GOFFSTOWN - The Goffstown Public Library is immersing itself in all things Oz, as townwide support grows for Goffstown High School's production of "The Wizard of Oz."

Library patrons can embark on a "StoryWalk" as they travel down Main Street, reading different parts of a picture book that details Dorothy's journey to The Emerald City.

The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vt., and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg Hubbard Library.

"It was actually one of our patrons who had read about the idea," said Patti Penick, head of Youth Services at the library. "It's a good way to get kids moving around and reading."

When it came time to choose a book, "The Wizard of Oz" didn't immediately come to mind, Penick said, but when the Main Street Program teamed up with the theater department at Goffstown High School to promote its winter production, it seemed only fitting to align the walk with that theme.

The library coordinated the project with the Main Street committee spearheading the Oz events, and soon, several businesses were on board.

The walk begins at the library, then continues to TD Bank, Powden's Jewelers, Monument Laundromat, Sawyer's Restaurant, State Farm Insurance, the Gordon Burns Agency and ends at Putnam's Waterview Restaurant.

Penick said it is a goal of the library to partner with other parts of the community, as it did this summer with Goffstown Parks and Recreation.


"It's really about supporting the kids in town," she said.



kremillard@newstote.com