Luke Herson shot his hand up when the request was made for another volunteer reader. He grabbed his book, "Maxi, the Star," and began reading to his audience, which included Samantha, a 75-pound eight-year-old who hung on every word. Every now and then Luke paused in his reading to show pictures from his book.
"It's a dog tale. I think she would like it," said Luke, 8, about why he chose that particular book to read. If her relaxed, accepting demeanor were any indication, Samantha did like the selection, as well as portions of other books a total of 13 children read to her at Ferguson Library Saturday morning.
Samantha, a certified therapy dog, helps children improve and become confident with their reading by being an attentive listener. She's able to work in libraries and hospitals, among other venues, having been certified through Therapy Dogs International, said her handler, Linda Quinton.
"The kids seem to get a big kick out of it," said Quinton. "The hope is that it relaxes them enough so that they feel comfortable practicing their reading and developing confidence."
And there might even be evidence to back up the theory. "I think it's been proven scientifically that reading to dogs is a great way for kids to feel more confident," said Children's Librarian Amy Twing, who has seen an added benefit. "Some kids are afraid of dogs, so if anything, for them the dog exposure is more important than the reading exposure."
None of the children showed any fear of Samantha. Each was eager to read to her and each, even the more reluctant readers, had a look of delight after reading. The youngsters took turns stroking and petting Samantha, and watching her perform tricks. "It was very fun," said Luke. "The dog was very, very nice. I thought the tricks were awesome."
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