A girl gently holds her long plait and slowly leans forward in a little green chair as she attentively listens to the story being read.

“What’s a mule?” the six-year-old girl asks excitedly, unknowingly interrupting the story.

“That’s a really good question. A mule is like a donkey,” storyteller Sandy Scerri smiles as she continues reading to the small group of children gathered around her in the Junior Library of the Central Public Library in Floriana.

Sandy, or “Grammy”, volunteered to hold weekly storytelling sessions at the library after taking her grandchildren there a few weeks ago to attend one of the many summer events organised by Malta Libraries. She felt there was a need for activities that cater for younger children – and the library loved the idea.

“I truly believe in helping others grow. I’m a veracious reader and I’ve always raised my children and grandchildren to understand the importance of reading. Reading is the greatest gift we can give them. Especially in this age of tablets and mobiles, we need to help children see and learn that they can generate their own imagination. Plus, for me it’s fun, I love reading to children and I hope to instil this sense of fun,” says the 63-year-old grandmother of two. During the session, titled Grammy Reads at the Library, Sandy animatedly reads the stories and sings related songs between tales.

She patiently replies to the constant stream of questions fired at her by her curious audience and gently responds to the occasional random comment – like when a four-year-old boy said he ate pea cake for his birthday… much to his mother’s dismay.

The storytelling sessions form part of the Malta Libraries initiative to open up libraries to young readers through a range of activities aimed at introduc-ing libraries to children as a fun way to learn, explains Cultural Organiser Maria Muscat.

Activities for the summer programme (that include watercolouring at the library, book binding, cooking at the library, and creative writing workshops) are all fully booked – a reflection of the thirst for such events, she says.

Another course, also fully booked, is a beginners course in comic book drawing – that follows the recent introduction of the graphic book section aimed at shattering the perception that “graphic books are not real books” and encouraging reading and creativity.

Sandy will be reading stories to children between the ages of four and six at the library every Wednesday morning at 10am.

Joining the library is free and can be done online. Apart from books you can borrow ebooks, audiobooks and magazines. To find out more about joining the library, its various services or about events organised visit maltalibraries.gov.mt or find Malta Libraries on Facebook.

Dewey the library cat brings an added layer of calm to the Floriana public library.

Meet the library cat

Libraries are known to be quiet places and the Floriana public library has an additional ingredient that contributes to the calming atmosphere – Dewey the library cat.

Dewey literally walked into the library about three years ago, when he was about three years old.

“He used to be a stray but, every time we’d be passing by, he’d come near us and follow us,” explains Doreen Borg Zammit who is officially his “library mummy”.

The staff adopted the cat after taking him to the veterinary for all the necessary checkups. In return, Dewey provides a calming presence – something cats are well known for.

“Gentle and friendly my nature, Dewey spends most of his day in the administration area, close to the Junior Library. Sometimes we do bring him out and he’s always a hit, especially with the children,” says Cultural Organiser Maria Muscat.

But why Dewey? There are two reasons really. “He’s named after the Dewey Decimal System which is the system we use to classify books,” says Ms Muscat who also adds that he’s also named after the character of the children’s books Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!