Recreation Director Laurel Rossiter and Blades
SHREWSBURY – Blades came to Shrewsbury, and instead of cheering on the Bruins, he was creating some new bookworms.
The Boston Bruins mascot visited the Shrewsbury Public Library on July 15, part of the Bruins’ “When You Read You Score” partnership with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Dozens of children showed up – many in Bruins gear – to meet Blades, participate in a read-along, and get free Bruins swag.
Shrewsbury was one of 15 Massachusetts libraries selected for the opportunity.
“It’s our hope that this will encourage them to keep reading over the summer,” said Maureen Amyot, the director at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. “The Bruins are doing their part, with our partnership, to support literacy. All the kids are going to get a goodie bag with a list of the Bruins’ favorite books, and all the librarians tell us that they can’t keep them in stock after we give out the list. It’s a good feeling.”
If you’re curious, Charlie McAvoy enjoys “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown, while Jeremy Swayman lists Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” as among his favorites. Appropriately, David Pastrnak encourages kids to read “Little Book of Pasta,” by Christina Sicoli and Caitlin Renee Steuer.
The program has encouraged children to come to the library, even if they normally frequent the hockey rink.
“It’s a really unique partnership. … It’s really unique among my peers,” Amyot told the Community Advocate. “I don’t know of too many other states that have a major sports team as a partner. It brings many kids interested in sports who may not have otherwise gone to the library.”