By LINDA KELLETT

C-S-E News Staff

FORT PLAIN — A procession fit for a king was what participants of the annual summer reading program hosted by the Fort Plain Free Library took part in early this month.

The kick-off event for the themed program, “Dream Big — Read.” even featured a special “guest”: a life-size replica of King Tut’s sarcophagus, which was wheeled down Main Street on a dolly.

Accompanying the gilded receptacle were a dozen or so instrument-bearing youngsters intent on reading and taking part in daily activities at the Willett Street facility.

With registration materials and daily events highlighted on the library’s new website, www.fortplainfreelibrary.org, parents can view program descriptions and schedules. Two programs take place each weekday through the program’s end in mid-August.

On Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to noon through July, for instance, children have had an opportunity to “experience the artistic philosophy of French Impressionist painter Edouard Manet.

Tuesday story-hour programs, held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and extending through the middle of next month, have “a twist.” As noted in registration materials, children guided by facilitator Joanne Resch will “actively engage in a story-telling experience that has them moving around, making sounds, listening to music and finishing off their session with a short art activity.”

Wednesday morning programs, facilitated by Andrea Montayne, give children an opportunity to “explore their dreams through different artistic mediums”; and Thursday morning events engage children with special science programs.

The July 19th program facilitated by John Laffan, for example, gave area youngsters an opportunity to craft a boat from a piece of aluminum foil and test its buoyancy.

Library Director Whitney Hubbard said pennies were added to each “vessel” in order to see how many coins they boats would support before sinking.

The title of the session? “Archimedes Takes a Bath,” and it was attended by over 20 area youths.

Fridays feature history-oriented programs such as the one introduced with King Tut’s procession. Those sessions are led by Toni Hubbard.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday themed programs are held from 1 to 3 p.m.

Miscellaneous programs on a wide variety of additional topics are also held each day.

For more information or a complete schedule of events, call the library at (518) 993-4646 or visit the website.