On Thursday, May 31, students from all over Cranston headed to Cranston High School East for the much-anticipated annual Summer Reading program kick-off event, one in which the Cranston Public Libraries and Cranston Public Schools team up together to promote the summer reading.

As part of the event, there was an hour-long, free show, Bubbleology, by Keith Michael Johnson in the auditorium, put on by the “Cranston Teacher’s Association.”

The kick-off event gave both parents and students an opportunity to meet and greet local librarians from the public schools as well as from the city’s libraries, to check out grade-level appropriate summer reading lists and to sign up for raffle giveaways, which were drawn at the end of the night’s events. Additionally, information was available about signing up for the public libraries’ summer reading events.

Grace Swinski, Robin Gervais and Lisa Milson, representatives from the Cranston Family Center (title1familycenterofcranston.com), which is housed at Gladstone School, were also on hand to meet and greet guests, with giveaways for students and informational handouts.

According to Susan Rose, Barrows and Library program supervisor, 14 CPS librarians from all levels attended the event, as did familiar faces for students from all over the city, including Rose, Katherine Tanner from Edgewood and Eden Park, Meredith Moore from Garden City and Oaklawn, Ellen Basso from Woodridge and Stadium, Deanna Brooks from Peters and Waterman, Tara Manion from Glen Hills and Stone Hill, Seta Chateauneuf from Hope Highlands and Rhodes, Carolyn Steward from Gladstone, Nancy Gaiewski from Orchard Farms, Beth Grabbert from Bain, Deanna Flynn from Western Hills, Stephanie Mills from Park View, Heidi Blais from East and Susan Evje from West.

Students from the JROTC program at Cranston High School East served as volunteers for the event, manning tables and welcoming families.

In addition, there were familiar faces from the local public libraries, including Emily Brown, Elise Petrarca, and Edna Hutchins. The individual libraries will be hosting summer reading kick-offs, programs and events in the coming weeks. For more information about kids’ and teen programs, visit the public libraries website at cranstonlibrary.org.