Children can read to Murphy and Marley at the Newcomerstown Public Library
Book hounds Murphy and Marley are celebrating the Make a Splash summer reading theme at the Book Hound Club. The dogs are booking appointments now for the club that runs through Aug. 11. Children sign up to read to the dogs for one 15-minute session each Wednesday. Children attending five out of the 10 sessions will receive a certificate signed by Murphy and Marley and children attending six or more sessions will receive a Book Hound trophy. The awards party will be held Aug. 18, at 1 p.m. The Book Hound Club is open to children in grades one through six.Parents need to register their child for the program by calling the Newcomerstown Public Library at 740-498-7706 or 740-498-8228, or by stopping in at the library, located at 123 East Main Street. Let the staff know about any special needs a child has when registering.
Murphy and Marley are bloodhound/labrador mixes owned by Linda Hren, who runs the Book Hound Club program. They are certified therapy dogs through Therapy Dog International. To be certified, dogs must pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test and also pass additional tests that evaluate health, temperament, training and social skills. For information, call the library or e-mail Linda Hren at lhren@newcomerstownlibrary.org.
The Newcomerstown Public Library Book Hound Club is modeled after the READ (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) program developed in Salt Lake City by Sandi Martin. Intermountain Therapy Animals, a nonprofit organization based in Salt Lake, launched READ in 1999. Since that time the organization has collected data on the benefits of children reading to dogs, showing impressive improvement in reading skills, self-confidence and self-esteem.