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Miss Sue and 'Quackers' make
North Logan's library unique
By Diana Hurren
May 1, 2006 | NORTH LOGAN -- North Logan librarian
Sue Randleman, known to local children as Miss Sue,
tells stories twice weekly using ventriloquist puppets,
flannel boards and sing a longs. Over 300 children attend
story time each week for a unique learning experience.
"It's the greatest thing for kids in the community,"
said librarian Judi Poorte.
Miss Sue brings her favorite puppet, a large yellow
and orange duck named Quackers, to story time every
week and she says children become mesmerized with him.
Randleman uses her ventriloquism talents to give Quackers
a lively and goofy personality that children absolutely
love and many children actually believe Quackers is
real, said Randleman.
"It's just a half hour of fun and the kids love it,"
said Randleman with a huge smile spread across her face.
"Even the moms love it," she said, chuckling.
The children all sit on padded rainbow colored mats
placed on the floor for the half hour story time while
Miss Sue and Quackers happily entertain the attentive
audience. The children are encouraged to help tell the
flannel board stories and also participate in singing
and dancing which they seem to love.
Ventriloquism has been one of Randleman's interests
since she was a young girl and she has been using it
to teach children for years. She's used multiple puppets
over the years, but when she got Quackers in 1984 he
was a big hit and he's been her primary entertaining
partner ever since.
Randleman has worked in libraries across the country,
but has been at the North Logan library for nine years
now and is currently serving as the library director.
She won the librarian of the year award in 2004, which
Randleman said she suspects she earned primarily because
of her work with the kids and story time.
"Other libraries have story time and it's nothing
like this," said Poorte. "This is incredible!"
Randleman said that other library reading programs
are too boring and she just wants the kids to have fun
so they will learn to enjoy reading.
Heather Godfrey just started bringing her daughter
to story time and she said every time they leave the
library her daughter immediately requests to come back
next week.
A couple months ago Randleman recorded story time
for the library to play over a couple weeks when she
was planning to be away for surgery. When the kids got
to the library they were so upset that Miss Sue and
Quakers were not there in person. Some of the children
were so upset they started crying Randleman said giggling
to herself, "they just had to have the real thing."
"If she ever left this place she would be so missed;
it would be such a loss," said Poorte.
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