An effort to get children to read more books during the summer is spreading throughout the Tristate.

        The massive Read Around The World: 2002 Summer Reading Club will start at 5 p.m. Friday in the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, 800 Vine St., downtown and at the 41 neighborhood branches.

        Diversity will be emphasized Friday, between 5 and 8 p.m. with global entertainment, such as the Vejelia Lithuanian Fold Dancers, Drums of Tokyo by the Cincinnati-Dayton Taiko Group, and a performance by the Cultural Centre of India.

        Other activities will include henna tattoo body art, a scavenger hunt, crafts, face painting and global games. Kahn's grilled hot dogs and goodies from Kroger will be available.

        “The program this year is designed to reach more individuals and families than ever before,” said Richard Helmes, press officer. “We urge everyone to let their library card be their passport (through) August 15. to take them to faraway places through reading at the library.”

        Ohio first lady Hope Taft set the tone earlier this month, when she celebrated the Right To Read Week at St. James of the Valley School, 411 Springfield Pike, Wyoming.

        She read The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper and The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry to children in Kindergarten and Second grades.

        The Cincinnati Reds are also pitching in. Any adult and child who sign up together for the Summer Reading Club at the main library or any branch between Friday and June 8 will be eligible to win four tickets to a Reds game.

        Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc. has made its quarterly corporate contributions, totaling $95,000, to area organizations to support programs in eduction, youth, diversity, arts and culture, environment and health, and human services.

        Recipients are: Association for the Advancement of Arts, for its Arts Connections Class; Better Housing League and the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, for lead poisoning education; Cincinnati Arts Association, for overture awards, artists on tour and school-time performances; and the Dan Beard Boy Scouts of America, for challenge camp.

        The Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center received the award for its “Everyone is an Artist” community program. Other winners include the Children's Law Center, for technology upgrade; Give Back Cincinnati, for public service volunteer projects; Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky, for rehab homes for the working poor; Learning Through Art, for its in-school touring educational program; Neighborhood Playground Initiative, for summer playground support; Northern Kentucky Family Health Centers Inc., for the Bellevue Health Center Exam room; and People Working Cooperatively, for Prepare Affair.

       Allen Howard's “Some Good News” column runs Sunday-Friday. Email ahoward@enquirer.com

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