In celebration of National Library Week, Mr. Simmons’ company, Laing Urban, builder of homes in urban areas, is partnering with the very active Friends of the Library to do something innovative and pragmatic for children.
The idea of a program introduced on Tuesday night is to encourage young and partially young children to read more than they have.
With a hefty financial gift from Laing Urban, a division of John Laing Homes, Mr. Simmons and the Friends are co-sponsoring a unique twelve-week reading program through June 27 at the Julian Dixon Library.
Called Building Readers in Culver City literacy program, the acronym is BRICC for good reason. With each book a child reads, he gains a brick. If he earns enough bricks to build a home, he is rewarded with a sizable prize.
A Voice of Reason
Only a single, resonating sound rang out across the large square room.
Turning up the volume on my antique ear-horn to Max, I recognized it. Good, Ol’ Uncle Alan was reading, animatedly, from “The Wacky Substitute” to a dozen children spread out on a throw rug in front of him.
Many of Culver City’s child reading stars came out on the wettest night of the spring to hear Good, Ol’ Uncle Alan perform for them.
By name, they were Tobey Reichman, Elsan Varnous, Shriya Srikanth, Hanif Wright, Haji Wright, Franklin Berry, Kate Perry, Jeremie Lopez, Jenesis Moreno, Rebecca Worker, Feben Worker, Jacob Weiner, Chelsea and Iddris Parks, Stephane Stephane Mazumdar and Alexia Diaz.
Impressively attentive, only a couple dared to squirm as Good, Ol’ Uncle Alan, who performs with the City Council on Monday nights as Alan Corlin, handed off to fellow Councilman Steve Rose.
Several pages later, Mr. Rose handed off to Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger. He charmed his audience of children and equally well behaved adults.
You May Call Him Uncle
No one-shot actor, Mr. Corlin, as one of the most active members of the Friends of the Library, reads to children on the first Tuesday evening of each month.
He’s good.
Obviously, he loves his monthly task. Like a laser, he connects with the children. He lives the parts of the characters he is reading about.
He doesn’t play down to them, although his audience tends to be quite young.
As dignified as Mr. Corlin strives to be on the dais in Council Chambers, he does not sacrifice any dignity when he steps into this playpen for children.
They love his oral aerobics and the tales he spins.
Hopefully, Mr. Corlin will infect them with the pleasant disease of loving to read their own stories.