
• Recycling with Bonnie & Beth, July 9
• Policewoman Marilyn, July 16
• Naturalist Leslie, July 23
• Yoga instructor, July 30

If you can’t join us Thursday evening, we also offer several other story times at all three of our branches.

Now it's Smokey's turn to read to the kids... or, at least, show them the pictures.

And while you’re at the library, you can sign up for summer reading. For every hour a child reads or is read to, they receive a raffle ticket that can help them win one of dozens of cool prizes—from telescopes and microscopes to Lego sets and Superhero Barbie. The more someone reads, the better chance they have of winning.

If a child reads 20 hours by Aug. 1, they will be entered into a special raffle to win one of two $50 gift certificates from Toys ‘R Us.

Mentor Library also has a summer reading program (and prizes) for teens and adults, as well. For more information about summer reading, call 440-255-8811 or visit Mentor Library’s website.